Ainge terrible mistake of not choosing to Randle in the pick 6, incomprehensible

[danglertx]

Passing on an undersized big man who already has screws in his foot and is probably looking at another foot surgery before he plays one NBA second is incomprehensible to you?  I think the problem might not be with Ainge but in your comprehension.

[anthony83]

 Unknown what the 2nd workout, if Randle wanted to play in LA I'll shut up.
I hate LA.

[Sketch5]

Also Vonleh was rumored with bad attitude. He want's to play SF. And people on this board want him to play C.

Yet he's 6'8". He's a PF. And I have a feeling DA and Stevens knew that and brought it up to him and he didn't like it.

Im good with Smart, out side of Parker for pure skill, and Ebiid for upside at the C spot, Smart is a great pick, just in competitiveness alone. He'll go get it from day one. Can't wait for Summer league!

[Donoghus]

I think both were solid picks.

I think Smart was the BPA at #6 and better fulfilled a glaring need for the Celtics.  Anytime you can get BPA AND fill a need, you go for it. 

[Future Celtics Owner]

Smart is a great 2 way player. I think you need to calm down. I have been advocating Randle for awhile on the site but in no way do I think Smart is a worse selection than him.

[CoachBo]

 I don?t understand, Julius Randle is one of the best players in this draft and Celtics pass?. I think him and Vonleh are best pf in this draft. Randle to Lakers (to the enemy).
For me a missed opportunity for Boston, Smart a great player but Randle seems to me better player with more conditions.

Indeed. The pick is interesting, as it seems to reflect a belief on the part of ownership that the fans are going to be OK with a 5- to 10-year period of bad basketball, aka "rebuilding."

Let alone the barrage of rationalizations this board provides to cover ownership's tracks, as this thread evidences, that will buy them time while fans wax happily about bad seasons and dust off space in Springfield for the Orien Greenes and Gabe Pruitts who are on the way.

Randle would have helped immediately, for sure. The most NBA-ready player left on the board, plus he frees you to move Sullinger.

Instead, Ainge and Wyc opt for a project. Smart is a "me" player from a wildly-underachieving, badly coached "me" program whose coach barely survived the post-season ax. The thought of Smart and Rondo on the floor together must bring a smile - and a variety of zone packages - to the minds of every other coach in the league. An entire backcourt with no jump shot?

In fact, I'd assert that Young is more NBA ready today than Smart is. Brad Stevens has a tremendous job on his hands to rid Smart of the immaturity, the juvenile histrionics on the floor and teach him how to score the basketball from the perimeter - coach him, because Travis Ford certainly didn't. Let alone the anger management stuff.

It's sad, really. The rebuild should have begun in 2010, by drafting astutely and acquiring astutely the players who would be the foundation of the franchise when Garnett and Pierce were gone.  Master Po has been absolutely on point regarding Celtics management, and he gets a hat tip as I favored myself the "win immediatelY" mentality.

Now, it's clear that was wrong. Garnett and Pierce should have been surrounded by the future of the franchise, drafted and acquired carefully instead of the wild, wasted first round picks that are Ainge's hallmark. Anyone seriously think San Antonio won't put a good team on the floor when Tim Duncan retires? Of course they will.

Instead, it appears to me that the Pitino Era is at the door, trying to get in. Tragic, because those who hold the Celtics franchise have a sacred trust to respect its traditions. It should NEVER get this bad.

[loco_91]

Ainge did his due diligence and he made the right choice. Randle is incompetent defensively, and he struggled offensively vs good college defenses, padding his stats by running train over undersized college big men.

[Snakehead]

I'm much happier with Smart.  Two way player with the potential to really be a star, I think, if he develops right.

Randle would need to try on a whole side of the court he hasn't on.  Also not sold on his shooting, he never showed it though some claim he can.

[Jailan34]

Randle to me is Brandon Bass more than Zach Randolph

[dreamgreen]

We had the 6th pick we knew it was not a great pick, but a decent player. Only time will tell who is better. But as other s said we do not need another PF at all!

[footey]

The one thing I liked about the draft was that we did not draft Randle. 

[Celtics18]

 I don?t understand, Julius Randle is one of the best players in this draft and Celtics pass?. I think him and Vonleh are best pf in this draft. Randle to Lakers (to the enemy).
For me a missed opportunity for Boston, Smart a great player but Randle seems to me better player with more conditions.

Indeed. The pick is interesting, as it seems to reflect a belief on the part of ownership that the fans are going to be OK with a 5- to 10-year period of bad basketball, aka "rebuilding."

Let alone the barrage of rationalizations this board provides to cover ownership's tracks, as this thread evidences, that will buy them time while fans wax happily about bad seasons and dust off space in Springfield for the Orien Greenes and Gabe Pruitts who are on the way.

Randle would have helped immediately, for sure. The most NBA-ready player left on the board, plus he frees you to move Sullinger.

Instead, Ainge and Wyc opt for a project. Smart is a "me" player from a wildly-underachieving, badly coached "me" program whose coach barely survived the post-season ax. The thought of Smart and Rondo on the floor together must bring a smile - and a variety of zone packages - to the minds of every other coach in the league. An entire backcourt with no jump shot?

In fact, I'd assert that Young is more NBA ready today than Smart is. Brad Stevens has a tremendous job on his hands to rid Smart of the immaturity, the juvenile histrionics on the floor and teach him how to score the basketball from the perimeter - coach him, because Travis Ford certainly didn't. Let alone the anger management stuff.

It's sad, really. The rebuild should have begun in 2010, by drafting astutely and acquiring astutely the players who would be the foundation of the franchise when Garnett and Pierce were gone.  Master Po has been absolutely on point regarding Celtics management, and he gets a hat tip as I favored myself the "win immediatelY" mentality.

Now, it's clear that was wrong. Garnett and Pierce should have been surrounded by the future of the franchise, drafted and acquired carefully instead of the wild, wasted first round picks that are Ainge's hallmark. Anyone seriously think San Antonio won't put a good team on the floor when Tim Duncan retires? Of course they will.

Instead, it appears to me that the Pitino Era is at the door, trying to get in. Tragic, because those who hold the Celtics franchise have a sacred trust to respect its traditions. It should NEVER get this bad.

[sed522002]

The C's may have chosen him had he not blown off the 2nd workout because "He's already shown enough"  He wanted to be a Laker, talked about Kobe being his idol and he's where he wants to be.

[Al91]

Drafting Randle would've been laughable. Like we need another PF on this team. We're still too jammed up at that position with Sully, Olynyk, Bass, and Hump (assuming he gets another contract with us for cheap).

[libermaniac]

Even if you like Randle better than Smart (which I don't by a LONG shot), you have to factor in that after drafting Randle, you'd have to turn around and trade Sully for less than full value because teams know you don't have any leverage.  I'd hate to have our 3 best prospects all be PFs.  Smart provides plenty of options.  It was the 'smart' choice.