Putting all our eggs in one basket with the Nets Pick?

[celticpride1]

Havent posted since the start of the season and now that we are half way into the season. The Nets are bad we are a mid level team that has lots of options that we could go. Trade deadline in a month and we are sitting in the 3rd spot with the Nets pick. As we all know the draft in the past hasn't been to nice for the Celtics. Ping pong balls can go anyway. If the right guy became free for a trade Danny has to look at it real hard and say is this the best for this team right now. Everybody is hoping for Simmons will be the next big superstar and we land him? My question to everybody is this would you be willing to trade that for a guy you know is an allstar that you can have for a 5-7 window or take the chance that one of these kids pan out. Remember these kids coming out at 19 years old it will take 3 years to develop. Would you rather have more youth or try to win now.

[wdleehi]

It depends on the star.


Cousins, sure.


Love, maybe.


Derozan, no. 

[Celtics17]

Unless Ainge gets another GM to overpay for our Nets pick this year I can't see trading it. At least not before we know what pick it is. We still have a couple more years of Net's picks after this year and while drafting youth may not be an immediate upgrade to the team, like a Cousins trade might, it is a bonus due to the much lower salary.

If we could somehow nab a future star in this year's draft and Ainge makes a steal of a trade and we sign a big name free agent we could be looking at a new Celtic's dynasty. We would still have two Net's picks and our own and would still have many options ahead. I say be patient until next season or at least til the summer.

[walker834]

I think the way our team is set up if we have to develop someone that's ok.  We need talent in ways and talent can be found at the top of drafts.  Like has been said we don't even know what pick we have yet and what we are looking at so I don't see Ainge doing anything until that happens.  It also depends on who the star is.  I think the celtics need a lot of things.  Talent is one of them.  They also need leadership and I'm not sure where we are going to find that outside of Brad Stevens and the celtics brass right now. 

We don't need the #1 pick to be that year one. Magic came in and won as a rookie playing center but he wasn't really magic johnson at that point.  I think we can bring a guy along somewhat slowly and just impact our team with his talent.

The way I see it, I don't really see it as putting all our eggs in one basket with the top pick.  It's definately big and nice to  have, but we have other picks to find players and have been building this team as it stands. 

It's no guarantee we find "the guy" with the top pick.  We might find our most talented guy, but he might end up being  like PArish to Bird for all we know right now.

This team has been built over the last several years but is really going to be built over the next few drafts I feel once guys like Kelly and Sully and Smart, Bradley, Isaiah all these guys really are in their prime and have been here a bit.

[greece66]

With hindsight, the trade with the Nets was a steal.

Those 2 picks (and the option to switch in 2017) are pure gold.

Now, having said this, it is ludicrous to think that the Nets pick has a good chance of landing us Ben Simmons.

It will be good but not that good.

They are third from bottom, but several teams from the West are almost certainly out of the playoff picture and might start the real tanking in the last twenty or so games of the season (Minny, Phoenix, NOP, Denver to name the most obvious candidates). The same might be true for Milwaukee if they continue to suck so bad (that MCW for Brandon Knight trade was ...'pure genius').

The crucial detail is this: unlike the Nets, the aforementioned teams still have their picks, ie they have an incentive to tank. The only other relevant team that has given away its first rounder is the Knicks (to Toronto).

tl;dr we'll be really lucky if the Nets finish 5th from bottom- and this would only give us 10.3% shot at the first pick. A more realistic prediction is that the Nets end 6th to 9th from bottom (6.3% to 1.4% of the first pick and 21.5% to 5% of the first three picks). Still, really good stuff that could turn out to be a future All-Star, but please, do not jinx it with super-optimistic expectations.

[mef730]

I'm pretty happy with the current basket of eggs but, if somebody shows me a different basket that looks better, I'd be open to discussions.

Mike

[loco_91]

I think we're likely to trade our other picks, but not the Nets pick.

The reason is simple. We have too many picks and prospects. Danny will be focused on trading quantity for quality (as he's stated), and the Nets pick is already quality.

I guess I could see him packaging the Nets pick for a legit superstar, but the only candidate at this point is Cousins, and I think the Kings will not trade him until they realize that otherwise he'll leave for nothing in FA, so like the year after next.

[mef730]

I think we're likely to trade our other picks, but not the Nets pick.

The reason is simple. We have too many picks and prospects. Danny will be focused on trading quantity for quality (as he's stated), and the Nets pick is already quality.

But what are we going to get? As we stand now, we have the 17th, 22nd and 31st picks. As we discovered last year, picks outside of the top 10 just don't get that much value.

