Which two Celtics would you keep?

[Roy Hobbs]

Okay, here's the scenario:  David Stern has gone crazy, and he's decided that the NBA essentially needs to be rebuilt from the ground up.  Existing teams can keep two players that they currently own the rights to; all other players will be thrown into a massive draft, where teams will select in reverse order of last year's finish.  Existing contracts are kept, and after all salaries are drafted, existing salary cap rules will go into effect.  The only caveat is that teams will enjoy a right-of-first-refusal on any contract signed by one of the two players they kept for the rest of their career.

The question is, who do you select as the two players the Celts keep?

[Roy Hobbs]

Hmm...  maybe this game would make an interesting  companion or alternative to the Celticsblog draft this year...

[Jon]

KG and Pierce.  While it may be tempting to pick Rondo because of his youth, he's yet to prove he's consistently as elite a player as Pierce and KG.  And the NBA, as history has shown time and again, is a league where championships are won based on who your superstars are.  The KG/Pierce tandem has proven they can win a title.  While a Rondo-based team could prove to be good longer than a KG/Pierce one, I'm not convinced it wins a title. 

[Donoghus]

Hmm...  maybe this game would make an interesting  companion or alternative to the Celticsblog draft this year...

If it creates less drama (which should be a given compared to the CB draft but who knows?), it might not be a bad idea or something in addition to the CB draft since that's a summer time thing.

[Roy Hobbs]

I'm really torn here.  You can go a few different ways:

1.  Rondo and Perk.  This way, you preserve the two best young players on the team, with the idea that you'd build with low-cost veterans and other young players.

2.  Pierce and KG.  As Jon said, this is the best foundation to build a championship.  You're probably going to end up with a pretty good third option picking 28th in the 1st round, and you should be able to fill out the squad to remain in championship contention.

3.  Rondo and Pierce.  You're keeping the best young player, and you're keeping a career Celtic who is the face of the franchise.  Pierce is the youngest of the "big three", and still has enough left in the tank to win both now and a few years into the future.

3a.  Same as above, but you trade Pierce for younger guys.

4.  Rondo and KG.  You keep a great big and a great small.  Arguably, the two most important players on the Celtics.

4a.  Same as above, but you trade KG for younger guys.

[Jon]

I'm really torn here.  You can go a few different ways:

1.  Rondo and Perk.  This way, you preserve the two best young players on the team, with the idea that you'd build with low-cost veterans and other young players.

2.  Pierce and KG.  As Jon said, this is the best foundation to build a championship.  You're probably going to end up with a pretty good third option picking 28th in the 1st round, and you should be able to fill out the squad to remain in championship contention.

3.  Rondo and Pierce.  You're keeping the best young player, and you're keeping a career Celtic who is the face of the franchise.  Pierce is the youngest of the "big three", and still has enough left in the tank to win both now and a few years into the future.

3a.  Same as above, but you trade Pierce for younger guys.

4.  Rondo and KG.  You keep a great big and a great small.  Arguably, the two most important players on the Celtics.

4a.  Same as above, but you trade KG for younger guys.

I still go with 2.  Rondo and Pierce and a good surrounding cast wasn't good enough to win last year.  KG and Pierce (with a much lesser Rondo and Perk in '08) won a title. 

If your interest is simply staying "good" longer, I think some combo involving Rondo makes sense.  However, if the goal is to maintain championship contention, I think it has to be KG/Pierce, even if the window of opportunity is much smaller. 

[Bahku]

KG and Pierce.  While it may be tempting to pick Rondo because of his youth, he's yet to prove he's consistently as elite a player as Pierce and KG.  And the NBA, as history has shown time and again, is a league where championships are won based on who your superstars are.  The KG/Pierce tandem has proven they can win a title.  While a Rondo-based team could prove to be good longer than a KG/Pierce one, I'm not convinced it wins a title. 

