Draft for the home runs

[footey]

Regarding Kevin Love, don't overpay.  We have two guys, Sully and Olynyk, who, though not in his class, are projected to be quite good at the same position. You would never get equal value for either of them in a trade.  Advice to Danny: Don't call Minny, let them call you.  Many teams (the Lakers, Warriors, etc) will make inadequate offers.  Minny will come calling at some point. But don't look desperate to make a deal, like 90% of us on Celticsblog.

As for drafting, swing for the fences.  Don't draft someone like Randle, or Smart, a safe, but boring player with limited upside, for the 6 pick.  Go after someone who has the possibility of being an all star type of player.  The only guy I see who could has that potential outside the top 4 is Saric, in my view. Take a chance on him. 

Same with pick 17.  The odds are even longer, but, what the heck, swing for the fences.  Decent guys are always available as free agents. But not guys who could be very special. That is why I really like Kevin O'Connor's pick at 17 too, Porzingis.  That kid is young, but could be very special, with his length, athleticism, skill set, etc.  If not him, fine, then find another prospect that has high upside.  But heavens, stay away from a role player guy who can contribute right away, but will never be much beyond a good 20 minute player.  There are a million of those.

And don't panic about Rondo's expiring contract.  Be patient, and honest, with him.  We are trying to rebuild on a fast track, but we are not going to do anything desperate.  If he walks, so be it.  We are not talking Lebron James here. I love Rondo's skill set, and hope he is a part of our next championship.  But not at the expense of overpaying him, or trading assets for another player who does not get us over the hump.

I waited 21 years between the last two championships.   I can wait a couple two or three more for the next one.  Will make it that much sweeter.

[McHales Pits]

Gambling on a high pick and missing out on a productive player selected behind him is the fastest way to lose your job

[footey]

I think Danny has the job security not to worry about that risk.

[moiso]

I don't see how drafting Smart would be boring.  He is a super high energy player with allstar potential.  He always seems to be in attack mode.

[Casperian]

Yep, swing for the fences. Danny said what we really need is quality, and I agree. Go for the "biggest upside available".

I also agree that Rondo is no Lebron James (Doh). No need to make panic moves just to keep him happy, top 10 NBA jersey seller or not.

I do, however, believe that Danny has to project where this whole Rondo train is going. If he's not sure he can resign him, I'd rather he get something in return before he leaves for free.

[CM0]

I don't see how drafting Smart would be boring.  He is a super high energy player with allstar potential.  He always seems to be in attack mode.

Agreed. A Rondo/Smart backcourt would be very, very entertaining. There would be a level of toughness there that we haven't seen in a while and few NBA guards are used to dealing with. Those two together could provide an enormous intangible advantage as the team grows- the kind of thing that separates great teams from collections of talented players. Ntm, I strongly believe that Smart is one of the best overall players in the draft.

[lon3lytoaster]

I think with the NBA training and in particular this coaching staff, Smart could be prolific. I think that's who I'm leaning towards between him and Gordon. We need scoring, bad and we're not getting a C at 6. Little disappointed he didn't come closer to 6'4, 6'4.5 but we've been playing AB at the 2 with similar size, but smart has more bulk. 

He wants to win games and unlike many other scoring guards, he commits to hard nosed defense and hustle plays. That's the difference for me. And I don't think he has a bad attitude much at all, just fiery on the court. He seems fairly well spoken.

I worry Utah will be interested, but I could get behind a Smart pick.