Team of role players

[ekosins3]

No love for Evan Turner?   he has been playing well all year and is a complete player. Might not be all-star caliber player but just a notch below and can be 3rd best player on a really good team in my opinion.

[Granath]

Of the players, Marcus Smart is the best gamble to reach stardom.   That doesn't make it likely, though.  There's probably 8 players from his draft class that I think have a better shot at stardom.   But he's got the best shot of the current Celtics.

Let me try:

Andrew Wiggins
Jabari Parker
Joel Embiid
Julius Randle
Aaron Gordon
Dante Exum
Elfrid Payton
Noah Vonleh?

Are those the eight you've got as likely superstars from this draft class?

Sure I'm biased, but I'd have Marcus no lower than third at this point.  That actually seems fairly objective to me.   

Just for argument sake, Beacher Report recently did a redraft of last year's draft - Smart was drafted 5th after Wiggins, Parker, Embiid and Payton.

[Evantime34]

Of the players, Marcus Smart is the best gamble to reach stardom.   That doesn't make it likely, though.  There's probably 8 players from his draft class that I think have a better shot at stardom.   But he's got the best shot of the current Celtics.

Let me try:

Andrew Wiggins
Jabari Parker
Joel Embiid
Julius Randle
Aaron Gordon
Dante Exum
Elfrid Payton
Noah Vonleh?

Are those the eight you've got as likely superstars from this draft class?

Sure I'm biased, but I'd have Marcus no lower than third at this point.  That actually seems fairly objective to me.   

Just for argument sake, Beacher Report recently did a redraft of last year's draft - Smart was drafted 5th after Wiggins, Parker, Embiid and Payton.

I would take him over Payton because I have faith Smart will learn to be a good shooter where I think Payton won't.

I agree Smart is the best chance at stardom, he was able to consistently provided a positive output even though so many parts of his game are raw. He has a world of upside imo

[cman88]

Smart is only a rookie and was one of the few rookies to actually help lead their team to the playoffs with positive impact. he's young and raw. but I would expect him to improve. he needs to be more aggressive with driving to the hoop and work on his shooting. but he's already a better shooter than Rondo was his rookie year

[LilRip]

Correct.  Start going through the list of best draft picks ever in the 8 to 25 range because that's where the Celts need to strike gold at least once in the next three or four years.

Ok, and then you get an equivilant list of Barganani, Oden, Darko, etc etc. The point being there is more than one way to skin a cat. If you go all in on the lottery you don't have IT. And, you aren't guaranteed a sure-fire top player. So, while nothing is certain, acknowledge that there is more than one way to rebuild. and the Hinkie/tank method, which isn't neccesarily bad, isn't the only way and isn't neccesarily better.

I guess this isn't completely directed at you, but I just want to air out how I really reject this notion of "you aren't guaranteed a sure-fire top player if you win the draft". While it's technically true, even if you traded benchwarmers for a "sure-fire top player", that sure-fire top player could still have a career-ending injury leaving you with nothing.

[Vermont Green]

Of the players, Marcus Smart is the best gamble to reach stardom.   That doesn't make it likely, though.  There's probably 8 players from his draft class that I think have a better shot at stardom.   But he's got the best shot of the current Celtics.

Let me try:

Andrew Wiggins
Jabari Parker
Joel Embiid
Julius Randle
Aaron Gordon
Dante Exum
Elfrid Payton
Noah Vonleh?

Are those the eight you've got as likely superstars from this draft class?

Sure I'm biased, but I'd have Marcus no lower than third at this point.  That actually seems fairly objective to me.   

Just for argument sake, Beacher Report recently did a redraft of last year's draft - Smart was drafted 5th after Wiggins, Parker, Embiid and Payton.

Wiggins and Parker still go 1 and 2 no doubt.  Embiid is still a total mystery.  As far as Payton over Smart?  That could go either way.  I still like Smart plenty.

[Celtics4ever]

I think the way forward for this team is going to be more of an ensemble approach rather than trying to put together a top-heavy three-star core.  The next Celtics championship team has a good chance of not having a 20ppg scorer.

   I think right now the reason is Ainge has not made his move.   I think he will try to get a star or two.

[Moranis]

Of the players, Marcus Smart is the best gamble to reach stardom.   That doesn't make it likely, though.  There's probably 8 players from his draft class that I think have a better shot at stardom.   But he's got the best shot of the current Celtics.

Let me try:

Andrew Wiggins
Jabari Parker
Joel Embiid
Julius Randle
Aaron Gordon
Dante Exum
Elfrid Payton
Noah Vonleh?

Are those the eight you've got as likely superstars from this draft class?

Sure I'm biased, but I'd have Marcus no lower than third at this point.  That actually seems fairly objective to me.   

Just for argument sake, Beacher Report recently did a redraft of last year's draft - Smart was drafted 5th after Wiggins, Parker, Embiid and Payton.

Wiggins and Parker still go 1 and 2 no doubt.  Embiid is still a total mystery.  As far as Payton over Smart?  That could go either way.  I still like Smart plenty.

I think it goes Wiggins, Parker, Embiid, Nurkic.  After that it is anyone's guess, though Exum, Gordon, Payton, Randle, and Smart would all be in the mix.  Guys I have no idea about would be Lavine, McGary, and Clarkson.  Do GM's think their solid play means people were wrong or is just because they are in the right situations.   

[droopdog7]

No love for Evan Turner?   he has been playing well all year and is a complete player. Might not be all-star caliber player but just a notch below and can be 3rd best player on a really good team in my opinion.

I don think turner is ever a third best player on a good team.  Needs the ball to be effective a and isn't good enough to justify it.

[LarBrd33]

Of the players, Marcus Smart is the best gamble to reach stardom.   That doesn't make it likely, though.  There's probably 8 players from his draft class that I think have a better shot at stardom.   But he's got the best shot of the current Celtics.

Let me try:

Andrew Wiggins
Jabari Parker
Joel Embiid
Julius Randle
Aaron Gordon
Dante Exum
Elfrid Payton
Noah Vonleh?

Are those the eight you've got as likely superstars from this draft class?

Sure I'm biased, but I'd have Marcus no lower than third at this point.  That actually seems fairly objective to me.   
 

Clarification:  I didn't say there were 8 likely superstars.  I said there were 8 who were more likely.   Maybe 2-3 of them will eventually reach stardom.  I doubt Smart is one of them. 

Much like saying Marcus Smart is more likely to reach stardom than Phil Pressey.  Both are long-shots, though.  I think Smart's future is as a defensive specialist. 

[LarBrd33]

Of the players, Marcus Smart is the best gamble to reach stardom.   That doesn't make it likely, though.  There's probably 8 players from his draft class that I think have a better shot at stardom.   But he's got the best shot of the current Celtics.

Let me try:

Andrew Wiggins
Jabari Parker
Joel Embiid
Julius Randle
Aaron Gordon
Dante Exum
Elfrid Payton
Noah Vonleh?

Are those the eight you've got as likely superstars from this draft class?

Sure I'm biased, but I'd have Marcus no lower than third at this point.  That actually seems fairly objective to me.   

Just for argument sake, Beacher Report recently did a redraft of last year's draft - Smart was drafted 5th after Wiggins, Parker, Embiid and Payton.

FWIW, NBA.com ranked Smart the 7th best rookie this year behind Noel, Wiggins, Payton, Mirotic, Clarkson, Nurkic.   Noel and Mirotic weren't from his rookie class.    I still think Embiid, Exum, Randle and Gordon have a shot at stardom.