It's June 2007, the Boston Celtics just completed a horrid season with a record of 24-58. This gives them the second worst record in the NBA and a great chance at getting either the number one or two pick in the draft. Celtics fans are in desperate need of another superstar to make Paul Pierce stay and with both of the top 2 picks looking like sure-fire studs, Celtics Nation gets excited once again, but then the unimaginable happens, though the Celtics had a great probability of getting a high pick, the odds go against them and they end up with the number 5 pick... once again the curse of Len Bias strikes, thrusting a dagger into the hearts of those who bleed green. This 5th pick could not do anything to immediately help the drowning franchise and Paul Pierce would have surely wanted out. At this point though Danny Ainge made a bunch of moves that sent Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett to Boston and led to the creation of an instant powerhouse. 66 wins later the Celtics win banner 17 and order is restored in the NBA.
But what if everything went like it was expected too? Finishing with the second worst record in the league, usually gets you the 2nd pick in the draft. For the Celtics this would have been Kevin Durant out of the University of Texas. The lineup hypothetically would have looked like this: West,Durant,Pierce,Jefferson,Perkins. Which on paper isn't really all that bad. Durant ends up being a 20 point scorer and takes some of the load off of Pierce and Jefferson is able to come into his own after averaging a double-double all of last season. Though this team would not have been an immediate contender the potential would have been incredible. This team could have very well finished with 41-50 wins and made the playoffs.
Where would this have left the rest of the league? Well at the time of the draft, Kevin Garnett was likely going to be moved to another Western conference team and it was looking like he would go to either LA or Phoenix. Due to Kobe Bryant's intense requests, LA likely would have been the most probable spot and Garnett and Bryant would be teammates instead of Gasol and Bryant. This combination would have undoubtedly put the Lakers in position for a 15th championship and LA would have had a dynamic duo for several years to come.
Poor Ray Allen would've just been in Oklahoma City rotting away as another all-time great, without a ring...
Isn't it wonderful how things worked out instead?
But what if everything went like it was expected too? Finishing with the second worst record in the league, usually gets you the 2nd pick in the draft. For the Celtics this would have been Kevin Durant out of the University of Texas. The lineup hypothetically would have looked like this: West,Durant,Pierce,Jefferson,Perkins. Which on paper isn't really all that bad. Durant ends up being a 20 point scorer and takes some of the load off of Pierce and Jefferson is able to come into his own after averaging a double-double all of last season. Though this team would not have been an immediate contender the potential would have been incredible. This team could have very well finished with 41-50 wins and made the playoffs.
Where would this have left the rest of the league? Well at the time of the draft, Kevin Garnett was likely going to be moved to another Western conference team and it was looking like he would go to either LA or Phoenix. Due to Kobe Bryant's intense requests, LA likely would have been the most probable spot and Garnett and Bryant would be teammates instead of Gasol and Bryant. This combination would have undoubtedly put the Lakers in position for a 15th championship and LA would have had a dynamic duo for several years to come.
Poor Ray Allen would've just been in Oklahoma City rotting away as another all-time great, without a ring...
Isn't it wonderful how things worked out instead?
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