Chad Ford has Celtics taking Jabari Parker at #5

[Celtics18]

This is all going to become moot when we end up with the 15th or 16th pick in the 2014 draft. 

[LooseCannon]

It seems silly to project which team is taking who until after they do the drawing for the lottery.

[Yoki_IsTheName]

This is all going to become moot when we end up with the 15th or 16th pick in the 2014 draft.

We're looking at Mitch McGary in there? Sign me up.

[PhoSita]

This is all going to become moot when we end up with the 15th or 16th pick in the 2014 draft.

Well, if that happens it means that either Rondo had an MVP season, Jared Sullinger turned into an All-Star in his sophomore season coming off back surgery, Kelly Olynyk won ROY, Jeff Green actually morphed into James Worthy, or something else similarly positive and fantastically improbable.

So I guess I'd be okay with that.

[bfrombleacher]

This is all going to become moot when we end up with the 15th or 16th pick in the 2014 draft.

Well, if that happens it means that either Rondo had an MVP season, Jared Sullinger turned into an All-Star in his sophomore season coming off back surgery, Kelly Olynyk won ROY, Jeff Green actually morphed into James Worthy, or something else similarly positive and fantastically improbable.

So I guess I'd be okay with that.

Agreed. Completely.

In my opinion, this is one of the reasons why some of those who think the roster is complete junk (a lot of whom seem to be huge proponents of "tanking") shouldn't be raining on the parade of those rooting for this team. It would mean that the junk is playing up its value a lot.

I say this as someone who's not even part of the extremely optimistic group when it comes to where this roster finishes at the end of this season. I'd say the team can land anywhere between 6th and 13th, with something like the 9th or 10th spot being most likely.

[Tr1boy]

With a super-skilled frontcourt of Jared Sullinger and Kelly Olynyk

Exactly.

Btw i'd be surprised if Jeff Green regresses from end of last year play. He is just starting.  No thank you to parker. I rather have Selden or Gordon anyways

[slamtheking]

If Parker was available when we picked (assuming we don't have the top pick) I'd be perfectly happy with selecting him (based on current knowledge of his skills). 
His year in college could swing his stock anywhere from #2 behind Wiggins to the next Shabazz who slides in the draft due to issues.  I don't see this kid as someone who'll have offcourt problems but barring an injury or exposed incompetence on the court, I see him going no lower than 3rd with only Wiggins and possibly Randle preceeding him.  Of course there's another year of hoops to be played first.

In the end, I suspect he'll have a career and skillset very much like Paul Pierce, which if he's a Celtic draftee, wouldn't suck.

[Tr1boy]

If Parker was available when we picked (assuming we don't have the top pick) I'd be perfectly happy with selecting him (based on current knowledge of his skills). 
His year in college could swing his stock anywhere from #2 behind Wiggins to the next Shabazz who slides in the draft due to issues.  I don't see this kid as someone who'll have offcourt problems but barring an injury or exposed incompetence on the court, I see him going no lower than 3rd with only Wiggins and possibly Randle preceeding him.  Of course there's another year of hoops to be played first.

In the end, I suspect he'll have a career and skillset very much like Paul Pierce, which if he's a Celtic draftee, wouldn't suck.

Parker is a complimentary player. Excellent passer, does alot of other little things well. But if we stink we will bc we lack that one guy who has the killer instinct, can close out games. Parker so far ive seen lacks this quality. Again selden and gordon would be better if we draft around 5th

[Chris]

This is all going to become moot when we end up with the 15th or 16th pick in the 2014 draft.

Well, if that happens it means that either Rondo had an MVP season, Jared Sullinger turned into an All-Star in his sophomore season coming off back surgery, Kelly Olynyk won ROY, Jeff Green actually morphed into James Worthy, or something else similarly positive and fantastically improbable.

So I guess I'd be okay with that.

To add a couple other possible variables:

Gerald Wallace becomes the Gerald Wallace of a couple years ago, proving last year was a fluke, and not the end of his career.

Kardashian fits in well with Stevens' system, and turns back into the double-double machine he was the last 2 times he was in a contract year.

Marshon Brooks grows up a bit, and learns to play a little better within a team system, so they can take advantage of his significant offensive talents.

And of course, the general one that Stevens is able to bring the team together and to gel as a team, so that they end up greater than the sum of all of the parts.