Mike

[Csfan1984]

I don't mind waiting for the pick as all the teams best player's are still under 27 years old. In three years most will be truly experience vets who understand their roles. Add in that C's could trade a few players for another high potential player or already established one to help that top pick at any time. Also C's can maintain good cap flexibility to sign a player to add to the team in those three years since the selected Nets pick player is still on rookie deal in 3 years. Waiting on the pick isn't so bad.

[guava_wrench]

Havent posted since the start of the season and now that we are half way into the season. The Nets are bad we are a mid level team that has lots of options that we could go. Trade deadline in a month and we are sitting in the 3rd spot with the Nets pick. As we all know the draft in the past hasn't been to nice for the Celtics. Ping pong balls can go anyway. If the right guy became free for a trade Danny has to look at it real hard and say is this the best for this team right now. Everybody is hoping for Simmons will be the next big superstar and we land him? My question to everybody is this would you be willing to trade that for a guy you know is an allstar that you can have for a 5-7 window or take the chance that one of these kids pan out. Remember these kids coming out at 19 years old it will take 3 years to develop. Would you rather have more youth or try to win now.

Try to win what? A first round playoff series? Whoopdeedoo.

You are also talking in complete abstractions regarding 'the guy you know is an allstar'. Who are you talking about? DeRozan?

Who do you think we can get with just a single Nets pick?

[jdpapa3]

Assuming nothing splashy with players and the other 1sts in Feb
If the right player(thinking top 15-20) shakes loose, trade the pick in Feb.
If they don't:
        a. Lands at 1 or 2: Draft the stud and trade guys like IT and Amir for players(or combine     player+pick to move up with DAL+Own) on same developmental timeline
        b. Lands at 3 or later: Look for a trade like crazy. Preferably out for a really good player. This is where we got Ray Allen. If it's the right guy, we genuinely can get into the KD sweepstakes. The other suitors if he bails are not as strong as you might assume. Washington may not even make the playoffs and Beal just publicly whispered the basketball version of "Voldemoort".

[danglertx]

Now, having said this, it is ludicrous to think that the Nets pick has a good chance of landing us Ben Simmons.

It will be good but not that good.

They are third from bottom, but several teams from the West are almost certainly out of the playoff picture and might start the real tanking in the last twenty or so games of the season (Minny, Phoenix, NOP, Denver to name the most obvious candidates). The same might be true for Milwaukee if they continue to suck so bad (that MCW for Brandon Knight trade was ...'pure genius').

The crucial detail is this: unlike the Nets, the aforementioned teams still have their picks, ie they have an incentive to tank. The only other relevant team that has given away its first rounder is the Knicks (to Toronto).

What gets overlooked by most people in saying that those teams out west will start tanking hard is that they all still play each other.  The only team that is for sure tanking in the East is the 76ers and they are actually playing hard lately.  I wouldn't say the Nets can count on winning all remaining games against the 76ers.  The Bucks just have too much talent to totally tank.  Everyone else in the East is still in the running for the playoffs, for awhile at least.

Now out West, all those teams you mentioned still have a lot of games against each other.  Someone has to win those games.  When Phoenix plays the Lakers, one of those teams is getting a win.  And when we are talking top draft spots, every win is a kick in the figurative nuts for a top pick.  So I don't see the Western Conference teams falling like you might think.

[danglertx]

I guess I'd also throw in the fact that Brooklyn is by far the oldest of the lottery bound teams.  They aren't getting any injured players back.  They aren't getting younger and in fact are probably due for a couple more injuries.  They aren't going to get better.  Young teams will, but that isn't the Nets.  I'd expect the second half to be as bad or probably worse for the Nets.  The Lakers, Phoenix, Bucks, Nuggets, Wolves, and even 76ers have a good chance to have better second halves than first.

[guava_wrench]

Jarrett Jack is trying to help our pick.

[Future Celtics Owner]

I guess I'd also throw in the fact that Brooklyn is by far the oldest of the lottery bound teams.  They aren't getting any injured players back.  They aren't getting younger and in fact are probably due for a couple more injuries.  They aren't going to get better.  Young teams will, but that isn't the Nets.  I'd expect the second half to be as bad or probably worse for the Nets.  The Lakers, Phoenix, Bucks, Nuggets, Wolves, and even 76ers have a good chance to have better second halves than first.

I agree. Even the sixers are playing better with Ish Smith and a couple more vets on the team. If the Nets get another injury or 2 I would expect them to have the worst record....depending on the time of the injuries

Also this is NOT A 1 PERSON DRAFT. The number 2 pick would be fine with me because Ingram is the hybrid of player that would wreck havoc on the NBA. He may need 1 year to develop and get more strength because he is literally turning 19 right before next season and he already has to gain some "girth" lol. But it would be natural and fun to watch just how much higher can this kid jump? How much faster and stronger can he get?