The Starting 5 (if KG & Ray trades never happened)

[celts2320]

if we look to the past trades that ainge has made... considering the draft rights of what became brandon roy for telefair. and the trade for ray allen in jeff green we could be looking at this as our starting five which could have been one of the best upincoming and today starting five ever...
pg-rondo
sg-roy
sf-pierce
pf-green
c-big Al

[Steve Weinman]

if we look to the past trades that ainge has made... considering the draft rights of what became brandon roy for telefair. and the trade for ray allen in jeff green we could be looking at this as our starting five which could have been one of the best upincoming and today starting five ever...
pg-rondo
sg-roy
sf-pierce
pf-green
c-big Al

This would have been interesting, but I'm feeling pretty okay with what we've got.   

[celts2320]

yea i am too im just saying it could have been a really good all youth team that could go far in the playoffs for many years they could have played together here for a long time with grampa peirce holding them together or even could have traded peirce if he wanted out for some more good draft picks

[Steve Weinman]

yea i am too im just saying it could have been a really good all youth team that could go far in the playoffs for many years they could have played together here for a long time with grampa peirce holding them together or even could have traded peirce if he wanted out for some more good draft picks

I think there's a lot of talent there - certainly enough to get to the playoffs sooner rather than later - but also a reasonable chance that said lineup is a disaster at the defensive end.  It's difficult to overstate the worth of what KG brought as far as his impact on his teammates' defensive intensity is concerned, with Pierce being the poster case.

-sw

[rjstaines]

Don't forget if we hadn't traded for ray, pierce would probably have demanded a trade. He's all but admitted to it. He was sick of playing with "potential".  I'm more than happy with 17 and the players we have, just think Rondo could be in Phoenix right now.  Don't think about what could have been, just appreciate the players (3 hall of famers) we have.

[Steve Weinman]

Don't forget if we hadn't traded for ray, pierce would probably have demanded a trade. He's all but admitted to it. He was sick of playing with "potential".  I'm more than happy with 17 and the players we have, just think Rondo could be in Phoenix right now.  Don't think about what could have been, just appreciate the players (3 hall of famers) we have.

Yep, absolutely.  Well said, a belated welcome to the forums, rj.

-sw

[Redz]

and Danny seemed enamored with Yi at the time too...

And just think of the lottery pick we could have picked up in the `08 Draft too

and we would have never had Will Solomon...nuff said

[KungPoweChicken]

This is a topic that never dies.

[Edgar]

or

banks, tony Allen, gerald green, scal and blount


18 baby.

[celticmaestro]

I don't mind debating this. Questions though, would we have drafted Green? Probably not, Danny was supposedly in love with Yi. Which young player would we have gotten for Pierce? Josh Smith? Would Rondo have overtaken Delonte as a starter?

I think we'd be looking at something like this:

Rondo
Delonte West (Pierce Replacement)
Smith (Pierce Replacement)
Yi
Jefferson

We'd have had Ratliff's contract to throw around. All in all, I think we could have built a good team, and with luck a very good team; but no Durant = no title with that core.

[MBz]

We'd have had Ratliff's contract to throw around. All in all, I think we could have built a good team, and with luck a very good team; but no Durant = no title with that core.

I was just going to mention that, imagine if we did get that number two pick?  Big Al and Kevin Durant together.  Nice young duo huh?

[moiso]

We'd have had Ratliff's contract to throw around. All in all, I think we could have built a good team, and with luck a very good team; but no Durant = no title with that core.

I was just going to mention that, imagine if we did get that number two pick?  Big Al and Kevin Durant together.  Nice young duo huh?

That would be awesome on the offensive end. 

[crownsy]

if we look to the past trades that ainge has made... considering the draft rights of what became brandon roy for telefair. and the trade for ray allen in jeff green we could be looking at this as our starting five which could have been one of the best upincoming and today starting five ever...
pg-rondo
sg-roy
sf-pierce
pf-green
c-big Al

no trade - no pierce in that lineup. He would have asked for a trade, he's been pretty upfront about that.

[Spfldkid]

Funny, you mentioned Ratliff....another player with so much talent, so much potential, you could always see that he would just decide to not play...Too bad, we could have used a player with his body, and talent, if he played to his potential. So many guys, myself included, work all day, then pay to join a gym where we can play basketball...if they only knew.....pro players pay should be performance based!!!

[Jon]

Interesting, but by no means appealing.  Just because they would've been good doesn't mean anything, especially when you think about such "good teams" as Webber's Kings, Malone's Jazz, or Barkley's Suns that were good for a long time, but never won a title.