What if the ping pong balls gave us the #1 pick in 2007

[openairmovie]

Ive discussed this with friends many times....the issue is  we are seeing PErk and Rondo as what they are now...remember what they were for the 06-07 season...people werent too high on them...many didnt know who the heck we would start at PG and C  coming off the Big 3 trade.

My point is  that Perk and Rondo have greatly benifited from the presence of KG, Ray and Paul,  thus boosting their game IQ  and overall talent to another level.  Rondo and Perk would not be the same players we have right now   with young players like that surrounding them so the poster who said we would be the thunder is exactly right....the thunder are a group of young inexperienced  players  who lack  a real vet. presence   does that mean they arent good? No   but  they are cetainly not the players they CAN be  when pushed by a leader like KG

[lon3lytoaster]

How many NBA titles would we have won if Bias had lived and we had drafted Tim Duncan?

That is a better question we need to be asking!

I'd reckon six. Add Reggie Lewis to that bunch. and I assume they'd win '87, maybe a repeat (or actually a three peat because of '86) then four with Duncan. Don't forget David Robinson allegedly almost came here, too.

Blank
Lewis
Bias
blank
Duncan in 1998

What more would you need?

[MaxwellSmart86]

David Stern would have fired his Lottery Ball guys, Cause something must have gone wrong---Stern had the 07 lottery fixed, so The worst 3 teams got the worst possible picks they could have.
The looks on Tommy Heinsohn and Jerry West's faces were priceless----BOTH knew something was fishy.

[xmuscularghandix]

Rajon Rondo, Kevin Durant, Paul Pierce, Al Jefferson, Kendrick Perkins

[shookones99]

I think I remember Pierce saying there was only one player in that draft who was worth picking up another young guy (and he was referring to Oden). 

If we had drafted Durant I bet Pierce would have asked for a trade.

[the_Bird]

I think I remember Pierce saying there was only one player in that draft who was worth picking up another young guy (and he was referring to Oden). 

If we had drafted Durant I bet Pierce would have asked for a trade.

I'm pretty sure Pierce has said he was ready to ask for a trade, if the rebuilding process was to go on for any longer.  Had the Ray/KG deals not gone down, we likely would have been trading Pierce, and likely for $0.50 on the dollar.

[GranTur]

PG: Rondo
SG: Pierce / Tony / West
SF: Durant / Gomes
PF: Jefferson / Powe
C: Perkins

That's looks like the foundation.

If Pierce got traded it'd be for a versatile PF/C type (that would start for Perk) and maybe a solid back-up PG. West would be the starting SG (starting Rondo and Tony would be the worst jump shooting backcourt ever).

I'm glad this didn't happen. Pierce, Ray, and KG have a heck of a lot more left in them than people think and they've already brought us at least 1 banner.

[pearljammer10]

Didnt Ainge even say that they would have taken Durant at 1?

If this happens;

1. No banner 17
2. Pierce traded for a high pick and young players
3. We would probably be a lot more exciting team than we are now thats for sure.

[wdleehi]

If this had happen:


1) Ainge would have either drafted Oden or tried to trade back one spot to pick Durrant.

2)  Trade Pierce for a nother lotto pick and a cap space.


3)  Trade Ratlif for a younger player for a team looking for cap space.

4) Trade Wally the next year for a younger player for a team for cap space.


5)  Gotten a new head coach. 

6)  Be the 3 or 4 seed.  Do you see Toronto being better then a team lead by Durrant?

[cdif911]

what if we didn't win the title in 2008; that would have stunk

[shookones99]

If this had happen:


1) Ainge would have either drafted Oden or tried to trade back one spot to pick Durrant.

You don't think it would be difficult to trade down one pick?  I mean what team is going to trade anything substantial to move up one pick when they know that Ainge prefers Durant.

I think they would just try and call his bluff.  And then Ainge would end up picking Durant with the 1st pick.  It would be kinda dumb to pick Oden over Durant just to show your potential trade partners that you were serious about picking Oden.

The most we would get out of a trade like that is a 2nd rd pick maybe.

[shookones99]

I think I remember Pierce saying there was only one player in that draft who was worth picking up another young guy (and he was referring to Oden). 

If we had drafted Durant I bet Pierce would have asked for a trade.

I'm pretty sure Pierce has said he was ready to ask for a trade, if the rebuilding process was to go on for any longer.  Had the Ray/KG deals not gone down, we likely would have been trading Pierce, and likely for $0.50 on the dollar.

Right.  But trading Pierce for $0.50 on the dollar would still probably get you a solid young player in return.

[Fafnir]

Danny also had the option of trading Durant/Oden for KG pretty much straight up. I have my doubts that he'd have done so but he had that option as well.

[wdleehi]

If this had happen:


1) Ainge would have either drafted Oden or tried to trade back one spot to pick Durrant.

You don't think it would be difficult to trade down one pick?  I mean what team is going to trade anything substantial to move up one pick when they know that Ainge prefers Durant.

I think they would just try and call his bluff.  And then Ainge would end up picking Durant with the 1st pick.  It would be kinda dumb to pick Oden over Durant just to show your potential trade partners that you were serious about picking Oden.

The most we would get out of a trade like that is a 2nd rd pick maybe.

If the team really wanted Oden, would they have played chicken?

Otherwise, I think he would have done what every other team in the NBA would have done, picked Oden. 

[Who]

If this had happen:


1) Ainge would have either drafted Oden or tried to trade back one spot to pick Durrant.

You don't think it would be difficult to trade down one pick?  I mean what team is going to trade anything substantial to move up one pick when they know that Ainge prefers Durant.

I think they would just try and call his bluff.  And then Ainge would end up picking Durant with the 1st pick.  It would be kinda dumb to pick Oden over Durant just to show your potential trade partners that you were serious about picking Oden.

The most we would get out of a trade like that is a 2nd rd pick maybe.

If the team really wanted Oden, would they have played chicken?

Otherwise, I think he would have done what every other team in the NBA would have done, picked Oden. 

Hmmm ... Greg Oden + Ray Allen + Rashard Lewis

That would have been a fun Sonics team to watch. No way they leave Seattle when they're that close to winning a title.