I always wondered what it would be like to head into the “top three” commercial break with visions of the number one pick dancing in my head.
The Celtics envelope had not been pulled and personally, I spent the next two and a half minutes envisioning Brandon Ingram raining threes or Ben Simmons playing point forward under Brad Stevens.
It didn’t take long for those dreams to be dashed, as the draft order went as projected. In what is seen as a two player draft, the Celtics will pick third.
Now that the order is confirmed, Danny Ainge and company can reluctantly start figuring out what to do at number three. Do the Cs continue their slow-but-steady rebuild and go for a high upside player like Dragan Bender? Do they add badly needed shooting in the form of Jamal Murray or Buddy Hield? With an eye on size, do they look to trade back a bit and nab a Henry Ellenson? Who knows.
What does this mean for the larger picture? Again, who knows, but for fans thinking that a top-two pick could fetch a trade for an all-star, which could then lure a free agent, the third pick is extremely disappointing. There’s no consensus on who goes number three, so odds are there won’t be teams clamoring to move to that spot unless they fall in love with a player by draft night.
The Lakers will get to add another intriguing piece to their rebuild and the Sixers, as called by Dikembe Mutombo earlier in the day, nabbed the number one pick. In related news, call 1-800-MOUNT-MUTOMBO for your free reading!
Anyways, see you next year — same time, same place, Mark Tatum. Thanks, Brooklyn!
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