How would this team look with you as GM?

[droopdog7]

If we go back to the Marcus Smart draft, wondering how the team would look if the Celt's took the guy you would have taken.  And no, trades not allowed.  EDIT:  No trades that didn't happen can be proposed.  But, if you would NOT have made a trade that DID happen (e.g., keeping the bane or the fultz picks), that's fair.

2014:  The guy I really wanted was Aaron Gordon, who went one pick earlier.  Once he was off the board, Marcus was my pick.

2015:  Rozier wasn't even on the radar; my pick would have been Portis.  They look about equivalent.  Worth noting that Booker was an option.

2016: Jaylen was my pick (I went to Cal so..).  My second chose was Murray.  Looks like I would have hit it out the park either way.  Had no real pet cats for Yabu and Zicic spots, but I probably would have taken Brice Johnson with one of them.

2017: It was fultz all the way for me

2018:  I had no one before the draft but like many, was clamoring for Rob when the time came

2019:  Honestly, I had no pet cats for any of the picks

2020:  I wanted Cole Anthony rather than Nesmith.  Looks like that would have been a better pick, but probably not a big deal either way

2021:  no preference for 2nd round

2022:  Didn't even watch the pick

[gouki88]

2014: I really wanted either Dante Exum or TJ Warren. Smart was someone I liked, but I probably would have taken Warren over him. I would have also taken Rodney Hood or Gary Harris over James Young. So a step back with the top pick, but Hood or Harris would have been better than Young.

2015: I would have taken Rondae Hollis-Jefferson over Rozier, and Montrezl Harrell over RJ Hunter. Probably would have taken Andrew Harrison over Mickey, and wouldn't have cared about #45.

2016: I liked Jaylen Brown, but I'm not sure I wouldn't have taken Buddy Hield. Would have taken Beasley over Yabu and Labissiere over Zizic, but sadly didn't know what Siakam or Brogdon would become.

2017: It was Fultz for me too, but as soon as we traded down to 3 it was Tatum or Donovan Mitchell. I would have picked Jordan Bell over Semi and would have found a way to get Blossomgame.

2018: I wanted either RWIII or Mitchell Robinson. Was very determined to add an athletic 5 to this team.

2019: I would have taken Alexander-Walker over Romeo, Grant at 20, Nassir Little at 22, and Jordan Bone at 51.

2020: I would have gone with Saddiq Bey over Nesmith, and Tillman over trading the 30 which was Bane.

2021: Luka Garza was my guy.

2022: I would have taken Jabari Walker.

[liam]

They'd be playing for banner 26.


 

[GreenlyGreeny]

Truly impossible to say given the butterfly effect. That aside, if we completely disregard second-round picks, trades, and free agency unless noted otherwise, and presume draft selections/results/preferences remain almost identical by coincidence:

2014: Take Smart like we did.

2015: Consolidate all 2015 picks to move up and get Booker since this was a relatively weak class, but Booker was the one I felt most positive about, not Winslow who was a bridge too far with the ammo we had (I suspect Booker was not).

2016: Trade #3 for Jokic following his rookie season (I knew he would be worth it, but did not know he would be THIS good). Trade the remaining picks for future picks since this was a relatively weak class. Obviously sign Horford like we did considering Al’s one of my binkies.

2017: Take JT at 3 like we did. Trade remaining picks for future picks. Sign Hayward like we did.

2018: There is probably no IT/Kyrie deal in this universe since I insist on some defense and never would have handed IT to Brad, so trade all our 2018 picks alongside Booker to move up to two to get Doncic.

2019: Trade down/out for future picks in 2020/2021. Re-sign Al.

2020: Trade down/out for future picks in 2021/2022. Re-sign Hayward.

2021: Trade all the picks accumulated from the two lines above, and however many future picks it takes (at least the 2022 1st, probably the 2024 1st), to draft Mobley at three.

2022: See above. Re-sign Horford and Hayward to cap-friendly deals to end their careers as a Celtic.

