It looks like the Celtics are focused on a more organic rebuild than the quick re-tool we were blessed with in 2007, and thus, more than ever, the Celtics are looking at players' fits not just 2-3 years down the line as DA would have done in say, 2009, but 5, 6, 7, etc. years down the line.
After drafting Smart/Young/Rozier/Hunter, picking up IT, and now watching AB make yet another leap, I've noticed that Celtics fans have fallen into the trap of assuming that our guard rotation is set, and only drooling over frontcourt prospects in upcoming drafts. I've done this myself; it's nice to think we'll be lucky enough to pick the best prospect on the board who also happens to fit perfectly into our rotation (Simmons at PF, Labissiere at PF/C, J. Brown or Ingram at SF). Even if the Nets do finish with one of the two worst records however, in the cold world of the ping pong balls, there's no guarantee that those guys will be there when we make our selection with Brooklyn's 1st. What
could Danny do in that case?
We have no All-Stars at the guard spot, period. IT is close, but probably no cigar. AB is close as well, and only 25, but limitations that have remained consistent over the course of his career (size, ball-handling ability) will likely prevent him from ascending from the Korver/Danny Green tier to the All-Star tier of SGs. Smart is our best hope, but having one legitimate hope and a couple of other puncher's chances in IT and AB is no reason to pass up, say, Jamal Murray with the 4th, 5th, etc. pick.
So, to raise our spirits after a pretty brutal 1-3 stretch, what's an appealing scenario in which we do select another guard with our top pick in the draft?
March 1st The Celtics sit at the 6th seed and are excited about the Brooklyn pick, but have another relatively disappointing deadline. No one wants David Lee, and we're forced to let him leave for nothing at the end of the year. Some calls come in for Amir Johnson, but Danny chooses to wait for an opportunity in which the combination of his present basketball value + financial value is fully maximized. We can't find a fair taker for Sullinger, and gamble that he somehow fits into our future plans. Evan Turner is too crucial to our playoff push, and we opt to keep him, despite the risk of losing him for nothing in the summer. We send out Zeller for a lame return, something along the lines of a Jerebko-type and a 2nd rounder. Olynyk is never put on the block, and stays with the Celtics. After 3 straight years of an overhyped trading deadline in Boston, Danny eyes the months of May, June and July and sees fireworks.
Early May The Celtics sit at home watching Cleveland and Indiana play an entertaining second round series, bounced again in the 1st round, this time by the 2nd-seeded Atlanta Hawks in 6 games. The Boston area is buzzing about the possibility of adding Ben Simmons, who is drawing comparisons to two players Isaiah Thomas is grouchily watching on his curved 3D TV: LeBron James and Paul George. Brooklyn has finished with the 3rd worst record in the league.
Late May Danny started off with 156 ping pong balls and a dream, and ends up with the 5th pick in the Draft.
June 15th Leading up to the Draft, the Celts fall in love with Jamal Murray in workouts. Houston, who has been calling for AB since early January, gets word of our man-crush and gives it another go with Danny, bringing in Philadelphia for a 3-teamer that nets them AB. A trade is agreed upon and executed on in the hours before the Draft:
June 23rd, 3 P.M.Boston trades: Avery Bradley
and receives:
Clint Capela, 2018 HOU 1 (lotto-protected)Houston trades: Ty Lawson, Capela, protected 2018 HOU 1, 2016 NYK 2, 2017 POR 2
and receives: AB, Carl Landry
Philadelphia trades: Carl Landry
and receives: Ty Lawson, 2016 NYK 2, 2017 POR 2
HOU's rotation (to expand on the logic of trading for AB):
Harden/Beverley
AB/Corey Brewer
Ariza/Sam Dekker/KJ McDaniels
Terrence Jones/Montrezl Harrell
Dwight Howard/Motiejunas
AB guards opposing PGs, Harden guards opposing SGs, Harden runs the offense.
There is another trade rumored to be brewing in the weeks before the draft. The Sacramento Kings have missed the playoffs again, and DeMarcus Cousins is again painted as a failed superstar. His coach doesn't back him up, saying after their final game in mid-April that their team "lacks leadership." This angers Rondo as well, who considers relocating yet again as a free agent. Rumors that the Kings have fallen in love with Skal Labissiere upset Cousins, who -- if he hasn't before -- demands a trade. Sacramento laments his decreased trade value, but, in typical Sacramento fashion, makes a hasty decision after a dazzling 2nd look at Labissiere in a private gym. On draft night, Danny launches his second strike of the evening.
June 23rd, 6:55 P.M.Boston deals: Amir Johnson, Kelly Olynyk, James Young, Terry Rozier, 2016 DAL 1, 2016 BOS 1, and 2017 better of BOS/BKN 1sts
and receives:
DeMarcus Cousins. '
The trade is announced with 10 minutes left to go before the 1st selection is made.
June 23rd, 7:32 P.M. Celtics take
Jamal Murray.
June 30th The Mavericks missed the playoffs and finished with the 11th worst record in the league. The Dirk tide shifts, and Cuban is no longer sold on riding off into the sunset with Dirk, now that he controls the destiny of Dallas' 2017 1st. Dirk is traded to Washington for Otto Porter, Kelly Oubre and picks, and Washington salivates imagining an LA-based corporate office in which they greet Kevin Durant armed with John Wall, Brad Beal and Dirk.
July 2nd Dallas' blowup continues. The Celtics realize their attempts to snag Harrison Barnes, one way or the other, have failed or will fail. Chandler Parsons name has been circulating around the market for a little under a week, and Danny makes his final significant move of the summer.
Boston signs-and-trades: Jared Sullinger, Houston's protected 2018 1st and Boston's selections with the 2016 PHI and MIN 2nds
and receives:
Chandler Parsons.
Boston lets Evan Turner and David Lee walk. To cap off the summer, Boston brings in Miles "Tyler Zeller" Plumlee for 3y/$14m. Despite a marvelous summer, half of CB forums lambaste Danny for trading Zeller only to bring in Miles Plumlee.
2015-16 CELTICS ROTATIONJamal Murray/Isaiah Thomas
Marcus Smart/R.J. Hunter
Chandler Parsons/Jae Crowder
DeMarcus Cousins/Jordan Mickey
Clint Capela/Miles Plumlee
3rd string: Jerebko, our selections with remaining 2nd rounders
July 4thIf you have the time, think about your ideal scenario in which we can't get Simmons or any other F/C in the Draft, and have to take a guard.