npiper17 wrote:BadMofoPimp wrote:Even this past offseason, fans here were stating that the Magic were in better position for the future than the Celtics. I was like . . . "Wwwwhhhuuuuuutttt????"
If only. They have a very bright future and with the likely addition of Hayward plus a top 5 pick plus another year of Thomas on the second best value deal in the league (which will become the best value deal in the league after Curry re-signs), they are set.
As the Cavs showed last night, it only takes an injury or two and you can be in with a chance of losing to the Warriors in the Finals!
Eh, Celtics are in line for their own troubles. All their good value contracts will run out real soon, and they'll have to re-sign guys at proper market value. If they land a top pick this year, it's likely to be a PG, the same position where their current best player plays, and where their #6 draft pick Marcus Smart plays. They have their #3 pick playing only 13mpg right now, behind Jae Crowder, so he's likely gone if they want to move Brown into a starting role at some point.
So unless they're able to turn those assets into drafted stars (Smart doesn't seem like one, and it's too soon to know about Brown, who knows who they end up with in this next draft), or trade them for a star (apart from Cousins, who else do they really have a shot at?), they'll eventually settle into a middling team, same as the rest of us. Even if they draft a stud this year, it's going to take him 2-3 years until he's good enough to carry them to the playoffs, during which time Horford and Thomas only get older, their good value teammates disappear as they all start signing deals too big to remain on the squad, and suddenly you look more like 2016-17 Portland Trailblazers than a legit top 3 team in a conference.
Also, on paper they're looking at a #1 pick. On paper we should've had a #1 pick and a #3 pick (Embiid?). The Knicks should've had a #2 pick, but they got #4 (and still got the 2nd best player in the draft). Boston's appeal is their potential, but unless that potential is realised, it becomes another plodding rebuild.
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