Basically this gets us all of my draft binkies save for some number one picks we’d have no chance of acquiring (e.g., I loved Ayton and Doncic):

2014: Smart
2015: Booker
2016: *
2017: JT
2018: Doncic
2019: *
2020: *
2021: Mobley
2022: *

Our current rotation would be the following because I’d have been loyal to Horford and Hayward by re-signing them and not trading them:

Doncic/MLE Vet
Smart/Hayward
JT/Hayward
Mobley/Horford
Jokic/Horford

Bench: Various vets

[gouki88]

Truly impossible to say given the butterfly effect. That aside, if we completely disregard second-round picks, trades, and free agency unless noted otherwise, and presume draft selections/results/preferences remain almost identical by coincidence:

2014: Take Smart like we did.

2015: Consolidate all 2015 picks to move up and get Booker since this was a relatively weak class, but Booker was the one I felt most positive about, not Winslow who was a bridge too far with the ammo we had (I suspect Booker was not).

2016: Trade #3 for Jokic following his rookie season (I knew he would be worth it, but did not know he would be THIS good). Trade the remaining picks for future picks since this was a relatively weak class. Obviously sign Horford like we did considering Al’s one of my binkies.

2017: Take JT at 3 like we did. Trade remaining picks for future picks. Sign Hayward like we did.

2018: There is probably no IT/Kyrie deal in this universe since I insist on some defense and never would have handed IT to Brad, so trade all our 2018 picks alongside Booker to move up to two to get Doncic.

2019: Trade down/out for future picks in 2020/2021. Re-sign Al.

2020: Trade down/out for future picks in 2021/2022. Re-sign Hayward.

2021: Trade all the picks accumulated from the two lines above, and however many future picks it takes (at least the 2022 1st, probably the 2024 1st), to draft Mobley at three.

2022: See above. Re-sign Horford and Hayward to cap-friendly deals to end their careers as a Celtic.

Basically this gets us all of my draft binkies save for some number one picks we’d have no chance of acquiring (e.g., I loved Ayton and Doncic):

2014: Smart
2015: Booker
2016: *
2017: JT
2018: Doncic
2019: *
2020: *
2021: Mobley
2022: *

Our current rotation would be the following because I’d have been loyal to Horford and Hayward by re-signing them and not trading them:

Doncic/MLE Vet
Smart/Hayward
JT/Hayward
Mobley/Horford
Jokic/Horford

Bench: Various vets

Literally the first line:

If we go back to the Marcus Smart draft, wondering how the team would look if the Celt's took the guy you would have taken.  And no, trades not allowed.

[GreenlyGreeny]

Truly impossible to say given the butterfly effect. That aside, if we completely disregard second-round picks, trades, and free agency unless noted otherwise, and presume draft selections/results/preferences remain almost identical by coincidence:

2014: Take Smart like we did.

2015: Consolidate all 2015 picks to move up and get Booker since this was a relatively weak class, but Booker was the one I felt most positive about, not Winslow who was a bridge too far with the ammo we had (I suspect Booker was not).

2016: Trade #3 for Jokic following his rookie season (I knew he would be worth it, but did not know he would be THIS good). Trade the remaining picks for future picks since this was a relatively weak class. Obviously sign Horford like we did considering Al’s one of my binkies.

2017: Take JT at 3 like we did. Trade remaining picks for future picks. Sign Hayward like we did.

2018: There is probably no IT/Kyrie deal in this universe since I insist on some defense and never would have handed IT to Brad, so trade all our 2018 picks alongside Booker to move up to two to get Doncic.

2019: Trade down/out for future picks in 2020/2021. Re-sign Al.

2020: Trade down/out for future picks in 2021/2022. Re-sign Hayward.

2021: Trade all the picks accumulated from the two lines above, and however many future picks it takes (at least the 2022 1st, probably the 2024 1st), to draft Mobley at three.

2022: See above. Re-sign Horford and Hayward to cap-friendly deals to end their careers as a Celtic.

