The Boston Celtics do not own anyone else’s 2021 NBA Draft pick, which is a rarity in the age of Danny Ainge. At current, they still possess their own selection, but where that pick might end up is (somehow) anybody’s guess.
At 19-17, it isn’t a stretch to say that things are not the way they should be in Beantown…nor how they were projected to be. The Cs were supposed to see another step forward from Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown (they did), get production from their 2020 rookies (Payton Pritchard is a possible future starter and Aaron Nesmith’s 3-point shooting looks to have translated), and compete with the elites of the Eastern Conference (they have not).
Tomorrow night is a pivotal matchup against the Brooklyn Nets, but if it goes anything like the teams’ first matchup, it’ll be a long night for the Boston Celtics faithful. Philadelphia took the season’s first two meetings of their series. At least the Cs picked up an opening night victory against the Milwaukee Bucks to prove capable of beating one of the teams ahead of them in the standings.
Hardwood Houdini is optimistically viewing the Cs as a playoff contender, predicting that their 2021 draft pick ends up in the 18-24 range. With Tatum and Brown at the top of their game–and (hopefully) fewer COVID-19-related DNP’s rocking the rotation–Boston should be able to figure things out in the season’s second half.
Through that lens, HH has its eyes on these three potential lottery talents that we hope could all fall out of the lottery: