Ainge continues to down play this year's draft class

[celticmania]

I think he's right; there's no player likely to make an immediate, major impact on winning games.

Even the all-time greats don't have much of an impact on winning in their first year

[Mr October]

I think he's just lowering expectations for next year. Both for the team and for the player the C's pick.

And to be clear. Yes i agree that ainge is lowering expectations for the fanbase in general. However i think that most users on this blog have a more advanced view of all aspects of the Celtics than the average fan. We are die hards that pick apart and analyze everything Celtics.

To be honest, i am not sure who Nick is addressing when he says that fans need to stop poo poo-ing Danny and lower their expectations about the draft. If he is addressing the forum members in general (as that is who is going to read it), then i feel like he is not giving the members enough credit for having an already tempered expectation for this draft and its impact for next year.

I don't like dealing in absolutes. Will this draft suck? Probably not. Will it be the best ever? Probably not.

Can someone in this draft help this team in the near future? Yes, i think someone can.

[Donoghus]

Things definitely swing both ways on here in regards to this draft.

I've people who see this draft as having up to 7-8 franchise changing players while others have severely tempered expectations and find all the top prospects to be deficient. 

When names like Hakeem, T-Mac, Melo, Dominque are being thrown around by some of the draftniks over the months, it certainly shows that expectations are all across the board.

There are also some who seem to think the first 20 picks are so will all be successul rotation guys.

[obnoxiousmime]

1: This draft class IS overrated if you are only considering some of the wildly optimistic early hype. Since that was awhile ago and now praise has been more measured, continuing to shout "this draft is overrated!" is passe.

2: Ainge is downplaying this draft because the perception that the Celtics are tanking for some superstar this year bothers him. This is why all the draft wheel proposal stuff came out earlier this season. As an organization, the Celtics do strategically tank some years but they do so begrudgingly due to the flawed system that rewards losing.

I think Ainge is being honest about his opinion of this year's class being overrated, but the fact that he keeps repeating it publicly suggests he is a little sensitive to claims of tanking. This is also why he keeps reiterating he won't have a fire sale just to lose games. I bet he looks at the Sixers' strategy and thinks, "it'd be easy for me to do that but I won't."

[Mr October]

Things definitely swing both ways on here in regards to this draft.

I've people who see this draft as having up to 7-8 franchise changing players while others have severely tempered expectations and find all the top prospects to be deficient. 

When names like Hakeem, T-Mac, Melo, Dominque are being thrown around by some of the draftniks over the months, it certainly shows that expectations are all across the board.

There are also some who seem to think the first 20 picks are so will all be successul rotation guys.

I can only think of one poster who claimed there were 8 franchise changing players in this draft. Lol. Sometimes the voice of the few sounds like the voice of the many.

Things do swing both ways, yet i believe the majority is in the middle. The same goes for tanking, or any other hot debate.

It's all good. We all believe strongly in what we believe. In the end we are all crazy Celtics fans looking to return to the promised land.

Go Celtics!

[Donoghus]

Things definitely swing both ways on here in regards to this draft.

I've people who see this draft as having up to 7-8 franchise changing players while others have severely tempered expectations and find all the top prospects to be deficient. 

When names like Hakeem, T-Mac, Melo, Dominque are being thrown around by some of the draftniks over the months, it certainly shows that expectations are all across the board.

There are also some who seem to think the first 20 picks are so will all be successul rotation guys.

I can only think of one poster who claimed there were 8 franchise changing players in this draft. Lol. Sometimes the voice of the few sounds like the voice of the many.

Things do swing both ways, yet i believe the majority is in the middle. The same goes for tanking, or any other hot debate.

It's all good. We all believe strongly in what we believe. In the end we are all crazy Celtics fans looking to return to the promised land.

Go Celtics!

Never claimed it to be the voice of the many.  Simply stating that people on here have been across the board with their views of this draft.

About the only opinion I haven't seen (or can seem to recall) is that this draft is worst than last year's or lining up as one of the worst ever.

[Roy H.]

Things definitely swing both ways on here in regards to this draft.

I've people who see this draft as having up to 7-8 franchise changing players while others have severely tempered expectations and find all the top prospects to be deficient. 