Basically this gets us all of my draft binkies save for some number one picks we’d have no chance of acquiring (e.g., I loved Ayton and Doncic):

2014: Smart
2015: Booker
2016: *
2017: JT
2018: Doncic
2019: *
2020: *
2021: Mobley
2022: *

Our current rotation would be the following because I’d have been loyal to Horford and Hayward by re-signing them and not trading them:

Doncic/MLE Vet
Smart/Hayward
JT/Hayward
Mobley/Horford
Jokic/Horford

Bench: Various vets

Literally the first line:

If we go back to the Marcus Smart draft, wondering how the team would look if the Celt's took the guy you would have taken.  And no, trades not allowed.

It’s all in good fun. Without trades and forced to make the picks, disregarding second-round:

2014: Smart
2015: Rozier; Looney
2016: JB; LeVert; Murray
2017: JT
2018: Timelord
2019: Samanic; Grant Williams
2020: Bey; Bane
2021: *
2022: *

Conclusion: Trades can really improve results. But the above is quite nice, too.

[Roy H.]

2014:  Smart.  I know a lot of folks preferred Randle, but Smart was my guy.

2015: I don't know who I would have taken.  Realistically, I would have tried to trade up to pick Booker or Oubre.  At 28, if we still had it, Harrell was my guy.

2016:  Jaylen, Murray and Labissiere

2017: Fultz, unless Philly would have given up both the Lakers and Kings pick

2018:  Rob Williams at 27, for sure.   I wouldn't have made the Kyrie trade, though.  I liked all of the two Bridges, SGA, Sexton and Porter.  My guess is that I would have taken Porter.

2019:  Little, Thybulle, and Bol

2020: Nesmith was my guy, although I think all of us were hoping to trade up for Haliburton.  I would have taken Maledon + Tillman.  (I thought Danny would take Maxey over Nesmith, though.)

2021: B.J. Boston in the second

2022:  I had no strong feeling.  Davidson was fine will me.

[droopdog7]

Truly impossible to say given the butterfly effect. That aside, if we completely disregard second-round picks, trades, and free agency unless noted otherwise, and presume draft selections/results/preferences remain almost identical by coincidence:

2014: Take Smart like we did.

2015: Consolidate all 2015 picks to move up and get Booker since this was a relatively weak class, but Booker was the one I felt most positive about, not Winslow who was a bridge too far with the ammo we had (I suspect Booker was not).

2016: Trade #3 for Jokic following his rookie season (I knew he would be worth it, but did not know he would be THIS good). Trade the remaining picks for future picks since this was a relatively weak class. Obviously sign Horford like we did considering Al’s one of my binkies.

2017: Take JT at 3 like we did. Trade remaining picks for future picks. Sign Hayward like we did.

2018: There is probably no IT/Kyrie deal in this universe since I insist on some defense and never would have handed IT to Brad, so trade all our 2018 picks alongside Booker to move up to two to get Doncic.

2019: Trade down/out for future picks in 2020/2021. Re-sign Al.

2020: Trade down/out for future picks in 2021/2022. Re-sign Hayward.

2021: Trade all the picks accumulated from the two lines above, and however many future picks it takes (at least the 2022 1st, probably the 2024 1st), to draft Mobley at three.

2022: See above. Re-sign Horford and Hayward to cap-friendly deals to end their careers as a Celtic.

Basically this gets us all of my draft binkies save for some number one picks we’d have no chance of acquiring (e.g., I loved Ayton and Doncic):

2014: Smart
2015: Booker
2016: *
2017: JT
2018: Doncic
2019: *
2020: *
2021: Mobley
2022: *

Our current rotation would be the following because I’d have been loyal to Horford and Hayward by re-signing them and not trading them:

Doncic/MLE Vet
Smart/Hayward
JT/Hayward
Mobley/Horford
Jokic/Horford

Bench: Various vets

Literally the first line:

If we go back to the Marcus Smart draft, wondering how the team would look if the Celt's took the guy you would have taken.  And no, trades not allowed.

