Flashback to 2007 -- Celts have great odds at a top pick, but end up with #5, out of range of the most exciting prospects.
Ah, good times, right? Well, it worked out pretty well back then.
Anyway, this year it's very likely the worst that the Celts will do in the lottery is #4. However, with the Nets playing well (they have nothing to lose for, after all) and the Lakers and Suns in a full-on tank, there is an outside chance with 10-11 games remaining that the Celts could end up picking at #5.
So ... to prepare us for that possibility, I ask -- who would you take at #5?
Assume for this exercise that the top 4 are as follows:
1-2: Fultz, Ball
3-4: Jackson, Tatum
Some of the names in the next grouping are:
- Malik Monk, Kentucky
- De'Aaron Fox, Kentucky
- Dennis Smith Jr., NC State
- Lauri Markkanen, Arizona
- Frank Ntilikina, somewhere abroad
- Jonathan Isaac, Florida State
Out of the box -- like, way out of the box:
- Justin Jackson
- Jarrett Allen
- John Collins
- T.J. Leaf
- Harry Giles
I have to say, I don't love any of these options; I'm not sure any of these guys would get much playing time next year. The most likely suspects here are mostly pure guards who would slot behind IT, Bradley, Smart, and maybe Rozier or even Jackson.
My guess, if this pick ends up at #5, Ainge tries like heck to trade it for anybody who could contribute without ruining the cap sheet this summer. Imagine, for example, Orlando offering Aaron Gordon for a chance to draft Fox or Monk. Or perhaps he makes another run at Justise Winslow.
If there's no trade, I expect Ainge to take a swing. Monk might be worth going after, seeing as he's a pure shooter who could play alongside any of our current guards. Otherwise, I wouldn't be shocked to see one of the names from the second group I listed -- perhaps Harry Giles or one of the other underclassmen big men who put up big numbers in the NCAA this year.