Agreed, Dr. Chestnutt. There's no quick fixes out there unless ownership is ready to break the bank, which doesn't appear likely to happen. I'm still pisses me to no end that we let the 6 pick slip due to Scalaburine's career game as a Celtic, that no good big tittied prick. Besides, the draft is the only area Danny has proven somewhat competent in, as he has been a disaster in free agent and coaching selections.
Great post. Well thought out. Very good points.
I don't follow college hoops well enough to know who best fits the Celtics needs, but I still maintain that trading the pick simply to package Raef with it would please me.
Also, I must admit that while I watch all 82 Cs games, I follow the rest of the league casually. It doesn't seem to me, though, that, with the possible exception of Phoenix (who traded for a now two-time MVP point guard), any of the true contenders became such by stockpiling so-called youthful, athletic, Kedrick Brown-style players via the draft. Can anyone set me straight about this?
Tittyfuck, that last game of the season was one final tittyfucking of the team by Coc and Scalaburine. It has to be one of the stupidest things I've ever seen in professional sport. But, ah yes, there's always next year, and with those two imbeciles (along with Wyc), who knows how dumber things can get.
Thanks for dropping by Jeff, and congrats on the Dime magazine shout-out, that's really quite an affirmation of what yr doing over there.
Anon - you sound like exactly the same kind of fan I am: 82 Celtics games and not really up on college hoop. That, of course, is why I hesitate to make any great claims about who we should pick or why. I think my point was that at this stage in the franchise's "development," we can't afford to pass up on potential impact players in favor of some win-now strategem that everyone knows will ultimately fail.
the tough thing with writing these kinds of columns is that you have to paint with a broad brush without being aware of what's really going on behind the scenes. Admittedly, my assumption (which could be wrong) is that you can't get Andre Miller for the 7th pick, or you can't package the pick and Raef for cap relief. Your point is well taken, though, that stockpiling young talent isn't a sure path to success. I think what's going on with the Celtics, however, is that we're stockpiling marginal young talent, and failing in the quest to get real impact players. Outside of some amazing trade, the way to get impact players is to lay out a shitload of FA money (something Wyc and the gang are reluctant to do) or sign and trade (ditto) or get it through the draft. I'm not saying an impact player is available at 7, but you look at 1999 when we traded the 8th pick and lost out on the chance to draft all the players mentioned above, and I think it just reaffirms the need to keep our pick, rather than trade it in yet another Ainge lateral move.
Ainge won't trade the pick. The risk is too great and he'd be an imbecile to do so. He's much better off taking a chance and believing that he can get a decent player with the 7th pick. Do you mean to tell me that the draft is SO weak that an upgrade over West or Tony Allen isn't available? Never mind that an upgrade over Tits Scalabrine, Dickau, or Raef isn't available? Bullshit. They trade the pick for some shitty veteran and whoever they miss out on will blossom but it won't matter cause Ainge and Coc will be long gone by then.
Scalabrine must be retarded (I really think he has brain damage) He actually thought that winning that last game of the season was a positive.
I told the old bag once to "pick my ass" and had to run for my life when she returned from the tool shed.
Awesome post! I whole-heartedly agree that we should keep the pick. We need a talent upgrade at virtually every position so let's take what we can get. Besides, with Raef, Wally and Pierce we need some guys on the team that aren't making $12+ mil per year. At least signing a rookie deal caps the kid at a mil and a half for four years or something. Trading that for a veteran is going to cost us at least $5 mil a year.
To anon, the Bulls have got a significant amount of solid draft picks and are now contenders with a team full of young talent. The Clippers did too. Both had solid playoff runs and are going to contend again next year. Keep in mind the Bulls got W's against Miami than Motown did. Speaking about building through the draft, how about those guys down in South Beach? In the LeBron draft, they picked up a kid called Dwayne Wade. Heard of him? He's pretty good. Because they got this kid, they were able to land some other guy, Shaq? So things sort of worked out.
Look around man, every good team out there right now has added some of their superstars from drafting well. In todays NBA it is just way too expensive to sign a whole team of free agents.
