Best scenario for Simmons. Celtics winning lottery.

[footey]

Watching our achilles heal rear its ugly head the last 4 games (including the first play-off game): lack of outside shooting and inside scoring--I seriously doubt Ainge has any interest in drafting Simmons with the first pick.  Ingram is a far better fit for this team than Simmons. And trading the first pick is probably his preference, especially if it would lead to getting a Cousins. Or even a Butler.

[Fred Roberts]

I'm good with Simmons, Ingram and Brown. Getting another guard would be a bitter pill. The front court is where we need the most help.

[CoachBo]

Watching our achilles heal rear its ugly head the last 4 games (including the first play-off game): lack of outside shooting and inside scoring--I seriously doubt Ainge has any interest in drafting Simmons with the first pick.  Ingram is a far better fit for this team than Simmons. And trading the first pick is probably his preference, especially if it would lead to getting a Cousins. Or even a Butler.

Cosign.

[IDreamCeltics]

Ben Simmons would take Avery, Thomas, Smart,  Crowder and Sully/Amir to the Eastern conference finals next year. What team in the East gives Simmons problems as a forward? Nobody's guarding him. 21-20-7 on Ellenson's Marquette squad.

[LarBrd33]

I firmly believe the League has no interest in making the Celtics better---they sell out every game anyway--and have won tons of rings---so don't expect any help on lottery night---5th pick for sure...Lakers will get No. 1.... Phoenix No. 2....Minny No. 3....Philly No. 4

I firmly believe the opposite. 

#1 - The draft isn't fixed.  So there's that.

#2 - One could argue that in 2008 the league had a rooting interest in a Lakers/Celtics finals.  What transpired that season was a perfect storm leading to big-time dollars. 

Celtics have a top 5 fan base nationally in terms of size.  It's one of the premiere franchises in the league.  The league would very pleased to have a Celtic team playing deep into the playoffs.

I don't know, man. I generally try to stay away from conspiracy theories, but the Cavs winning the lottery two years in a row - the second time from the ninth position - setting it up perfectly for Lebron to come back and form a superteam in Cleveland is a little too much coincidence for me.

Jpotter, anytime someone says they are open to the conspiracy theory of the lotto being rigged, I have to ask if they have seen any of the behind-the-scenes videos.

2013 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKI-fToATpQ

2014 - http://www.nba.com/video/channels/draft/2014/05/20/052014-draft-lottery-behind-the-scenes.nba/

2015 - http://www.nba.com/video/channels/draft/2015/05/19/2015-draft-lottery-drawing.nba/

Just curious if you watched all of those, read about the process, and still think there's a chance it's fixed.   The only way it's fixed is if every team (which all have their own bottom-lines and could see their franchise value sky rocket if they land a star) is willingly part of it, and the media that are let into the room every year go along with it as well.

I'd say it's extremely unlikely unless you're willing to essentially say the entire sport is fixed.  And once you're willing to make that leap, it's just a tiny baby-step towards believing the NBA gifted the Celtics KG and gifted the Lakers Pau, then rigged the entire playoffs so the two teams would clash in the Finals back in 2008.  Either go all-in on the conspiracy theories or accept that they aren't very plausible.

All I'm saying is it Can be rigged---because they assign teams sequential combinations (not random)--and they SWITCH the balls-after the test drawing...If the league wanted to rig it--all they have to do is have one or two balls weigh more--in the Secured Box they bring in....Not probable---but Possible....Teams would have no idea what's going on--so of course they're not involved...if they got rid of the Sequential order of assigned numbers--nobody could rig it.

I'm just curious... if they had one or two balls weigh more so that they'd always come up right away, wouldn't that make every single drawing come up with the same results?  They'd just sit there for hours as the first two numbers popped up over and over again and the same team won the lotto, right?

Doesn't seem practical. 

[chambers]

Nonsense, the Man is a walking triple double, If you Like the Greek Freak you will love this kid even more. You can't stop him from getting to the hoop, he doesn't even need a jumpshot to control the game, and if the jumper develops he's a top 5 player in the league.

Ben Simmons: zero career triple doubles.

 Again he was passing to nobody's. How long before he logs his first triple double in the NBA? I say he has 5 in his first year and comes close on a regular basis.

