Is "The Trade" a failure if we do not get a Top 5 pick in the 2014 Draft

[rutzan]

1)

i abhor the idea of tanking...and...don't give me the "times have changed" argument...that is a load of garbage...it's not the Celtic way

2)

our cap situation does not improve dramatically over the next 3 years

3)

we are now stick in the worst position of all, purgatory, which is middle of the road mediocrity, as constituted, we will win 25 to 35 games, with or without rondo

4)

the rookie contracts of ab and sully will end sooner than you think

5)

Counting on the 2016 and 2018 picks is the great "What if"...who evens knows if we will still have rondo, green, ab, sully

6)

we need to get a great return on the expiring contracts of humphries and/or bogans...otherwise...trading away Celtic Pride and loyalty, the Capt and KG and their passion, leadership and legacy, and in my view a team that could still compete for the championship, was a big exercise in futility...just acquiring more "assets" for the Capt and KG is a farce...we could actually end up getting nothing...think about it...who is really going to take on Humphries and/or Bogans and just hand over a great player...you're dreaming...chew on this for awhile...

7)

the next 3 years will be the best of rondo's career, especially under a reasonable contract...you have to maximize that...that means build a team immediately thru a big free-agent splash...which doesn't seem likely...or...you trade rondo and/or green...and...go all in for 2014...the sad thing is that makes the most sense...i don't think you can play it in the middle by keeping rondo and/or sully out part or all of the year...still relying on too many variables and what if's...and...it just smells too much like tanking...if you're going to tank...2014 is the year to tank...i still detest the idea of tanking...right now...danny is too far along to call this a rebuild or retool...i think we are already in full blow-it-up mode...

[pearljammer10]

How are we gonna get a top 5 pick? With the team as its going to be thats still fighting for the 8th seed in a terribly weak East.

[D.o.s.]

Sort of.

Remember, we traded a high draft pick in an "all right" draft for Ray Allen. We now have a number of what could be high draft picks, so even if we don't make the top five in the lottery next year the possibility remains we could snag the right pieces for what we do have with that pick.

[rutzan]

How are we gonna get a top 5 pick? With the team as its going to be thats still fighting for the 8th seed in a terribly weak East.

that's my point exactly...please re-read point #3 above...we are stuck with holding out Rondo and/or Sully as long as possible and tank...which i detest...or trade rondo and/or green...

[droopdog7]

The trade was for three future first round picks.  The possibility of getting a better pick ourselves was just gravy (and not the primary plan).

[Quetzalcoatl]

How are we gonna get a top 5 pick? With the team as its going to be thats still fighting for the 8th seed in a terribly weak East.

Miami, New York, Indiana, Brooklyn, Chicago and Milwuakee are all basically guaranteed to make the playoffs.  That's 6 teams.

Then, Atlanta could make it if they keep Smith (or get anything back for him).  Washington, Detroit and Cleveland are all going to be improved and will at least be trying to win games.  Orlando will come around one of these seasons. 

In the West, Phoenix and Sacramento are the only teams that will be worse than us barring injury.  The Timberwolves won 31 games and they were 4th from the bottom out there and will be much improved this season.

We have a great shot at finishing bottom 5 or 6 in the NBA as long as Rondo sits out through Christmas.

/Someone needs to look at this though: http://www.nba.com/bobcats/splash.html

[LooseCannon]

There are many ways the Celtics can "win" the trade.  They can draft a superstar in 2014.  Those other draft picks can net at least one star or be used to trade for one.  KG/PP can rapidly decline so that, in hindsight, it looks like Ainge got more than if he had waited.

[Snakehead]

There are many ways the Celtics can "win" the trade.  They can draft a superstar in 2014.  Those other draft picks can net at least one star or be used to trade for one.  KG/PP can rapidly decline so that, in hindsight, it looks like Ainge got more than if he had waited.

Exactly.  I keep repeating myself with these points but some don't seem to get them totally.

Especially in the 2014 draft... picks besides the first there still have great value, as a pick themselves and as an asset.  There are a lot of players with "star" potential.  And we will have two picks... so trade up potential too.

There's a lot of assets in the trade that will come to be valuable, in cap room or picks.  So I'm really not that worried about it going wrong right now.  It always could of course...

[celtics2]

Not really, rarely know how an individual will work out in the Pro's. A lot of luck and foresight is needed.

[Evantime34]

The things is with picks so far in the future, you can't really judge the trade until all the picks are made, but I for one don't have the attention span to wait that long so I will deem it a failure if we don't compete for a playoff spot by 2015.

[rondoallaturca]

There are many ways the Celtics can "win" the trade.  They can draft a superstar in 2014.  Those other draft picks can net at least one star or be used to trade for one.  KG/PP can rapidly decline so that, in hindsight, it looks like Ainge got more than if he had waited.

TP because this post basically sums it up. No matter what happens, this trade can already be seen as a win because rather than be stuck with two guys who are set to retire in a matter of one or two years, we have a whole horde of assets that opens up limitless opportunities for the team.

[D Dub]

no way.  compare it to the trade Stern blocked & called unfair.  that one would have yielded two 1st rounders for Doc/Kg/P.  Instead, DA gets FOUR 1st rounders for the trio. 

that's a win no matter how it gets parlayed. 

[fairweatherfan]

There are many ways the Celtics can "win" the trade.  They can draft a superstar in 2014.  Those other draft picks can net at least one star or be used to trade for one.  KG/PP can rapidly decline so that, in hindsight, it looks like Ainge got more than if he had waited.

TP because this post basically sums it up. No matter what happens, this trade can already be seen as a win because rather than be stuck with two guys who are set to retire in a matter of one or two years, we have a whole horde of assets that opens up limitless opportunities for the team.

The most remarkable thing about that trade is that there were very few places that KG would waive his no-trade clause for, and one of them was already off the table.  If King had pushed back he could've at least given fewer than 3.5 1st round picks.  We simply didn't have the leverage to say no to a worse package.

That trade tore my heart out, but it's absolutely incredible that we got as much as we did for maybe 4 combined years of Paul + KG, and 4 of their worst seasons to boot.