Abso ... you saved me some typing. (TP)

[indeedproceed]

Rondo and Perkins. Defense and youth, plus their contracts are both manageable now. Also, elite pg's and elite centers (which I think we'll all agree Perkins is now, despite what a stat line might say) are two of the hardest positions to fill.  

You have to believe that most teams will take a similar approach.

Question: Who is the first pick in the draft?

If you assume it will be New Jersey picking first, and assume they keep Harris and Lopez, who is it gonna be?

[RebusRankin]

Rondo and Pierce.

This would be a fun companion to the CB Draft.

[scoop]

Would there be a salary cap limiting your draft options? If so, Pierce and KG wouldn't make much sense. Rondo and KG for me.

Question: Who is the first pick in the draft?

If you assume it will be New Jersey picking first, and assume they keep Harris and Lopez, who is it gonna be?

James.

I'd keep Lee and Lopez and pick James.

[Kiorrik]

I'm really torn here.  You can go a few different ways:

1.  Rondo and Perk.  This way, you preserve the two best young players on the team, with the idea that you'd build with low-cost veterans and other young players.

2.  Pierce and KG.  As Jon said, this is the best foundation to build a championship.  You're probably going to end up with a pretty good third option picking 28th in the 1st round, and you should be able to fill out the squad to remain in championship contention.

3.  Rondo and Pierce.  You're keeping the best young player, and you're keeping a career Celtic who is the face of the franchise.  Pierce is the youngest of the "big three", and still has enough left in the tank to win both now and a few years into the future.

3a.  Same as above, but you trade Pierce for younger guys.

4.  Rondo and KG.  You keep a great big and a great small.  Arguably, the two most important players on the Celtics.

4a.  Same as above, but you trade KG for younger guys.

Topic killer post.



Hehehe.

Okay, my opinion:

KG & Rondo: ... okay, the bloody injury to KG has made me seriously doubt this one, but it's viable. Barely.

Pierce & Rondo: Would be the second best option, if you want to keep him around. However, I think his play is declining *fast*. So I don't like this one either.

Perk & Rondo: I'd go for this, if it wasn't for the fact that someone else will be able to have Gasol and Bryant.

See the thing with that last one, you'd choose youth, and sacrifice your current prowess. You'd have to make some of that up in the draft, or trade Perk + some others for say, Howard, Gasol, or whoever else is illegible, and I don't think there'll be many.

So, a very hard choice imo. Very, very hard. All of the options have their drawbacks.

[Donoghus]

Would there be a salary cap limiting your draft options? If so, Pierce and KG wouldn't make much sense. Rondo and KG for me.

Question: Who is the first pick in the draft?

If you assume it will be New Jersey picking first, and assume they keep Harris and Lopez, who is it gonna be?

James.

I'd keep Lee and Lopez and pick James.

I'm guessing James would be kept and wouldn't be in the draft.

[Who]

Rajon Rondo and Kevin Garnett

[Kiorrik]

I'm guessing James would be kept and wouldn't be in the draft.

So would Kobe, Wade, Dwight, etc etc etc.

Forget getting a great player, and the Lakers, Orlando and Cavs will have the advantage.

With our squad, you'll be breaking up a great team. With lots of other teams, you'll be breaking up a team which was already a one or two-man show. Bryant & Gasol, Wade & Beasley, Howard & Carter, LeBron & Shaq (or Mo), etc.

I honestly think we have 4 players to pick from. You could argue 5. With other contending teams: not so much.

[Kwhit10]

Very hard decision, but I think in any scenario I would keep Pierce.

So now the question comes down to keep Rondo or KG.  There are ups and downs to each pick, Rondo is young with a manageable contract, KG is getting older.  If we have KG and Pierce our window is probably much smaller than keeping at least Rondo.  But is Rondo really the #2 guy on a team.  I'd have to say no.

If we were looking to get as close to a championship as possible then I'd go with Pierce and KG and build with the best players left to maximize the chance at a title.

Going young and cheap could work maybe it wouldn't.

So I think I'd go Pierce and KG as well.