When names like Hakeem, T-Mac, Melo, Dominque are being thrown around by some of the draftniks over the months, it certainly shows that expectations are all across the board.

There are also some who seem to think the first 20 picks are so will all be successul rotation guys.

I can only think of one poster who claimed there were 8 franchise changing players in this draft. Lol. Sometimes the voice of the few sounds like the voice of the many.

Things do swing both ways, yet i believe the majority is in the middle. The same goes for tanking, or any other hot debate.

It's all good. We all believe strongly in what we believe. In the end we are all crazy Celtics fans looking to return to the promised land.

Go Celtics!

Never claimed it to be the voice of the many.  Simply stating that people on here have been across the board with their views of this draft.

About the only opinion I haven't seen (or can seem to recall) is that this draft is worst than last year's or lining up as one of the worst ever.

In general, it's amazing how over-hyped these drafts can be.  2012 was supposed to be a great draft; I remember one poster on the front page argued that there could be "20 all-stars" in it.  So far, there have been some really nice players, but only Davis (superstar), Drummond,  Beal, and Lillard look like potential all-stars.

Meanwhile, the 2009 draft was regarded almost universally as a bad draft (with some calling it the worst draft in a decade), and that draft gave us Blake Griffin, Steph Curry, James Harden, and probably a dozen other starters in the league.

[Mr October]

Things definitely swing both ways on here in regards to this draft.

I've people who see this draft as having up to 7-8 franchise changing players while others have severely tempered expectations and find all the top prospects to be deficient. 

When names like Hakeem, T-Mac, Melo, Dominque are being thrown around by some of the draftniks over the months, it certainly shows that expectations are all across the board.

There are also some who seem to think the first 20 picks are so will all be successul rotation guys.

I can only think of one poster who claimed there were 8 franchise changing players in this draft. Lol. Sometimes the voice of the few sounds like the voice of the many.

Things do swing both ways, yet i believe the majority is in the middle. The same goes for tanking, or any other hot debate.

It's all good. We all believe strongly in what we believe. In the end we are all crazy Celtics fans looking to return to the promised land.

Go Celtics!

Never claimed it to be the voice of the many.  Simply stating that people on here have been across the board with their views of this draft.

About the only opinion I haven't seen (or can seem to recall) is that this draft is worst than last year's or lining up as one of the worst ever.

I am not disagreeing with you about what you are claiming about the voice of the many. I agree that that opinions are over the place. It makes for great debates.

As far as the worst draft.... 2013 has already been regarded as the worst draft in a while. It is probably one of the 3 worst in the last 10 years. Granted we wont know for sure until about 3 or 4 years from now when all these kids grow up.

Last week Ainge was asked if he thought this draft would at least be better than the 2013 draft, he responded that it probably could be better.

That is super non committal! Essentially, ainge doesn't even want to say that this draft can avoid being in the discussion for one of the worst drafts in the last 10 years. And even then he tempured his own tempering by saying that we dont even know which freshman are coming out yet.

ainge is taking that expectation bar and burying it and hiding it. Let's see what kind of language he uses after the draft. 

[CFAN38]

Its DA job to down play if he over hypes then a lost lottery is a moral killer and If the Cs end up top 3 the player will be burdened with unrealistic expectations.


My take on this draft,

Any of the top 6-8 could have gone #1 last year

If this class was added to 2012 Davis still goes #1 but this drafts top 4 would have gone in the top 5

If this class was in the 2011 draft the top 3 Embiid, wiggins and parker would be in the hunt for #1 with Irving

Where players like Lebron, Durant, and Davis are A++ prospects (transcendent super stars) and last years draft topped out with guys who I would consider B prospects (Oladipo, MCW near all stars in their primes). This draft has a nice group of A- prospects (solid all-stars) at the top then a solid group of C+(starters) guys filling the lottery.

[SHAQATTACK]

Excuse for not tanking as hard ad he should ......should always be looking to improve drafting position at this point in the season this awful record.

There are some really good picks ...he knows that

He wants to keep the ticket buying fans pleased

Let the losses fly

Lottery balls Danny ...not wins

[KGs Knee]

My take on this draft,

Any of the top 6-8 could have gone #1 last year

If this class was added to 2012 Davis still goes #1 but this drafts top 4 would have gone in the top 5

If this class was in the 2011 draft the top 3 Embiid, wiggins and parker would be in the hunt for #1 with Irving

Where players like Lebron, Durant, and Davis are A++ prospects (transcendent super stars) and last years draft topped out with guys who I would consider B prospects (Oladipo, MCW near all stars in their primes). This draft has a nice group of A- prospects (solid all-stars) at the top then a solid group of C+(starters) guys filling the lottery.

I think I'd agree with most of this.  Seems like a pretty accurate assessment.  I would disagree with the bolded part though.

I do agree the likely top 3 (Parker, Wiggins, Embiid) all have chances to be perennial all-stars, and I also doubt any reach LeBron/Durant levels.  Maybe one becomes a Harden/Melo level superstar.  Where I disagree is with there being 6-8 players on this level, and with the drop off to C+.  I'd say any of the rest of the top 10 could come in and be as good as any rookie has been this year (B level).  I'd be surprised if at least 1 or 2 don't.

[saltlover]

My take on this draft,

Any of the top 6-8 could have gone #1 last year

If this class was added to 2012 Davis still goes #1 but this drafts top 4 would have gone in the top 5

If this class was in the 2011 draft the top 3 Embiid, wiggins and parker would be in the hunt for #1 with Irving

Where players like Lebron, Durant, and Davis are A++ prospects (transcendent super stars) and last years draft topped out with guys who I would consider B prospects (Oladipo, MCW near all stars in their primes). This draft has a nice group of A- prospects (solid all-stars) at the top then a solid group of C+(starters) guys filling the lottery.

I think I'd agree with most of this.  Seems like a pretty accurate assessment.  I would disagree with the bolded part though.

I do agree the likely top 3 (Parker, Wiggins, Embiid) all have chances to be perennial all-stars, and I also doubt any reach LeBron/Durant levels.  Maybe one becomes a Harden/Melo level superstar.  Where I disagree is with there being 6-8 players on this level, and with the drop off to C+.  I'd say any of the rest of the top 10 could come in and be as good as any rookie has been this year (B level).  I'd be surprised if at least 1 or 2 don't.

I agree.  Gary Harris might not crack the top 10, and he could be every bit the player Oladipo is, for example.  Maybe there isn't a top 3 player of his generation in this draft, but it's got real quality on top, and depth throughout.  The only thing that might infringe on that depth is if it is announced pre-entry deadline that beginning next year, early entry is limited to sophomores instead of freshmen.  Then some players at the back of the first round might stay an extra year, since they won't have a new class of freshmen to deal with as draft competition.

[GreenFaith1819]

I'm just trusting that Danny is going to make some moves...with the picks we have and the talent on this team, he has MANY options.

He is in the driver's seat, and I'm glad. Danny pulled off The Summer of 2007, and he could very well do it again.



We certainly won't be going back to the Lean Years, so I'm all good with that.

[csfansince60s]

Excuse for not tanking as hard ad he should ......should always be looking to improve drafting position at this point in the season this awful record.

There are some really good picks ...he knows that

He wants to keep the ticket buying fans pleased

Let the losses fly

Lottery balls Danny ...not wins

Exactly my thoughts.

Danny is preparing us for more wins in April, which will hurt our chances substantially to get into the top 4.

Danny knows he has a mediocre, but deep team whose bench is as good as or better than a lot of other teams, a coach who wants to win, players like Hump, Bayless and Bradley who are playing for contracts and a stubborn point guard who doesn't want to lose.

All that means more wins, and, for good or bad (I'm in the bad camp, and I like Danny) that's on him.

[BballTim]

Things definitely swing both ways on here in regards to this draft.

I've people who see this draft as having up to 7-8 franchise changing players while others have severely tempered expectations and find all the top prospects to be deficient. 

When names like Hakeem, T-Mac, Melo, Dominque are being thrown around by some of the draftniks over the months, it certainly shows that expectations are all across the board.

There are also some who seem to think the first 20 picks are so will all be successul rotation guys.

I can only think of one poster who claimed there were 8 franchise changing players in this draft. Lol. Sometimes the voice of the few sounds like the voice of the many.

  I think there were a fair amount of posters like that, who were assuring people that "all those scouts can't be wrong".