Hypothetical regarding 2007 NBA draft

[gpap]

The other day, I was watching the Paul Pierce documentary on CSN (which was great.)

One thing that really caught my attention was the part where it discussed the draft lottery from 2007 and how even though the Celts had the 2nd worse record in 2006-07, they drew the 5th pick.

We know how the story went from there. BUT, if the Celts did receive either the number 1 or number 2 pick that year and drafted Durant, I wonder how things would've gone from there.

Would this have meant that Pierce would've then been traded and the Celts would've gone in a different direction with a lineup of Rondo, Delonte, Durant, Jefferson and Perkins?

If so, would the Celts have been better off? Sure, no doubt the 2008 championship can never be replaced, but wouldn't the Celts be a much better team today?

Well, fun to think about at least. I do think if Danny had the choice of selecting Oden or Durant, he would've picked Durant.

Maybe the misfortune of the 2007 lottery will be redeemed next year with Wiggins.

[Stizz44]

Why not keep Peirce and still make the KG trade? Or something along those lines.


Perkins
KG
Durant
Pierce
Rondo


Bench:
T.Allen
Powe


Put Durant on the fast-track for championships his rookie year like TD.

[gpap]

Why not keep Peirce and still make the KG trade? Or something along those lines.


Perkins
KG
Durant
Pierce
Rondo


Bench:
T.Allen
Powe


Put Durant on the fast-track for championships his rookie year like TD.

It's a good point. Only issue there is would Danny still have kept Pierce as he and Durant are both small forwards?

Also with the Celts assembling an all veteran team in 2007, how would the dynamic of having Pierce/Ray/KG along with a rookie Durant have worked?

Would having a rookie be a key part of your team slowed down the Celtics that year, who just clicked on all cylinders?

Another to consider as well is if Danny did deal Pierce, could he have gotten another lottery pick that year?

Could he have dealt Pierce to Atlanta for Al Horford or to Chicago for Joakim Noah?

Today, you would have Rondo, Durant, Jefferson and either Noah or Horford.

Just playing the what if game

[lon3lytoaster]

Why not keep Peirce and still make the KG trade? Or something along those lines.


Perkins
KG
Durant
Pierce
Rondo


Bench:
T.Allen
Powe


Put Durant on the fast-track for championships his rookie year like TD.

I'm pretty sure PP went on record saying as much that the C's needed to get Oden and that no one else in this draft would be much of anything. And if we had been able to land Durant, there's no guarantee KG would come without Ray, I don't think he'd put his faith in a 20 year old rookie forward.

[gpap]

Why not keep Peirce and still make the KG trade? Or something along those lines.


Perkins
KG
Durant
Pierce
Rondo


Bench:
T.Allen
Powe


Put Durant on the fast-track for championships his rookie year like TD.

I'm pretty sure PP went on record saying as much that the C's needed to get Oden and that no one else in this draft would be much of anything. And if we had been able to land Durant, there's no guarantee KG would come without Ray, I don't think he'd put his faith in a 20 year old rookie forward.

Yeah, if I remember correctly at that point, Pierce didn't really want to play with any more young players after the 2006-07 fiasco.

I think his preference was for the Celts to either land a couple of big name vets or get traded.

[Cman]

Why not keep Peirce and still make the KG trade? Or something along those lines.


Perkins
KG
Durant
Pierce
Rondo


Bench:
T.Allen
Powe


Put Durant on the fast-track for championships his rookie year like TD.

KG would have refused to come.
Even after Ray Allen was with the Cs, it took a bit of convincing, IIRC.

[Donoghus]

I still think we'd be looking for Banner #17.

Its certainly one of the more fascinating "what ifs" in Celtic history, though.

[Fafnir]

I still think we'd be looking for Banner #17.

Its certainly one of the more fascinating "what ifs" in Celtic history, though.

Probably.

Though I think Danny said that they could have gotten KG for just Oden/Durant without including Jefferson. (They'd had talks with minny before the lottery it seems)

[Moranis]

I still think we'd be looking for Banner #17.

Its certainly one of the more fascinating "what ifs" in Celtic history, though.

Probably.

Though I think Danny said that they could have gotten KG for just Oden/Durant without including Jefferson. (They'd had talks with minny before the lottery it seems)

and that would have been the classic selling the future for the present.

I think Pierce would have stayed and been fine with it when he saw just how good Durant was right away. 

[gpap]

I still think we'd be looking for Banner #17.

