Lakers-Celtics rivalry continues, this time all about the NBA Draft

When’s the last time the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics drafted No 1 and No. 2? The 12th of never, that’s when! 

Unfortunately for the Lakers, the Celtics have bounced back so much faster than the Lakers after the two teams played against each other in the NBA Finals. The Celtics are about to compete for the Eastern Conference championship against the defending NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers.

Seems so unfair to long-time, die-hard Lakers fans like myself, who have bled purple and gold for decades.

Tuesday night during the end of the broadcast for the 2017 NBA Draft Lottery, which took frickin’ forever I might add, when the Lakers’ name was called at No. 2, my heart sank.

Why have the basketball Gods shined so brightly on the Celtics and crapped all over the Lakers? Granted, I am happy about getting the No. 2 pick, but losing ANYTHING to the Celtics makes my skin crawl–almost as much as when LaVar Ball opens his mouth at any time these days.

But I digress.

Thought it was time that the Lake Show Life reach out to get our sister site for the Boston Celtics, Hardwood Houdini, to get the takes of site experts Michael Deprisco and Joshua Bateman on the lottery happenings.

1) Do the Celtics need Lonzo Ball or Markelle Fultz? Or anyone else? 

JB:  Right now Fultz seems like an easy answer, and Ball may not even be the No. 2. The problem with (general manager Danny) Ainge is he has repeatedly shown that what the media thinks is often far from what he thinks.

I can’t imagine he will reveal anything real before the pick it made and as confident I am that it ill be Fultz, it would not surprise me one bit to see Ainge reach a bit.

In any case, the Celtics will be getting who they believe is the best player and Ainge has earned the trust (although that won’t slow down the boos if it is anyone other than Fultz on draft day).

MD: Fultz over Ball without a doubt. I don’t think Ball is a top-three player in the draft. Tatum would be option No. 2.

2) How do you feel about getting the No. 1 pick and playing in the Eastern finals at the same time? Seems not fair! (ha ha) Is it especially fantastic because the Lakers lost out on No. 1?

JB: I actually think the last time something like this happened was with Magic (Johnson)’s Lakers when they added the top overall pick after having won the championship. It really is a testament to the job Ainge and (coach Brad) Stevens have done so far.

There is still work to be done, but this week has validated everything thing this team has done to rebuild. In all honestly, beating the Lakers at anything is always sweet. That being said, with how close they were to lose out on the pick, I think both of them came out of the lottery as clear-cut winners.

MD: Getting the No. 1 pick and playing in the Eastern Conference Finals is what we saw as a best-case scenario given the team’s assets and current roster. Danny Ainge holds the entire league in his palm and will do what he thinks is best for the franchise.

Beating out the Lakers is nice, but I’d prefer them not to have a pick at all.

3) Do you think the Celtics will trade their pick?

JB: No, I do not think so. We have seen multiple times how hard it is to get one of these blockbuster trades done and picks are such a commodity. Getting superstar potential on a rookie contract is how a team can stack talent the way the Warriors have (looking at Stephen Curry‘s contract).

The Celtics have also been patient throughout, so they will not rush into anything to win now. If Ainge believes a trade will make the future of this team better than he will do it; I just do not think that kind of trade is out there right now.

MD:  They’ll only trade it if the price isn’t too high. I think Paul George or Anthony Davis would be the player to trade for. At the deadline, Indiana wanted too much for George, which kept a deal from being reached. Jimmy Butler isn’t a great fit and would cost too much most likely.

If teams want too much for the pick, then they can take Fultz and be completely fine.

4) What is the Celtics’ secret for getting back into competing in the NBA Playoffs within just a couple of years?

JB: Their competitiveness is pretty simple, Brad Stevens. Stevens sped up the rebuild in a way even the most optimistic could not have seen coming. The way he has used his talent has allowed them to grow this quickly, but he does not deserve all the credit.

Ainge went out and god cheap pieces he would work with in trades (Jae Crowder and Isaiah Thomas) and they worked out brilliantly.

The players deserve credit, too; if you look at any key player on this team, they have improved throughout time. Again, Stevens deserves the most credit because he brought everything together, but it has been an organizational wide success that has led to this quick turnaround.

MD: The secret is Ainge acquiring high-character players and Brad Stevens maximizing their talent. It also helps that Isaiah Thomas is a special player.

Must Read: More on the Draft from the Lake Show Life...

The rivalry grows deeper with the Celtics getting to pick first, and that’s all anyone is going to be talking about until June 22. Get used to it Lakers fans, the Celtics are now in the drivers seat.