Well, the "6'10" Oscar Robertson" was also playing against nobodies.  You would think that Mr. Walking Triple Double could have pulled at least one of them off while missing the Tournament. 

But, I don't really care about triple doubles. Simmons has the reputation of searching for stats, rather than wins.

According to who?

[86MaxwellSmart]

I firmly believe the League has no interest in making the Celtics better---they sell out every game anyway--and have won tons of rings---so don't expect any help on lottery night---5th pick for sure...Lakers will get No. 1.... Phoenix No. 2....Minny No. 3....Philly No. 4

I firmly believe the opposite. 

#1 - The draft isn't fixed.  So there's that.

#2 - One could argue that in 2008 the league had a rooting interest in a Lakers/Celtics finals.  What transpired that season was a perfect storm leading to big-time dollars. 

Celtics have a top 5 fan base nationally in terms of size.  It's one of the premiere franchises in the league.  The league would very pleased to have a Celtic team playing deep into the playoffs.

I don't know, man. I generally try to stay away from conspiracy theories, but the Cavs winning the lottery two years in a row - the second time from the ninth position - setting it up perfectly for Lebron to come back and form a superteam in Cleveland is a little too much coincidence for me.

Jpotter, anytime someone says they are open to the conspiracy theory of the lotto being rigged, I have to ask if they have seen any of the behind-the-scenes videos.

2013 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKI-fToATpQ

2014 - http://www.nba.com/video/channels/draft/2014/05/20/052014-draft-lottery-behind-the-scenes.nba/

2015 - http://www.nba.com/video/channels/draft/2015/05/19/2015-draft-lottery-drawing.nba/

Just curious if you watched all of those, read about the process, and still think there's a chance it's fixed.   The only way it's fixed is if every team (which all have their own bottom-lines and could see their franchise value sky rocket if they land a star) is willingly part of it, and the media that are let into the room every year go along with it as well.

I'd say it's extremely unlikely unless you're willing to essentially say the entire sport is fixed.  And once you're willing to make that leap, it's just a tiny baby-step towards believing the NBA gifted the Celtics KG and gifted the Lakers Pau, then rigged the entire playoffs so the two teams would clash in the Finals back in 2008.  Either go all-in on the conspiracy theories or accept that they aren't very plausible.

All I'm saying is it Can be rigged---because they assign teams sequential combinations (not random)--and they SWITCH the balls-after the test drawing...If the league wanted to rig it--all they have to do is have one or two balls weigh more--in the Secured Box they bring in....Not probable---but Possible....Teams would have no idea what's going on--so of course they're not involved...if they got rid of the Sequential order of assigned numbers--nobody could rig it.

I'm just curious... if they had one or two balls weigh more so that they'd always come up right away, wouldn't that make every single drawing come up with the same results?  They'd just sit there for hours as the first two numbers popped up over and over again and the same team won the lotto, right?

Doesn't seem practical.

NOT saying the league could determine who Wins---but they could determine who DOESN'T Win (perceived tanking,etc)----The balls get blown UPWARDS---so weighted balls (with the correct air pressure in the machine)...might not get drawn---(example,2007--ALL Celtics number combinations had either #1 or #2 in them)---Why weren't the combinations Random-?-and not like the way they are---kinda fishy why they Switch the balls (from this supposed secured locked box)---but maybe there's nothing to it....If there was any way possible that the lottery is rigged---THIS is how they do it (but it's probably not rigged)

[crimson_stallion]

Imagine what he could do with a 6'10" Oscar Robertson type of talent

Some fans are going to be incredibly disappointed if these are their expectations.

I think Magic Johnson is probably a closer comparison myself.

I don't think there has ever been a 6'10" big man who can run, pass and dribble like Simmons can.  Magic (at 6'9") would be I think the only one that comes close to that.

Magic had the athleticism, passing ability and ball handling ability of a Point Guard, with the size and strength of a power forward.   He was a very good scorer,  but he was never really known as a great jump shooter or an especially great defensive player.   

He was however, a man who could play any position on the court - and he still remains one of the all time NBA leaders in triple doubles. 

I look at those two guys and I see so many similarities.  I doubt Simmons will ever be as good as Magic, but I think he could become a slightly less dominant version of Magic.   

