What could have been

[sinbad]

Knowing what we know now, what if we had gotten the 2nd pick in the draft two years ago and selected Kevin Durant and somehow convinced Pierce to stay with the Cs. How good would this team be especially considering the state of the East. Obviously we wouldn't have gotten KG. Our lineup would look like this:

C-Perkins
PF-Jefferson-future all-star
SF-Durant-future MVP
SG-Pierce-future HOF
PG-Rondo-future all-star

We wouldn't be near the defensive team we are now but I'd think this team would lead the NBA in scoring. I think last year, this team would win 45 games and this year would have ended up with 50+ wins easy. Durant looks like he will be the next big thing in the NBA. Howard, Lebron, Wade, Chris Paul, and Durant look like the future of this league.

I wouldn't trade our current team for any hypothetical out there but this at least looks like the most desired "what could have been" since having missed out on Duncan or the Len-Bias-Reggie Lewis lost generation.

[johnnyrondo]

If you're going to play the what if game, you have to also add Brandon Roy.

Also to a smaller extent Delonte and Gomes. I wonder what we might have gotten with wally and Raef's expiring contracts this yr?

[rondo987]

Knowing what we know now, what if we had gotten the 2nd pick in the draft two years ago and selected Kevin Durant and somehow convinced Pierce to stay with the Cs. How good would this team be especially considering the state of the East. Obviously we wouldn't have gotten KG. Our lineup would look like this:

C-Perkins
PF-Jefferson-future all-star
SF-Durant-future MVP
SG-Pierce-future HOF
PG-Rondo-future all-star

We wouldn't be near the defensive team we are now but I'd think this team would lead the NBA in scoring. I think last year, this team would win 45 games and this year would have ended up with 50+ wins easy. Durant looks like he will be the next big thing in the NBA. Howard, Lebron, Wade, Chris Paul, and Durant look like the future of this league.

I wouldn't trade our current team for any hypothetical out there but this at least looks like the most desired "what could have been" since having missed out on Duncan or the Len-Bias-Reggie Lewis lost generation.

That's a good point.
I caught myself playing the "what if" game today, the situation being that we would have acquired Ray Allen but failed to get KG.

A lineup of:

Rondo
Allen
Pierce
Jefferson
Perk

Bench: Powe, TA, Green, Bassy, Gomes

I think that team would have had the 3 seed last year, lost in the 2nd round.

So I'm pretty much happy where were at...

[Jon]

We would be the Phoenix Suns or the Dallas Mavericks.  5 years from now both those teams will be remembered the same way Webber's Kings, Malone's Jazz, and Kemp's Sonics are remembered: good, but not good enough. 

And what's the point of being good if you never win a title?  Just a big tease.   

[Toine43]

I'm happy enough with what we are now that I don't think this is worth much of my time. No offense to sinbad, because I know he spent some time and effort making the op, but it seems sacrilegious to me to even be thinking about "what could have been" when a dream scenario like this has already taken place.

[hilltopchamps]

just to take it a step further, lets say the C's traded pierce for the chris paul pick a few years back and kept their draft picks from there on:

PG:Chris Paul, SG: Brandon Roy, SF:Durant, PF:Al Jefferson, C: Perk

that team would definately win 1 title in the future maybe more. that being said, i love rondo's leadership and aggresive personality, ray's professionalism, Paul Pierce's loyalty and clutchness and KG's leadership and court prescence. but if ray and KG were never options or discussed, that team i listed above would have been VERY imtruguing to watch as it would have been a young and talented team, with gomes, west and a couple other pieces off the bench.  by comparison, people say the blazers are the most exciting, talented young team in the league, well you take roy out of it cause hes on the blazers, you got paul, durant and big al in place of steve blake, travis outlaw and lamarcus aldridge and it looks like blazers times 1000.  and right now the blazers are playing .600 basketball. so to summarize, while i love this years celtics, and hope they win another championship, that other team would have been extremely, extremely intriguing to watch not only in 2008-09 but for the next 8 years.  btw, if i made any mistakes managing that roster with trades and draft years, sorry but i think i got it down pat. id like to hear what other peoples opinions are.

[johnnyrondo]

just to take it a step further, lets say the C's traded pierce for the chris paul pick a few years back and kept their draft picks from there on:

PG:Chris Paul, SG: Brandon Roy, SF:Durant, PF:Al Jefferson, C: Perk

that team would definately win 1 title in the future maybe more. that being said, i love rondo's leadership and aggresive personality, ray's professionalism, Paul Pierce's loyalty and clutchness and KG's leadership and court prescence. but if ray and KG were never options or discussed, that team i listed above would have been VERY imtruguing to watch as it would have been a young and talented team, with gomes, west and a couple other pieces off the bench.  by comparison, people say the blazers are the most exciting, talented young team in the league, well you take roy out of it cause hes on the blazers, you got paul, durant and big al in place of steve blake, travis outlaw and lamarcus aldridge and it looks like blazers times 1000.  and right now the blazers are playing .600 basketball. so to summarize, while i love this years celtics, and hope they win another championship, that other team would have been extremely, extremely intriguing to watch not only in 2008-09 but for the next 8 years.  btw, if i made any mistakes managing that roster with trades and draft years, sorry but i think i got it down pat. id like to hear what other peoples opinions are.

Tommy Point. Good Post. Welcome to celticsblog.

[BigAlTheFuture]

just to take it a step further, lets say the C's traded pierce for the chris paul pick a few years back and kept their draft picks from there on:

PG:Chris Paul, SG: Brandon Roy, SF:Durant, PF:Al Jefferson, C: Perk

that team would definately win 1 title in the future maybe more. that being said, i love rondo's leadership and aggresive personality, ray's professionalism, Paul Pierce's loyalty and clutchness and KG's leadership and court prescence. but if ray and KG were never options or discussed, that team i listed above would have been VERY imtruguing to watch as it would have been a young and talented team, with gomes, west and a couple other pieces off the bench.  by comparison, people say the blazers are the most exciting, talented young team in the league, well you take roy out of it cause hes on the blazers, you got paul, durant and big al in place of steve blake, travis outlaw and lamarcus aldridge and it looks like blazers times 1000.  and right now the blazers are playing .600 basketball. so to summarize, while i love this years celtics, and hope they win another championship, that other team would have been extremely, extremely intriguing to watch not only in 2008-09 but for the next 8 years.  btw, if i made any mistakes managing that roster with trades and draft years, sorry but i think i got it down pat. id like to hear what other peoples opinions are.

I'd be shock if a team of CP3, Roy, Durant, and Jefferson doesn't get at least 3 championships. That's four potential HOFs.

[Steve Weinman]

I'm happy enough with what we are now that I don't think this is worth much of my time. No offense to sinbad, because I know he spent some time and effort making the op, but it seems sacrilegious to me to even be thinking about "what could have been" when a dream scenario like this has already taken place.

Well said.

But as long as the subject is up, I'll go ahead and guess that the team suggested in the OP gives up about 200 points per game.

-sw

[Scalablob990]

What if we hadn't gotten rid of Joe Johnson and Chauncey when they were still wearing green and waited it out a few years? 

[rondofan1255]

What if we had also held onto Big Ben when he was here temporarily (well not actually here, but didn't the C's cut him or something)?

And, what if we had taken Tony Parker with the 21st pick in 2001 instead of Joseph Forte from NC, who was being bragged on as having "a good coach" when the pick was announced by Stern (by the commentators).

AND, had taken Zach Randolph with the 11th pick in the draft Well, maybe I don't want to think about having Randolph.