Who would you pick?

When you go through a rebuilding season (and trust me this is one. Ainge is aware. Stevens is aware. Wyc is aware), it can be tough on fans to do with the losses. Fans have been spared of some pain as the C's had an easy early season schedule, filled with 2 games vs the Magic (who prefer to lose), the Jazz
(who prefer to lose), the Bucks who suck, the Bobcats who suck, the Raptors who suck, and the Pistons. Their two tough match-ups were against Memphis and the Heat. The team went 4-5 over that period. Really shouldn't have been unexpected. They beat the teams that were trying to lose, lost to a bunch of other teams and took down a lackadaisical Heat team whose season doesn't really begin until the Spring.

The next nine game stretch for the Celtics is much harder (the team has already lost the first two of course), with the sole easier game vs the Bobcats. It's conceivable that the Celtics could be around 6-12 after 18 games. I mean they could be better, but this is the NBA. You can beat the teams that are trying to lose and you can actually beat any team on and off night (see the Heat game), but over an 82 game season talent rules the day.

Don't forget about me guys!

I think when the Celtics are good again people will look back on this season and give Brad Stevens props on how he handled it. The sole purpose of this year should be for Brad to learn the NBA game and for the team to develop it's young players. Being in a sports crazy city like Boston, Stevens has to deal with questions about playing time for players who really have no future in Boston. Sit a marginal player like kris Humphries in a city like Orlando and no one cares. Same with MarShon Brooks. Test a player like Avery Bradley out at the point in Charlotte and no one cares. In Boston you have screams of why isn't the un-drafted rookie point guard playing. I'm sure Stevens was made aware of the environment he was getting into.

The truth is Stevens signed a 6 year contract. He's in it for the long haul and hopefully fans are too. As I'm sure you are aware of this is a unique season where there's hope at the end of the tunnel due to the abundance of talent at the top of the draft (Don't believe Danny Ainge when he says otherwise. It's a Gm's job to tell half truths, mislead, or lie. If he's not doing those things, he's not a good GM. It's like playing poker. If an opponent asks you if your cards are good, do you tell them the truth?). This is not a season where if you finish with one of the worst records in the league you have a slight chance at a blue chipper. If you finish with one of the worst records this season, you have great odds at adding said blue chipper.

Another reality is if you're a Rajon Rondo fan and want him to continue playing in Boston for many more years, the best odds of that happening is if you can add a star to pair with him this June. Add a Wiggins, Parker or Randle and there's no need to trade Rondo to start over. You've just rebuilt on the fly.

So instead of being depressed about another loss, let's look to the future. Who do you think would be the brightest new star in Boston or co-star for Rajon Rondo on the Celtics? Besides the 3 named and pictured, Dante Exum from Australia has gotten a ton of buzz about being top 3 worthy. Who would look the best in green? Who would you pick?



Related: Eye on the Draft   Wiggins Watch