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Matt Geagan is a sports producer at WBZ-TV… which means he’s not just into basketball. You can catch MattyG’s thoughts on all things sports on his FoxSports.com blog. You can email him at MattyG@RedsArmy.com |
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If Oden Stays in School and the Celtics Get #2 Pick (or worse) This is when things go downhill. Durant would take over the number one spot which would leave the Celtics with quite a choice to make. Do they pick someone who won’t make an immediate impact and try and develop him, or go along with Pierce’s wishes and trade for a veteran? The vet won’t be as good as the ones mentioned above unless someone overvalues a player like Toronto and Charlie Villanueva back in 2005. The Celtics would most likely have to suffer another mediocre year with a chance at competing for maybe an eight seed in the East. With no banners in sight, Danny would most likely lose his job, and we start the whole process over again. So if the Celtics get lucky and get the first pick come June things should be OK. After that, it’s all up to Greg Oden and the ping pong balls. If the Celtics can’t grab a franchise guy it may come down to how desperate they are at changing the direction of the club. The big question if everything goes down the drain is stay young or trade for a veteran? I’ll give Danny his crystal ball back for that one. |
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Ripple Effect Oden’s Decision Affects A LOT |
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If Oden Declares and the Celtics Get the #1 Pick Rejoice. The Celtics get their new franchise center! Oden shined in the biggest game of his life to this point. He couldn’t lead his Ohio State Buckeyes to a National Championship, but Oden did his best with 25 points and 12 rebounds. He is still a work in progress, but how long will it take for the seven footer to get acquainted to the NBA with Al Jefferson and Paul Pierce on his side? He can play defense and the offense will come eventually. It showed up Monday night and he pretty much assured himself the #1 spot. The Celtics would now have a defensive big man and would compete in the Eastern Conference and eventually for championships. If Oden Declares and the Celtics Get the #2 Pick As long as Durant declares the Celtics are still in good shape. We know Danny is already friends with his mother, and the Player of the Year would be fun to watch alongside Pierce. There wouldn’t be a lot of room for Gerald Green and Tony Allen, so one of them would most likely be dealt. If the C’s feel all they need is a proven veteran, they could easily trade the pick for a big name (Kevin Garnett, Jermaine O’Neal, maybe even Jason Kidd) with a big contract. Theo Ratliff may actually help the Celtics for once with his expiring $11 million.* |
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AP |
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Now that the NCAA basketball season is over, we can finally speculate who is staying and who is going. Greg Oden is a mystery right now. He would be the number one pick if he goes, but does he want to stay and get a championship under his belt? His buddy Mike Conley Jr. has already said there is no way he is declaring. Would Oden pull a Joakim Noah and stick around another year? Kevin Durant will most likely enter the draft whether Oden stays or not. If Oden declares Durant could go either one or two. If Oden stays Durant becomes the new top guy. It’s in a win-win situation. So where would the Celtics be if Oden declares, and how screwed would they be if he stays in school? What if they win some games and end up with the third or fourth spot in the draft? An early season declaration that Greg Oden was the savior gave a lot of people high hopes (I was one of them), but now the future is up in the air. It’s time to borrow Danny’s crystal ball and take a glance to the future… |
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If Oden Declares and the Celtics Get the #3 Pick The Celtics may have to trade the pick. Joakim Noah was great at Florida but isn’t going to be a great NBA player. He is 6-11, but NBA centers will eat him alive. He does hustle and play with a lot of heart. He may be worth taking at third, but I wouldn’t expect the same results Oden or Durant would have on the team. The Celtics could also take a chance with Roy Hibbert or Yi Jianlian if they want to go for a big center. They could also try and trade down for more picks (in this year or even next) too. If Oden Stays in School and the Celtics Get #1 Pick *Pretty much the same answer. So instead of me going on about it again, here are some of Durant’s stats: 25.8 PPG, 11.1 RPG, 47.3% FG, 40.4% 3P, 11 games with 30+ points. |