It’s all in good fun. Without trades and forced to make the picks, disregarding second-round:

2014: Smart
2015: Rozier; Looney
2016: JB; LeVert; Murray
2017: JT
2018: Timelord
2019: Samanic; Grant Williams
2020: Bey; Bane
2021: *
2022: *

Conclusion: Trades can really improve results. But the above is quite nice, too.

Yeah, the problem with trades is that we don’t know whether another team will give up the pick or what it would actually take to get a pick or player.

[Moranis]

The no trades is a hard one, because I probably would have taken the Sixers up on their offer for 3 in 2016 and while I liked Fultz, I also didn't have a problem making the trade Ainge did to drop back to 3.

That said

2014 - Randle
2015 - RHJ
2016 - Bender (as I said, I would have traded the pick to the Sixers, but I'm also not going to act like I didn't like Bender)
2016 - Labissere
2016 - Luwawu-Cabarrot
2016 (high 2nd) - Zubac
2017 - Fultz at 1, but would have been fine with the trade, not sure if I would have gone Tatum or Jackson (though I was hoping Ball would fall)
2018 - I don't recall a preference, I did like Rob and Robinson though and they both worked out
2019 - Bitadze
2019 - Clarke (I wouldn't have made the trade with the Sixers)
2020 - Bey or Pokusevski
2020 - Carey or Tillman
2020 - Maledon (wouldn't have taken Bane or made that trade)
2021 - Sengun (I probably wouldn't have made the Horford trade, which obviously worked out very well)
2022 - I was fine with White trade so no pick

[Sophomore]

Give guys credit for admitting they would have gone for Fultz. That’s the most important decision Ainge made.

I don’t watch any college ball so I had no strong opinions at the time, except that when Vassel and Hali dropped I was hoping the Cs could find a way to get one of them.

[Roy H.]

Give guys credit for admitting they would have gone for Fultz. That’s the most important decision Ainge made.

I don’t watch any college ball so I had no strong opinions at the time, except that when Vassel and Hali dropped I was hoping the Cs could find a way to get one of them.

Yeah, a lot of fans criticize Danny for missing on some late round picks, while acting like Brown and Tatum were obvious picks.  They weren't, at all. 

[droopdog7]

Give guys credit for admitting they would have gone for Fultz. That’s the most important decision Ainge made.

I don’t watch any college ball so I had no strong opinions at the time, except that when Vassel and Hali dropped I was hoping the Cs could find a way to get one of them.

I imagine 90% of fans were ecstatic when we won the lottery because of Fultz.  People were mostly upset when the trade was made, and before that, I’m not sure I saw Tatums name mentioned even once.

[Moranis]

Give guys credit for admitting they would have gone for Fultz. That’s the most important decision Ainge made.

I don’t watch any college ball so I had no strong opinions at the time, except that when Vassel and Hali dropped I was hoping the Cs could find a way to get one of them.

I imagine 90% of fans were ecstatic when we won the lottery because of Fultz.  People were mostly upset when the trade was made, and before that, I’m not sure I saw Tatums name mentioned even once.

even after the trade it was about Jackson or Ball.  Very little talk of Tatum on this site until he was drafted.

[Moranis]

The other thing to add to all of this, is you just never know how a player is going to turn out in a different environment. Maybe Fultz as a backup playing lesser minutes in Boston never gets hurt or develops that hitch in his shot, and actually ends up living up to the talent.  Some guys are so great it doesn't matter where they end up, but environment and location matters and matters a lot for a lot of players.  These exercises are always fun, but they are complete and utter fantasy for so many reasons.

[droopdog7]

Give guys credit for admitting they would have gone for Fultz. That’s the most important decision Ainge made.

I don’t watch any college ball so I had no strong opinions at the time, except that when Vassel and Hali dropped I was hoping the Cs could find a way to get one of them.

I imagine 90% of fans were ecstatic when we won the lottery because of Fultz.  People were mostly upset when the trade was made, and before that, I’m not sure I saw Tatums name mentioned even once.

even after the trade it was about Jackson or Ball.  Very little talk of Tatum on this site until he was drafted.

Yeah, I wanted jackson. Oy.