[walker834]

He's a taller John Wall  who gets by on instincts speed and athleticism right now.  When people slow wall down he gets passive and doesn't know what to do.  Coaching can help that though.  But he's definately in that style where he plays on the ball which  limits what he can do when people stop the ball.  He isn't a Magic level creator with his passes.  He also isnt creative like magic was in the post or shooting.

Heinsohn and the celtics historically were masters at stopping this kind of stuff.  They had issues with the lakers because they could match our talent and were so creative and unpredictable.

Magic was the catalyst on that team though where Bird was a different kind of player and so were the celtics historially. They weren't a hold the ball kind of team. They have never been that.

We've had our scorers and guys that hold the ball but historically and style wise we've always been a team that more does things differently.

Those 80's celtics were a hold the ball sort of team but we had so much talent it didnt matter and we still focused on sharing and up tempoing.

It was having a guy like Magic run the show though. Showtime was Magic and those lakers. He created it and all the talent they had.

[walker834]

Bird vs Magic.  Russell vs Chamberlain.  Those 70's celtics and how we pushed the tempo.  It's always been that way.  Even when the Lakers had Kobe and all that size.  We had Pierce, Ray and KG.  Times have changed and it doesn't have to be but Simmons is still a guy who can get taken out of his game as it stands. If we have players around him it won't matter though.

[jpotter33]

Took me about 15 tries...but this is best I think

If we get the sense that Philly is dead-set on either Simmons or Ingram, I'd want us to have the #1 pick and Philly to have the #2 pick. That way we have just one more option in the trade bank. If we can't trade for a Butler or Cousins type with the pick, then we could always try and leverage Noel out of Philly with a switch in the picks. Something like Noel and #2 for either Rozier, Young, and #1? That'd work out extremely well for both sides if we're not necessarily higher on Ingram or Simmons and can't trade for a superstar with the pick. That'd give us:

PG: IT, Smart
SG: Bradley, Turner (resigned), Hunter
SF: Crowder, Ingram
PF: KO, JJ, Mickey
C: Noel, Amir

That's a pretty solid young core AND playoff team, which that's saying we have no free agent luck either.

For Philly, they could even possibly have this nice core if they get the Lakers pick, though they'd still need to work out their frontcourt that can't really play together:

PG: Rozier
SG: Hield (Lakers pick)
SF: Simmons (Brooklyn pick that they traded for from us)
PF: Embiid
C: Okafor

[alldaboston]

To go back to the "rigged" discussion (too long to quote), I just wanted to say that I've seen all the behind the scenes stuff, but I honestly had never thought of a weighted ball scenario.

[walker834]

As a celtics fan I will agree that Simmons couldn't carry Magic's jockstrap.   I was lucky enough to grow up watching this stuff.  No wonder people today are so negative.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoEl2Oo66IY

They do not make players like that anymore.  Is posting magic highlights on a celtics board sacrilege?

What's sacrilege to me is that nba players and people are so uncreative nowadays.

Those Lakers and Celtics rivalries were something else just because they challenged each other so much.  The Celtics were hardworking and blue collar but the Lakers had Showtime but they brought out the best of each other.

Every so often Marcus does stuff like that and Isaiah is real creative with his scoring though.  We are still a hardworking bunch.

Different times but Simmons when I compare to that looks like he wouldnt even be in the nba back then. He's got speed and athleticism but would get destroyed by those guys mentally. He'd either grow or end up out of the league.

[Greyman]

I would love to have Simmons as a Celtic. If he reaches anywhere near his potential you don't want him playing against you. Too much is made of his attitude. He was only ever going to be in College for one year, skipping class would seem insignificant considering the situation. He has skipped the Olympics to concentrate on his career and the draft. That is a fair show of commitment, you don't get chances to go the Olympics often.

Wether he is a good fit right now or not, his potential is too great to pass up. 

[KG Living Legend]

I would love to have Simmons as a Celtic. If he reaches anywhere near his potential you don't want him playing against you. Too much is made of his attitude. He was only ever going to be in College for one year, skipping class would seem insignificant considering the situation. He has skipped the Olympics to concentrate on his career and the draft. That is a fair show of commitment, you don't get chances to go the Olympics often.

Wether he is a good fit right now or not, his potential is too great to pass up.

 Well said Greyman TP. You don't pass on this type of talent. Ever.