#17 or Durant?

[Roy Hobbs]

Here's a question posed in Bill Simmons' recent mailbag:

Q: If you could go back in time "Lost"-style and fix the 2007 lottery so the Celtics landed the second pick, would you keep what happened (No. 5 pick, KG trade, 2008 title, everything else that happened up to now), or would you switch it so that they ended up with the No. 2 pick and Durant?

Simmons and his father both say you need to take Durant.  I'm not as sure; I think I prefer the guarantee of one title (and three years, at least, of contending basketball) over 10 years of a superstar with no guarantee of winning.  However, it's an interesting question, and I can see both sides.

[Fafnir]

Its especially an interesting scenario since reportedly we could have gotten KG for just the #2 pick and expirings.

If we talk KG into coming and we have him and Big Al, but no Ray yet, what happens?

[rondohondo]

I think I have to agree with this . If we had gotten a top 2 pick and chose Durant this team would have been a championship contender within his first 4 or 5 seasons. We still would have had Rondo, Perk and Al Jefferson, that is a pretty impressive young starting lineup. Plus we would have got more talent from trading PP since that was likely the plan if Durant was drafted.

   That team has a superstar who can score from anywhere on the court(Durant), one of the top 5 low post offensive players in the league(Big Al), Rondo running the show and being an all defensive team PG, and perk doing the dirty work and being the best low post defender in the game.

Starting lineup

PG: Rondo
SG: Durant
SF: Gomes
PF: Big AL
 C: Perk

[ssspence]

If we can agree that the best case scenario has us winning one more title with the 'big three', I find it hard to believe the Cs couldn't have competed for those two in the long run with Rondo, Pierce, Durant, Big Al, Perk, Gomes, a better pick in the Giddens draft and the two picks the Cs gave up for KG. This is not to mention the entertainment value Durant would've brought to the table.

[Donoghus]

As much as I love Durant, I'm not giving up #17.  No if, ands, or buts about it.

That ride was too much fun.  Too many good memories, many of which I was fortunate enough to attend in person.

Remember, it had been 22 looong years since we won a title.  

Durant guarantees nothing.

[Fafnir]

If we can agree that the best case scenario has us winning one more title with the 'big three', I find it hard to believe the Cs couldn't have competed for those two in the long run with Rondo, Durant, Big Al, Perk, Gomes, a better pick in the Giddens draft and the two picks the Cs gave up for KG. This is not to mention the entertainment value Durant would've brought to the table.

Don't forget that one of those picks was Minnesota's own hugely protected pick.

We'd have likely only recieved a 2nd rounder from them.

[Fafnir]

As much as I love Durant, I'm not giving up #17.  No if, ands, or buts about it.

That ride was too much fun.  Too many good memories, many of which I was fortunate enough to attend in person.

Remember, it had been 22 looong years since we won a title.  

Durant guarantees nothing.

T-Mac anyone?

[Roy Hobbs]

If we can agree that the best case scenario has us winning one more title with the 'big three', I find it hard to believe the Cs couldn't have competed for those two in the long run with Rondo, Durant, Big Al, Perk, Gomes, a better pick in the Giddens draft and the two picks the Cs gave up for KG. This is not to mention the entertainment value Durant would've brought to the table.

I'm not as optimistic; it's darn hard to win an NBA title.  I mean, look at Lebron:  he's yet to win one.  As for Durant, he has yet to make the playoffs.

It would be interesting, having a young team where the 3/4 were allergic to defense.  I expect that having Durant would have led to some highly entertaining basketball, but (assuming we traded Pierce) I'm not sure we'd be any more successful at this point than OKC.

[rondohondo]

As much as I love Durant, I'm not giving up #17.  No if, ands, or buts about it.

That ride was too much fun.  Too many good memories, many of which I was fortunate enough to attend in person.

Remember, it had been 22 looong years since we won a title.  

Durant guarantees nothing.

T-Mac anyone?

Durant is already as good as T-MAC in his prime. Just wait til Durant reaches his prime.

[nyceltsfan]

Don't underestimate the mental impact KG and Ray have had on this team.  You can talk about having Rondo and Perk in the long run, but are they the same players without the veterans we brought in?  Perk certainly would not be the same player.  Also, are we assuming a Pierce trade?  It is very difficult to win a title without a veteran leader.  Also, remember that Big Al was a liability defensively.

[incoherent]

I would not trade the smack down we laid upon the Fakers in the 2008 NBA Finals for anything.

[Brickowski]

A more interesting (and realistic) question is what would have happened if McHale backed out of the KG deal and the Celtics had gone ahead and selected Jeff Green at #5.

They wouldn't have won #17 but IMHO they would be contending now with Green just as easily as with Durant, because Green is a better defender and passer.

[Roy Hobbs]

A more interesting (and realistic) question is what would have happened if McHale backed out of the KG deal and the Celtics had gone ahead and selected Jeff Green at #5.

They wouldn't have won #17 but IMHO they would be contending now with Green just as easily as with Durant, because Green is a better defender and passer.

Eh...  I don't see a Perk/Pierce/Green/Rondo core as a contender; I'd put it closer to a borderline playoff team.

[More Banners]

Here's a question posed in Bill Simmons' recent mailbag:

Q: If you could go back in time "Lost"-style and fix the 2007 lottery so the Celtics landed the second pick, would you keep what happened (No. 5 pick, KG trade, 2008 title, everything else that happened up to now), or would you switch it so that they ended up with the No. 2 pick and Durant?

Simmons and his father both say you need to take Durant.  I'm not as sure; I think I prefer the guarantee of one title (and three years, at least, of contending basketball) over 10 years of a superstar with no guarantee of winning.  However, it's an interesting question, and I can see both sides.

This is a no-brainer.  Titles don't come easy, so you take the title.  We had 10 years of a superstar with that Paul Pierce fellow, and for most of it, we sucked.  Take the ring.

[rondohondo]

how about if we kept Jeff Green and drafted Brandon Roy instead of trading that pick for Theo Ratliff and Telfair

PG: Rondo
SG: Roy     / Delonte
SF: PP      / Gomes
PF: Big AL  / Jeff Green
 C: Perk

That's a pretty good team too.