This year the Boston Celtics are a top tier team within striking distance of matching up with one of the top rosters ever constructed in GS. Arguably more important however is that we are in the rare territory that GS found itself in 3 years ago that the teams future is as bright or brighter than our presence.
Simplistically you can view us as
Present
Irving
Hayward
Horford
Future
Tatum
Jaylen
?
As Horford gracefully ages into no longer elite territory and/or Kyrie walks, as currently constructed we might find ourselves 1 to 2 more major pieces away from contending with the top team be it still GS, the Lakers, or maybe some Kyrie/Durant lead Monster in New York. Again though ours is the team with the brightest future and there happens to be a monster training up in Durham North Carolina.
I'd argue that with the Number 2 pick in the 2019 NBA draft the Boston Celtics could do no better than to select Zion Williamson of Duke University.
Dogged for years now over his supposed athletic shortcomings, weight issues, and pedestrian finishing abilities in the AAU circuit, Williamson is emerging as a force that has the potential to be a new kind of unicorn for the modern era. Unlike the Porzingis' and Myles Turners of the world, Zion wont shoot over players he'll barrel though them.
6'7 280 there will not be a player in the league save for possibly Embiid that will be able to bully him in the post and Zion has the open floor athleticism to be the first wave of an elite downhill assault. When imagining a fast-break with Jaylen, Tatum, and Zion filling the lanes there wont be a team out there that could produce the same amount of force and skill in the open court.
Al Horford will one day age and that top big man position will again be in question. All of the other top prospects are wings, the way I see it for the Celtics to solidify them selves as an all decade team they need to lock up tomorrow's core and you could ask for no better than Zion Williamson.
Am I overreacting to some dominant performances against laughable competition? Possibly.
https://youtu.be/WjO4zweaD2wWill the Kings pick convey into a top asset? Hopefully
Will RJ Barret show enough to drop Zion out of the top spot? I'm beginning to doubt.
Is Zion Williamson a franchise altering talent and the final piece to a Celtics Dynasty? We'll just have to wait and see.