I agree with you, RickDFan. You could say that Heat built around their pick of Wade. But he was not a number 7 pick. And they added Shaq, Alonzo, Antoine, Payton, Haslam, and others. The Celtics have Pierce, who is in the same league as Wade, but they added LaFrentz, Scal, Dickhead, and Wally. They gotta get rid of those idiots before they begin to think of competing. I guess they can just wait another three years for Raef to go take a minimum contract somewhere and five years for Scal to get a broadcasting job. I hope to God Danny will be gone by then, so a new President can come in with the next doomed twelve year plan.
Hey, but at least we have dance team.
exactly Willie, there's never been so weak a draft that you couldn't find someone better than Tony Allen at #7. We might not find a difference maker/impact guy at 7, but he's going to probably be better than most of our young guys.
RDF - I agree, it's the new NBA and it's designed for teams to build through the draft and keep their picks. If we were a 50 win team and had one single clear need (like a bruising rebounder or back up PG), then you can move picks for guys who will help you. Now though, we need all the pure talent we can acquire.
CNN/SI has a mock up where they claim that the Raptors trade down and pick the Italian guy later, and that the Bulls already gave Thomas a promise (that rhymes). I believe that means Gay or Aldrige would slip, and probably Williams is still there. Interesting.
Anon - "come in with the next doomed twelve year plan" hahahahha, exactly. I want to believe that Ainge had a real idea of what to do and that Wyc and Co. refused to fund it, but who knows. The whole thing has been half-assed in its refusal to either commit to a rebuilding effort or a win-now effort.
I think the reason most of those guys went to the Heat is to play with Shaq and compete for the championship. Shaq went to play with Wade. So it if Green/Pierce/Mystery Guy (maybe Scabs steps up) to the level of hearet and energy Wade displays than those guys might want to come here. We've got at least be hitting the playoffs though. The Heat were a dangerous team with Rookie Wade out there, causing the bookies nightmares. We just aren't quite there yet.
Scalabrine has a breakout year this season - you heard it here first 
The only thing breaking out on Scalaburine would be the boils on his ass.
I still can't get it out of my head that we're gonna be sorry we lost the 6th pick.
Fuck it... We would have wasted that pick on someone who is never going to play. I bet with the six pick we would "redraft" Pervis Ellison. If it were possible, it would be done.
They probably trade the thing either way. What exactly do you get "moving down" in a draft? I never understood that. I get the whole pick for a player trade. I just don't get why you'd trade a higher pick for a lower one and a guy who blows. Excellent! Now I can have two mediocre schmucks on my bench. Gee, I hope they are good clubhouse guys.
Pierce is on the block.
If the Celtics Coach stops a player from being traded, is that a Cocblock?
hahaha, "Cocblock." We'll have to make that an award for next season, like Doc's dumbest move of the night.
I just got to my computer, saw Willie's comment, and then saw 81 comments at Celticsblog on Jeff's "maybe Pierce will get traded" story. Interesting. I'm no good at making up trades, but Chicago really seems to be the only realistic trade partner if we're serious about rebuilding with picks and young players. Alas, I doubt they'd part with Heinrich, especially if they think they can grab Ben Wallace as a FA. I love Deng, but he's not going to turn us around. We'll see I guess.
No one answered my (buried) question on C-Blog, can we still trade Paul for Chris Paul?
If not does that mean Paul's value is actually lower than it was last year?
Chris Paul, on the very off chance you read this - COME TO BOSTON.
loved the Ty Thomas smackdown of the virtual auction block,
"Pretend I'm a GM, sell me on why I should pick you."
"You're not a GM. I don't have to sell you anything."
I like the Ty Thomas smackdown. Where did that happen? Was it an ESPN interview or something?
I think it was NBAdraft.net. Of course Celticsblog has turned it into him being immature and needing to seek counseling and if he acts this wasy in the show he'll never ever make it....
Shows me the guy has a brain and can think for himself. "You may win the rat race but you're still a rat."
Seriously, they diss JJ Reddick and campaign hard for Jay Williams. I can't figure some fans out.
yeah Jay Williams is the answer. HA!! Maybe they Celtics could sign Manute Bol, Paul Mokesky, Chris Jackson (Shareef blah blah) while they are at it.
Don't forget Vin Baker...oh, we already did that. The old bag better not sleep on her back if we screw up this draft.
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