Which two Celtics would you keep?

[Who]

Atlanta -- JJ + Smith
Boston -- Rondo + Garnett
Charlotte -- Henderson + Brown
Chicago -- Rose + Noah
Cleveland -- Bron + Varejao
Dallas -- Dirk + Marion
Denver -- Melo + Nene
Detroit -- Daye + Stuckey
Golden State -- Randolph + Curry
Houston -- Yao + Scola
Indiana -- Granger + Hibbert
LA Clippers -- Griffin + Gordon
LA Lakers -- Kobe + Gasol
Memphis -- Gasol + Thabeet (Gay or Thabeet? Tough one)
Miami -- Wade + Beasley
Milwaukee -- Bogut + Jennings
Minnesota -- Love + Big Al
New Orleans -- Paul + Collison
New Jersey -- Lopez + Harris
New York -- Gallinari + Chandler
Oklahoma -- Durant + Westbrook
Orlando -- Dwight + Pietrus (Ryan Anderson or Pietrus?)
Philadelphia -- Iggy + Young
Phoenix -- Nash + Amare
Portland -- Oden + Roy
Sacramento -- Tyreke + Thompson
San Antonio -- Duncan + Ginobili
Toronto -- Bosh + Calderon
Utah -- Deron + Boozer
Washington -- Haywood + Miller

[Who]

Question: Who is the first pick in the draft?

I think Andrew Bynum would be my top pick. All-Star caliber big man who's only 22. Can build your franchise around him for the next decade.

A list of top options off my picks up above -- Al Horford, Rudy Gay, Paul Pierce, Baron Davis, Washington's Big Three, Millsap, Kirilenko, Kidd, J.Howard, Rashard Lewis, J.Nelson, Vince Carter, OJ Mayo, Billups, Gerald Wallace, Emeka Okafor, Jeff Green, Monta Ellis, Andris Biedrins, Hedo Turkoglu, Flynn, David Lee, Dalembert, David West, Dunleavy, Jason Richardson, LaMarcus Aldridge, Tony Parker, Perkins, Battier, Ariza.

Aldridge + Millsap + Horford + Gay + Parker + Lee stand out.

Paul Pierce would be the best of the established players. Billups and Baron the next tier. Wallace, Kirilenko and Lewis a tier below. Then players like Perk, Dalembert, Okafor, Washington's trio.

[FLCeltsFan]

Rondo and Perk.  PG and Center are the hardest positions to fill.  Defense wins and these are the two best defenders on the team. 

[Roy Hobbs]

Rondo and Perkins. Defense and youth, plus their contracts are both manageable now. Also, elite pg's and elite centers (which I think we'll all agree Perkins is now, despite what a stat line might say) are two of the hardest positions to fill.  

You have to believe that most teams will take a similar approach.

Question: Who is the first pick in the draft?

If you assume it will be New Jersey picking first, and assume they keep Harris and Lopez, who is it gonna be?

Picks go in reverse order of last year's finish.

[Roy Hobbs]

Atlanta -- JJ + Smith
Boston -- Rondo + Garnett
Charlotte -- Henderson + Brown
Chicago -- Rose + Noah
Cleveland -- Bron + Varejao
Dallas -- Dirk + Marion
Denver -- Melo + Nene
Detroit -- Daye + Stuckey
Golden State -- Randolph + Curry
Houston -- Yao + Scola
Indiana -- Granger + Hibbert
LA Clippers -- Griffin + Gordon
LA Lakers -- Kobe + Gasol
Memphis -- Gasol + Thabeet (Gay or Thabeet? Tough one)
Miami -- Wade + Beasley
Milwaukee -- Bogut + Jennings
Minnesota -- Love + Big Al
New Orleans -- Paul + Collison
New Jersey -- Lopez + Harris
New York -- Gallinari + Chandler
Oklahoma -- Durant + Westbrook
Orlando -- Dwight + Pietrus (Ryan Anderson or Pietrus?)
Philadelphia -- Iggy + Young
Phoenix -- Nash + Amare
Portland -- Oden + Roy
Sacramento -- Tyreke + Thompson
San Antonio -- Duncan + Ginobili
Toronto -- Bosh + Calderon
Utah -- Deron + Boozer
Washington -- Haywood + Miller

You're killing the fun for when we do this as a fantasy game.

[Bahku]

I love the variety of answers here ... all with very solid and valid reasoning. I think it's one of those decisions that's fun to think about, but that no one would ever really want to make.

[Kiorrik]

I love the variety of answers here ... all with very solid and valid reasoning. I think it's one of those decisions that's fun to think about, but that no one would ever really want to make.

I actually think some teams would love this idea

[Roy Hobbs]

Okay, I've decided that this could be a good way to fill the slow part of the season.  If anybody has any interest in trying this out as a game (for fun only -- it's not meant to be a cut-throat competition) sign up here:  Link

[dark_lord]

pierce and rondo

[mmbaby]

Rhondo and Big Baby

[Roy Hobbs]

Rhondo and Big Baby

You really love BBD's potential, huh?

[housecall]

KG&Pierce because as it was proven in 2008,you can win with a inexperience pg or  one in the makings...I feel a good rookie pg can be molded quickly into giving you enough to win right away.

Example:last yr.with a healthy KG,Pierce,Ray,Perk,and rookie Derik Rose we probably could have won.This yr.add Tyrek Evans to a good team like the Celtics,Lakers,or Cavs,their possibilites of winning it all would still be high.

[mmbaby]

Rhondo and Big Baby

You really love BBD's potential, huh?

His potential, yes, and his playing last year healthy.

[Brickowski]

Rondo and Perkins, unless you think the league is going to fold shortly.  Too much injury risk with KG and PP

[Tough Juice]

Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett