If the Lakers get the 1st pick.....

[Rondo9]

And the Celtics acquire the 6th or 7th pick despite the fact they finished worse than the Lakers how would you react?

[droopdog7]

Brought this up months back.  And I am not suggesting any conspiracy theory, but given our luck, I would not be shocked.

[slamtheking]

And the Celtics acquire the 6th or 7th pick despite the fact they finished worse than the Lakers how would you react?

are you actually expecting someone to post anything other than a negative reaction?

[Rondo9]

And the Celtics acquire the 6th or 7th pick despite the fact they finished worse than the Lakers how would you react?

are you actually expecting someone to post anything other than a negative reaction?

I'm just curious, if it's a positive or a negative reaction I don't mind. Just want to get your guys thoughts on this.

[nickagneta]

Obviously I wouldn't be thrilled that the Lakers got a top pick and we didn't but I can't help but wonder who LA would take. Would they take Wiggins when they already have $48 million invested in Kobe playing in the same position for the next two years?

[Rondo9]

Wiggins can play small forward and the Lakers aren't very deep in that position. I wouldn't be surprised if they took Embiid (back issues and all) to continue the tradition of great Laker bigs.

[D.o.s.]

Not so stoked.

Would be really interested to see who they snagged, though. One would assume it would be Embiid because of Kobe.

[Celtics18]

Woo Hoo!!!!!!!!

[RebusRankin]

I suspect this happens if Silver is like Stern.

[LooseCannon]

I'll be rooting for Embiid to be the Cameroonian Darko.

[freshinthehouse]

[CFAN38]

What ever pick the lakers get should be interesting. I wonder how a Dantoni coached and Kobe lead team will do developing a young player. Depending on the player I could see a season full of drama. I could see a passive player like Wiggins struggling with Kobe where a more aggressive personality like SMart could thrive as a rookie.

[kozlodoev]

And the Celtics acquire the 6th or 7th pick despite the fact they finished worse than the Lakers how would you react?

are you actually expecting someone to post anything other than a negative reaction?

I'm just curious, if it's a positive or a negative reaction I don't mind. Just want to get your guys thoughts on this.

Why would I care?

[Who]

I think LA would be a really good place for Wiggins, J.Parker or Embiid to develop. I think playing with Kobe would be great for Wiggins or Parker. Teach them how hard they need to work and the type of determination they'll need to fulfill their talent. Embiid - I think they did a pretty good job with Bynum from the raw high schooler through the injuries into an All-Star caliber center. I think Marcus Smart or Exum would work well with Kobe's mentoring too.

After Boston -- who I think have (by far) the strongest team and best infrastructure of any of the lottery hopefuls -- I think LAL has the next best (2nd best) situation for a young player to step into. I think any and all of those top youngsters would be very lucky to play alongside Kobe Bryant and whatever pieces they put alongside him. And I'd rather see one of those young players end up in LAL instead of the likes of Milwaukee (disaster zone), Philly or Orlando (two teams I am more optimistic about but still have a lot to prove) ... where they could end up on teams who might screw up their development and futures in the NBA.

Especially Embiid who I'd be really worried about in a bad situation. So raw and vulnerable to bad situations (Milwaukee? Yuck!). So raw but oh-so talented. I'd love to see another skilled multi-dimensional seven footer in the NBA. Too few great centers in the league. I really want to see Embiid succeed. Him and Wiggins. They are the two guys that I am most excited about seeing in the NBA. I hope they find good homes and fulfill their talent. Special players.

[Who]

I don't think some bad lottery luck would hurt too badly for the Celtics. I think the team is in a strong position regardless of whether they come out of this draft with a top five pick. I am more focused on how well they are positioned to make a big trade or FA acquisition over the next 18 months or so than I am on this year's draft.

If they get a top 3-4 pick, great. If not, it's not the end of the world. They'll still have a good pick (5-8) and a chance to do something with it.

I don't think Boston is as reliant on hitting a home run in this year's draft as any of the other teams down in the lottery ... because they have more talent on their books than the others, have very good cap flexibility, and lots of trade assets and future picks. Regardless of how this year's draft plays out, I think they are well-positioned to succeed in the medium to long term. That is something that very few (any?) other teams in the lottery can say.

Obviously it would be much better if they do get a top pick but I don't think it hurts Boston as much as other lottery teams if they miss out.