Boston Celtics: Ranking the 3 routes of improvement this off-season

2. NBA Draft

While free agency has been a strength for Ainge throughout the years–and particularly the past several off-seasons–the NBA Draft has been a bit of a hit-and-miss process for the Boston Celtics front office.

In 2019, the team whiffed on most of their picks, depending on what you feel about the eye-test production of Grant Williams. No matter what, Romeo Langford and Carsen Edwards have failed to make any sort of an impact after being looked at as potential end of the bench options for a C’s team shifting gears from having a veteran laden mess of a roster to a team that is starting to skew younger.

Before that, though, the previous drafts have basically set the stage for what could be a modern Celtics dynasty. In 2017, Ainge masterfully dealt the #1 overall pick (one acquired in the infamous Billy King heist of 2013) for the #3 pick and a 2019 lottery choice from Sacramento.

Those picks turned out to be Jayson Tatum and Romeo Langford. A year prior to Tatum’s arrival, Ainge used another pick from the Nets to acquire Jaylen Brown, Tatum’s partner in crime and likely future All-Star teammate.

To be fair, Guerschon Yabusele and Ante Zizic were also picked that draft, and names like James Young and R.J. Hunter were also selected in the mid-2010’s. For every Marcus Smart, there is a James Young to follow.

All of this draft talk, the hits and misses, they all indicate that the draft could truly go either way when it comes to Ainge and the front office. A future star could be drafted, or a future bust could just as easily be chosen. There seems to be very little middle ground for the C’s brass.