Its certainly one of the more fascinating "what ifs" in Celtic history, though.

And that's what makes it more fascinating. Would you have swapped the 2008 title for a longer life span of contending with the possibility to win at least one if not more NBA titles after that group reached their full potential and gained chemistry?

In other words, I agree that there's no guarantee that group wins a title as of yet.

BUT what would've been more ideal

A.)Winning the 2008 title and then declining after 2012, leading into a rebuild in 2013

OR

B.)NOT winning a title or possibly not even making the playoffs in 2008 and 2009, but the team steadily improving in 2010, with a MUCH longer window of winning NBA titles between 2011 and 2020 (and perhaps beyond.)

[lightspeed5]

Yes because Durant is a top 2 player in the league. 15 years of contention.

[DarkAzcura]

Why not keep Peirce and still make the KG trade? Or something along those lines.


Perkins
KG
Durant
Pierce
Rondo


Bench:
T.Allen
Powe


Put Durant on the fast-track for championships his rookie year like TD.

KG would have refused to come.
Even after Ray Allen was with the Cs, it took a bit of convincing, IIRC.

Nah KG refused to sign an extension. if Danny was as high on Kevin Durant as we all thought he was, I think he would have pulled the trigger on a trade for KG without the extension. KG would have signed on at the end of the season with the birds rights we would have had after seeing how good Rondo and Durant were. Rookie year Durant is honestly not that much worse than 07-08 Ray. By 08-09, it's not even a question who was better. We may have not won the 2008 championship, but I think back to back in 2009 and 2010 would have been possible (depends on KG injury I suppose).

It's a hypothetical, but I hope Ainge would have still pursued Garnett if he drafted Durant. I don't think he would have blown it up. It actually makes me really sad we didn't get that pick. Most people automatically assume we would have traded Pierce if we got Durant, but I never thought that way. We would have the absolute perfect mix of elite youth and elite veterans. Losing Garnett and Pierce this summer wouldn't even be that big a deal with Rondo and Durant in the stables.

Hell I bet Garnett and Pierce would have been allowed to retire Celtics in this scenario beause a huge roster overhaul/rebuild wouldn't even be necessary. It would have been the best of both worlds. 

[Donoghus]

I still think we'd be looking for Banner #17.

Its certainly one of the more fascinating "what ifs" in Celtic history, though.

And that's what makes it more fascinating. Would you have swapped the 2008 title for a longer life span of contending with the possibility to win at least one if not more NBA titles after that group reached their full potential and gained chemistry?

In other words, I agree that there's no guarantee that group wins a title as of yet.

BUT what would've been more ideal

A.)Winning the 2008 title and then declining after 2012, leading into a rebuild in 2013

OR

B.)NOT winning a title or possibly not even making the playoffs in 2008 and 2009, but the team steadily improving in 2010, with a MUCH longer window of winning NBA titles between 2011 and 2020 (and perhaps beyond.)

I still take A.  2008 was special and I take the guarantee.

Playing the hypotheticals, Celtics are a KG & Perk injury away from a 3 Peat under A too.

[gpap]

Yes because Durant is a top 2 player in the league. 15 years of contention.

Yup. And then, imagine if we had been able to draft Harden and Ibaka

Ok, maybe that's pushing it (lol.)

[gpap]

I still think we'd be looking for Banner #17.

Its certainly one of the more fascinating "what ifs" in Celtic history, though.

And that's what makes it more fascinating. Would you have swapped the 2008 title for a longer life span of contending with the possibility to win at least one if not more NBA titles after that group reached their full potential and gained chemistry?

In other words, I agree that there's no guarantee that group wins a title as of yet.

BUT what would've been more ideal

A.)Winning the 2008 title and then declining after 2012, leading into a rebuild in 2013

OR

B.)NOT winning a title or possibly not even making the playoffs in 2008 and 2009, but the team steadily improving in 2010, with a MUCH longer window of winning NBA titles between 2011 and 2020 (and perhaps beyond.)

I still take A.  2008 was special and I take the guarantee.

Playing the hypotheticals, Celtics are a KG & Perk injury away from a 3 Peat under A too.

Good point, but very hard to say for sure. People also do forget that the Lakers didn't have Bynum in 2008. Now would he have made a difference? Hell no!

However, if the Celts did play the Lakers again in the 2009 NBA finals, it's hard to say who would've won with Bynum actually playing in that series.

And then in 2010, with how well both Gasol and Bynum played, again it's hard to say if the Celts would've won even IF Perk was playing.