6TH!!!!!

[Boston Garden Leprechaun]

Hope all you tankers are happy!!!!!

I am.  We got a top pick in a draft filled with a good amount of talent in that range.  We missed out on the very best prospects, but that's always a crapshoot.

What we do have is a pick that could turn into a very useful piece moving forward, or that could be used in a package to get an established player.

yup. i had hoped for at least top 5 but i have faith DA will do a deal or deals.

[Roy H.]

You know who else was drafted #6, right?



The McDermott pick is inevitable.

[fitzhickey]

You know who else was drafted #6, right?



The McDermott pick is inevitable.

It's a sign. For all my berating of certain players I'd be happy to have any of them

[winsomme]

My hope is definitely McDermott at this point. He is like a mini Dirk. He has all the Dirk moves just in a smaller size.

[PhoSita]

You know who else was drafted #6, right?



The McDermott pick is inevitable.

Heheh.  I trust Ainge not to take the next Kyle Korver / Mike Miller at #6. 

I like those players, don't get me wrong, and I think McDermott will make a nice pro, but that's not the type of guy you go for at #6.

[csfansince60s]

My hope is definitely McDermott at this point. He is like a mini Dirk. He has all the Dirk moves just in a smaller size.

Agree. At least he can score, and we need that more than anything else.

TP for 6000.

[DesertDweller]

Here's hoping Danny can now pull something out of his ***!!!

[Casperian]

My hope is definitely McDermott at this point. He is like a mini Dirk. He has all the Dirk moves just in a smaller size.

The disrespect for Dirk around here is mind-blowing. Love is a mini Dirk, KO is a mini Dirk, Dougie is a mini Dirk...

Dirk Nowitzki smoked a Dream Team with Jordan, Pippen and co as an 18-year-old. I know because I watched that game. After the game, a german reporter asked Charles Barkley if he thought Dirk would have a chance to make it to the NBA.

Charles, all sweaty, wide-eyed and still visibly stunned by what just happened (I'm paraphrasing): "Are you kidding? Have you seen him play? I will personally make sure he ends up in the NBA!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlz01nBrl4s

Nobody will ever say that about KO or McDermott. They aren't mini Dirks just because they're white. There are literally dimensions between these guys and Nowitzki.

[crimson_stallion]

I am pretty happy.

Of course I would have been happier with a top 4 pick, but failing that top 6 would have been my preference, as that would give us guaranteed access to at least one of the following:

Embiid
Wiggins
Parker
Exum
Vonleh
Smart

I would have been happy with any of those guys (obviously extra happy with the first four). 

I think top 6, while not the ultimate result, is still a very nice one.  It gives us quite a bit of flexibility given the assets we have available.  I see can already see three positive options from here:

1 - Draft Vonleh and keep him
Shift Vonlehh to center.  Boston obtains the length and rim protection they have been have been needing for years, plus the ability to stretch the floor with his jumper, plus the ability to score in the post, plus the elite rebounding, plus the incredible potential (he's only 18!). 

2 - Draft Smart and keep him
There is a real chance that Boston might not be able to (or may choose not to) keep both Rondo and Bradley.  Smart gives Boston a fantastic insurance policy at worst, a fantastic 6th man (and future star) at best.

If Bradley gets an offer too big for Boston to match, DA can calmly let him walk knowing that we can easilly slip smart in as our starting SG. 

If Bradley comes back, then take advantage of Smart's competitiveness and give him a chance to firth to earn a starting spot. Let him drive Rondo and Bradley to play harder.  If Rondo doesn't get back to form (or if he slackens off) then trade him away at the deadline for assets, move Smart into the starting PG spot.  If Bradley proves to be more effective than Bradley (or gets injured again) then trade AB for assets and move Smart to the starting SG spot.

If Rondo returns to his old form and Bradley remains healthy and has a break out season, then either keep Smart as a super-sub off the bench, or make use of him as a high value trade asset. 


3 - Draft Smart, trade Rondo
Draft Smart with pick #6

Trade Rondo+Wallace+Sully (or Olynyk) to Detroit in return for Monroe+Stuckey+Villenueva

Detroit gets the pure PG they really need, gets to move Jennings over to SG, gets a nice young backup PF in Sully (or Olynyk) and gets rid of their logjam in the starting PF spot.

Boston gets a young starting center (Monroe) with All-Star potential, gets $18M in expiring contracts, rids themselves of Wallace's nasty contract. 

Boston's starting 5:

PG - Marcus Smart
SG - Avery Bradley
SF - Jeff Green
PF - Jared Sullinger / Kelly Olynyk
C - Greg Monroe

Boston's reserves:

PG/SG - Jerryd Bayless
PG/SG - Rodney Stuckey
SF - [Rookie obtained with #17 pick]
PF - Brandon Bass / Charlie Villenueva
C - Faverani / Anthony / Free Agent Signing

This is not a 'win now' team, but it gives us a young and talented starting lineup where 4/5 starters are < 24 years old, it cuts a TON off our salary cap, we get to keep our future picks, and we still keep a ton of veterans (Green plus bench guys) to provide leadership.

I think this lineup is easilly good enough to make the playoffs right now in the incredibly weak Eastern Conference (though maybe not a deep run) while leaving us with plenty of  flexibility moving forward.

These are just three possible scenarios I have come up with based on that #6 pick, and I can imagine there would be a ton of other's out there too.  It really does give us a LOT of flexibility when you combine that pick with our current pool of young talent and our future stack of draft picks. 

[SHAQATTACK]

If DA can't swing a trade for Love.  What elite players are the Celtics going to get to compete, that can actually play top level ball? 

Even the Raptors are in better shape.....  We have no top three pick, no center, no elite talent and likely to lose Rondo , due to all the above .

Just a roster of bench players and D league scrubs and a non tanking coach .

If he has a plan or scheme...I'm sure ready to hear about it

[Boston Garden Leprechaun]

If DA can't swing a trade for Love.  What elite players are the Celtics going to get to compete, that can actually play top level ball? 

Even the Raptors are in better shape.....  We have no top three pick, no center, no elite talent and likely to lose Rondo , due to all the above .

Just a roster of bench players and D league scrubs and a non tanking coach .

If he has a plan or scheme...I'm sure ready to hear about it

I will say this much, I feel he will have to make a deal now because he did not tank quite as good as he could have done. You know what I am talking about. Which would have increased our odds. What are we going to do not make a deal and try to semi- tank again? This time again not benching starters ? That's my point if he wants to do it do it right. he did not do bad at all finishing 4th worst record but we could have done better if the goal was indeed to tank.  Now he is pretty much forced to wheel and deal since we will not be getting wiggins or parker or embiid. Of course he would have had to wheel and deal eventually regardless as we would like to combine a couplke studs in the draft with a stud or two already proven in the NBA. Prolly not getting a stud in the draft this year now. have to wait and see.