Question regarding '86 Draft

[syfy9]

To those who were fortunate enough to watch the 80s era : How did the Celtics end up with the 2nd pick of the 1986 draft and still maintain their core? Did we trade for a lottery pick and got really lucky or something?


I'm pretty sure the Celtics just won the championship, right? It seems odd that the championship team was able to get the 2nd pick overall...



Also, I've been told that Len Bias had the skill to be a James Worthy type player with a Jordan ceiling. It really is a tragedy that he died, along with Lewis. Do you think Bias would have panned out and given us some more banners?

[Donoghus]

To those who were fortunate enough to watch the 80s era : How did the Celtics end up with the 2nd pick of the 1986 draft and still maintain their core? Did we trade for a lottery pick and got really lucky or something?


I'm pretty sure the Celtics just won the championship, right? It seems odd that the championship team was able to get the 2nd pick overall...



Also, I've been told that Len Bias had the skill to be a James Worthy type player with a Jordan ceiling. It really is a tragedy that he died, along with Lewis. Do you think Bias would have panned out and given us some more banners?

Back in '84, the Celtics traded Gerald Henderson to the Sonics for their 1st round pick in the '86 Draft. 

That pick ended up being the #2 overall pick in the draft. 

[GreenFaith1819]

With Bias, we probably would've beaten LA in 86-87, and would've stood a great shot at winning it in 87-88, too.

[GreenShooter]

LA easily handled the Celtics in the forum. And that game 4 shot was the dagger. Plus the C's were beat up and injured that postseason. It was balls and grit that got them to the finals. But Len Bias was a HUGE talent. HUGE! Strong and very explosive yet had some serious smooth moves. Elevated high. You couldn't block his shot. [dang] what a waste.

[Army_of_One_Nation]

You should watch this:

http://deadspin.com/5190964/the-len-bias-documentary-nobody-wants-to-see-is-coming-soon?autoplay=true?skyline=true&s=i

[Reyquila]

 ::)Its a fact that during the 86 season, Gerald Henderson was traded for Seattle's draft pick. For that reason I watched Seattle's season as thoroughly as I watched the Celtics. Seattle ended with the worst record in the NBA, so we should have ended with the first pick. For reasons I no longer remember, there was a coin flip with the 76rs and of course we lost the flip so the 76ers drafted Len Dougherty(sic)Center,  with the first pick. We ended up with Bias. Not known if we would have drafted Len Dougherty ourselves as he was the top center that year in one of the richest drafts in history. Red A. kept that decision pretty up his sleeve. Was the same as choosing between Durand and that Ohio Walking Wounded Center.
The Sports Illustrated that year had a report on that draft and labeled Len Bias as a "Dominick" type player, who was a scoring beast with Atlanta at the time. There were other draftees that year like Mark Price, Roy Tarpley, Washburn (who turned out to be a wash, after all)Chuck(The Rifleman) Person..... and other great prospects on paper, at least. And now you know the rest of the story

[More Banners]

Just to add a bit for clarification/dramatization/glorification of Red:

Red had the nads to trade the starting 2-guard on the 1984 title team for a draft pick he would only get to take 2 years later.  He had Ainge (who was a bit-player on the 84 team) ready to take the starting spot, so he took the gamble.  He was interviewed about it and said he didn't want the pick right away because he thought Seattle was going to do okay that year, but then decline.  They did, and the 2nd pick was the result.  Red was THAT good.

[Reyquila]

Ainge had been playing MLB for the Toronto Jays. Obviously he wasnt hitting mayor league pitching as well as he wanted and decided to quit playing baseball and come play basketball with us.

[Redz]

It really was the peak of Celtics elitism.  The management, players, and fans knew we had the best team and the smartest gm ever.  We were cocky as can be. 

...and then...

[syfy9]

Auerbach is a complete and utter genius.

Not known if we would have drafted Len Dougherty ourselves as he was the top center that year in one of the richest drafts in history. Red A. kept that decision pretty up his sleeve. Was the same as choosing between Durand and that Ohio Walking Wounded Center.
The Sports Illustrated that year had a report on that draft and labeled Len Bias as a "Dominick" type player, who was a scoring beast with Atlanta at the time. There were other draftees that year like Mark Price, Roy Tarpley, Washburn (who turned out to be a wash, after all)Chuck(The Rifleman) Person..... and other great prospects on paper, at least.

Would picking Daughtery, Person, or Price put us over the top during '87? (Granted they perform about as well as they did)

[Eddie20]

Auerbach is a complete and utter genius.

Not known if we would have drafted Len Dougherty ourselves as he was the top center that year in one of the richest drafts in history. Red A. kept that decision pretty up his sleeve. Was the same as choosing between Durand and that Ohio Walking Wounded Center.
The Sports Illustrated that year had a report on that draft and labeled Len Bias as a "Dominick" type player, who was a scoring beast with Atlanta at the time. There were other draftees that year like Mark Price, Roy Tarpley, Washburn (who turned out to be a wash, after all)Chuck(The Rifleman) Person..... and other great prospects on paper, at least.

Would picking Daughtery, Person, or Price put us over the top during '87? (Granted they perform about as well as they did)

Daugherty, yes. He was a great passer and would've been to the 87 and 88 teams what Walton did for the 86 one. Probably better though.

[ram]

First, Red set up the Henderson trade by drafting Ainge, the 2nd best guard in the '81 draft, with the 31st pick.  The rest of the league didn't consider that Ainge might hang up his spikes to play in the NBA.

Second, he talked up Brad Daugherty all year because he wanted Bias so badly. IIRC, after the draft he said it was Bias that he wanted the whole time.

Red was the best. Chief and McHale for Joe Barry Carroll and some bum. DJ for Rick Robey. Bailey Howell for Mel Counts(on this one, Red said, with a straight face, that in the long run the Bullets might get the better of the deal).

[csfansince60s]

Bias had worked Auerbach's DC summer camps for years. Red knew him well personally. Red would have done almost anything to get him.

Bias was Worthy on steroids. He could shoot and run the floor like Worthy, but had a real mean streak on the court and was an intimidating shot blocker and rebounder.

He would have been the bridge to the 90s. He would've prolonged the Big 3's careers well into the 90s and MJ would've been the second best player of that generation.

Makes me sick. We would've been at 20 banners and counting now and the Fakers would have had 2 less.

I was driving to work that day and heard it on the radio. Cried like a baby saddened for his family and the Celtics family for the terrible waste.

It was like hitting Megabucks and having the winning ticket blow out of the car in the wind.

[ram]

I don't know if Bias would have been better than Jordan but he would have made the Big 3 the Big 4 and they all would have been healthier.

Teams already had match up problems with the Celtics. Teams guarded Bird with their 3, McHale with their best low post defended and Parrish with whomever was left. Sub Bias for McHale or Parish and now teams had to go small or cover Bird with a big and get torched.

Bias also was quick enough to play some at the 2 if the Celts wanted to go real big-DJ, Bias, Bird, McHale, Parish-how would any team have matched up with those 5.

[hardlyyardley]

I too followed Seattle very closely that year, dreaming of Bias on the Celtics....I believe I had seen him at the scrimmages the summer before in Marshfield....he was a counselor at Red's summer camp.....Red had elite college players working the camp and current C's
scrimmaging

The comparison to Worthy is fair except Bias was a stronger jump shot, was effective down low and a better rebounder....just not quite as speedy