Bulpett: Ainge likes Dennis Smith Jr, Might move down

[CelticsElite]

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/celtics/2017/06/danny_ainge_keeping_everyone_guessing_on_eve_of_nba_draft

On Smith Jr:
“It went very well,” he said at Wednesday’s media session with the top draftees in a Manhattan hotel. “I got to meet Danny Ainge, and that was great. Ironically, the Lakers and Celtics rivalry, the 30 for 30, had just came out, so I had a little background with Danny Ainge going into the meeting.

“Danny Ainge was crazy back then, so I had some background info on him. In turn, our meeting went well. I knew something about him; he knew something about me.”


This was funny:

Meanwhile, to give you an idea of how surreal this has all become, a coach from yet another team said that if you asked 10 different clubs what Ainge wanted, you’d get 10 different answers. “We call him the minister of disinformation,” he said. “He’s putting a lot of stuff out there.”

[RJ87]

NO MORE GUARDS, DANNY!

Omg, we could have an IT-Smith Jr.-Bradley-Smart-Horford lineup on the floor at some point next season.

[celticinorlando]

1. Smith is a marginal top 15 player

2. He is another small guard. They have 4 of those already

3. You trade Fultz to draft Smith? Just typical Ainge.

ONLY way I do this is for 5 and 10 with the Kings..Take Isaac and then Smith

Just moving down again to draft Smith would be par for Danny Ainge. Just incredibly stupid.

[jyyzzoel]

If this is true (and I hope it is) God bless Danny Ainge.

He's absolutely correct. I just hope he doesn't trade down and someone leapfrogs him taking DSJ.

[colincb]

Beat me to it. Danny's been the minister of disinformation forever. Somewhat unusual because while some clubs leak and others don't (Heat, Jazz come to mind), Danny leaks like crazy, but no one knows if anything he says is true.

[celticinorlando]

If this is true (and I hope it is) God bless Danny Ainge.

He's absolutely correct. I just hope he doesn't trade down and someone leapfrogs him taking DSJ.

Seriously? You want him to take another average PG in Smith? Half the [dang] roster would be undersized guards. And you pass on Fultz?

This would be a disaster

[perks-a-beast]

Wouldn't upset me at all. Smith is a stud. The comparison to Steve Francis is the most accurate player comparison I've heard in years. He and Jaylen would make this team really fun to watch. Don't see Isaiah or Marcus here long term anyways.

[mqtcelticsfan]

Beat me to it. Danny's been the minister of disinformation forever. Somewhat unusual because while some clubs leak and others don't (Heat, Jazz come to mind), Danny leaks like crazy, but no one knows if anything he says is true.

Smokescreen for leverage with the Knicks?

[celticinorlando]

Can't have half your roster small guards. This kid is barely at the level of Rozier. Already had a major knee injury.

[max215]

I'm not a Smith fan, but his upside is very real. If Danny believes in him, I'd be okay with the pick.

[Big333223]

I don't know if any of the posters here are movie people or follow the Oscars, but this kind of reminds me of all of the "Oscar Race" writing that happens in the lead up to the awards. Entertainment reporters write all of these pieces for weeks and months about who is "leading" the "race" for the different awards but it's all bs because you only vote once, whoever wins wins and whoever loses loses. There is no "race" where someone leads and then falls behind.

This feels similar. Everyone is reporting all this nonsense but at the end of the day reports that Ainge is "leaning" this way or that way are probably built around Ainge having simply made a complimentary comment about a guy he knows he'll never draft and none of it matters because tomorrow night he'll only make one selection and that'll be that.

Unless he trades it.

[celticinorlando]

Seems Danny would do this deal just to get more draft picks. That is his MO. Just collects picks and trades those picks for more picks. Edited.  Profanity and masked profanity are against forum rules and may result in discipline. or get off the pot Danny

[playdream]

While i am on Tatum Smith has the potential to be the best player in the draft so i don't mind if thats Danny's choice

[Roy H.]

I thought we passed on Fultz because we had too many guards and because there was no separation between Fultz / Jackson / Tatum?

Lol. Looking forward to turning the #1 pick into a role player and a 2019 non-lottery #1.

[jyyzzoel]

If this is true (and I hope it is) God bless Danny Ainge.

He's absolutely correct. I just hope he doesn't trade down and someone leapfrogs him taking DSJ.

Seriously? You want him to take another average PG in Smith? Half the [dang] roster would be undersized guards. And you pass on Fultz?

This would be a disaster

Bookmark this post. Come back to it at the end of their rookie contracts. By then I am almost certain DSJ (if he doesn't have injury problems or tear his ACL again) will be one of the best 3 players (if not the best) from this draft. Bookmark it. For real.

Not to toot my own horn but I'm very, very good at ranking prospects. If I would be bothered making a blog and putting the time into it (and if prospects never skipped the combine like this year) my record would be really, really good.

Out of curiosity, who do you think will be the best player from this draft at the end of their rookie contracts? And who do you think we should take at #3?

All this said I absolutely can understand your reluctance to take another guard since our back court is too crowded.