Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here… highlighting the big story line. Because there’s nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.
We’ve talked a lot about the amount of moves that Danny Ainge and the Celtics have made in revamping the roster in the post-Big Three era. Back in the preseason, I told my good friend Ryan Bernardoni — /u/dangercart over on Reddit — how it would be neat to track exactly what became of every move. We figured it would be an impossible task, especially given that Boston has pulled off nine trades this season alone. But Ryan worked his magic and here’s the result (click the image for a full-resolution version).
ESPN Boston – Snapshot: The legacy of Banner 17
Pretty remarkable that someone had the patience to build this. Looking at 2016-17, the picks we’re going to have are absurd, and this flow chart doesn’t show our own picks. We’ll have our first, plus Brooklyn’s first (which looks like it could be as good as ours pending the firesale). Then Cleveland’s first which should fall mid-late 20s, and the Sixers’ 2nd rounder, which should project to fall around 31-35.
Judging off of recent interviews, it seems clear that Ainge’s preference is to trade picks for established talent. He’ll certainly have enough to bid on any player on the trade block, but there are no guarantees such a player will pop up. If no players are available, it’s good to know we have enough chances in the upcoming drafts to maximize the chances of drafting our own star player. The great thing about our situation is that along with the young, inexpensive talent coming in the next few years, we’ll have enough money to theoretically overpay for players. Barring another big-three alignment, ideally, we sign a few veteran guys (Paul Millsap, Wes Matthews type), and then continue to draft and develop talent. It would allow for Stevens to address the needs of our team, give him his first competitive roster, and still allow for player development in a Spursian-type system.
Page 2: If Deandre Jordan’s was on your summer wish list…
SI: What are your top priorities when it comes to weighing your options in free agency?
DJ: Obviously, great weather. I’m spoiled now. Coming from Texas and living in L.A. I’ve never had to have a coat.
SI: A lot of guys try to downplay the weather factor. Are they fronting?
DJ: I think so. I don’t want to be freezing every day. But if the team is great, then you have to make a choice. And they have heaters.
I play for a great coach, a great point guard here, a great forward. You definitely look at things like that. The group of guys you have, you want to be able to be around when you’re not at practice and not at the games. You want to be around a lot of guys who have high character and are on the team for the same reasons.
SI.com – Deandre Jordan talks free agency, playoff lessons, and Batman in Q&A
Well, we do have global warming on our side. And we can probably get some sort of promo with Burlington Coat Factory, but things are looking bleak as far as finding quality big men in free agency. Deandre Jordan may not even be on the list of guys Danny is interested in, but at 2.3 BPG, he’s the definition of the rim protector we’ve been seeking since the Perk trade. His range on offense probably doesn’t fit into the type of system Stevens is building, which is why he may not be a target. Thankfully this year’s draft is kind of opposite to last years — there are a handful of lottery projected centers to choose from. Now it’s just a matter of luck once again. Speaking of Luck…
The rest of the links:
CelticsBlog – Remembering the overlooked Celtic champs of the 1970s
Grantland – Jalen and Jacoby: Dwight-KG beef, Cleveland, and more
CSNNE – Indy-New England title game tests Stevens’ loyalties
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