This team has MAJOR questionmarks, and a lot of these things are unlikely, which is why the smart money is on them losing.  However, there are still plenty of variables that can make them a very solid team next year.

[chambers]

The beauty of this draft is that we have a kid that is on a Carmelo Anthony level coming out of highschool going as late as the 7th pick. I don't think he'll go that high but if somehow he dropped out of the top 3 we'd have to jump on it.

The other beauty is that by grabbing this kid, we can trade Green+young talent+picks in a package for someone like Aldridge or Love.

Kid is nails- the most complete player in one of the deepest drafts of all time.

and LOL to whoever said we might finish somewhere between 6 and 13.
top 4 or 5 in the East?
We'd need Rondo and Green as All Stars and Sully or Olynyk to average 16/10.

Dreaming.

[McHales Pits]

TriBoy-

I couldn't disagree with your comment about Parker's killer instinct more...

He is a 4-time state champion from one of the most - if not the most - competitive high school basketball regions in the country. Selden is one of my favorite players in college, but he will likely be a fringe Top-10 pick. Gordon - I think - is supremely overrated and reminds me of Michael Beasley (in terms of playing style, I don't know anything about his personality). He is an athletic 3/4 who can dunk, but has no shot whatsoever.

Parker has pedigree, maturity, present skill, potential for improvement and would be a coup for us to draft him outside of the Top-3.

[Tr1boy]

TriBoy-

I couldn't disagree with your comment about Parker's killer instinct more...

He is a 4-time state champion from one of the most - if not the most - competitive high school basketball regions in the country. Selden is one of my favorite players in college, but he will likely be a fringe Top-10 pick. Gordon - I think - is supremely overrated and reminds me of Michael Beasley (in terms of playing style, I don't know anything about his personality). He is an athletic 3/4 who can dunk, but has no shot whatsoever.

Parker has pedigree, maturity, present skill, potential for improvement and would be a coup for us to draft him outside of the Top-3.

Instead of using hs accomplishments bc guys like muhammad or pressey if coming out from hs would of gone top 5-10 in the nba draft, look at other kind games to get a better indication how a player may perform in the nba

Watch the the last usa vs world game for example. Parker struggled to score. He looked flat and slow out there. He stopped trying to score and helped the usa team with his passing, rebounding etc. He did pretty decent overall

He has time to develop but i just dont think he is going to be a carmelo anthony type scoring machine. Instead a better version of jared dudley.

And im not stating thats a bad thing. If a team is full of me me me players, than parker would be a nice fit. But celts are on  the path of losing bc likely the team will have a dire need for a point producer/game closer.

[McHales Pits]

He likely looked slow because he was dealing with an ankle injury and even missed some games because of it. I think you vastly underrate his game, but only time will tell who is right in this difference of opinions.

I think he is capable of 22.5/7.5/4/1/1 with good percentages. He has both a high ceiling and a high floor and I'd be ecstatic to have him on the Cs.

[PhoSita]

This is all going to become moot when we end up with the 15th or 16th pick in the 2014 draft.

Well, if that happens it means that either Rondo had an MVP season, Jared Sullinger turned into an All-Star in his sophomore season coming off back surgery, Kelly Olynyk won ROY, Jeff Green actually morphed into James Worthy, or something else similarly positive and fantastically improbable.

So I guess I'd be okay with that.

To add a couple other possible variables:

Gerald Wallace becomes the Gerald Wallace of a couple years ago, proving last year was a fluke, and not the end of his career.

Kardashian fits in well with Stevens' system, and turns back into the double-double machine he was the last 2 times he was in a contract year.

Marshon Brooks grows up a bit, and learns to play a little better within a team system, so they can take advantage of his significant offensive talents.

And of course, the general one that Stevens is able to bring the team together and to gel as a team, so that they end up greater than the sum of all of the parts.

This team has MAJOR questionmarks, and a lot of these things are unlikely, which is why the smart money is on them losing.  However, there are still plenty of variables that can make them a very solid team next year.

The things you mention would help, but I really do think it would take an absolute break out or two from some of the key guys to really make this a playoff team.  I think the holes are that enormous. 

If the whole is merely equal to the sum of the parts as they appear to us now, even with some optimism about guys bouncing back from a bad season or three, I don't think that'd be enough.

[SHAQATTACK]

This is all going to become moot when we end up with the 15th or 16th pick in the 2014 draft.

yup... if pigs could fly