The 2017 NBA Draft is just over 24 hours away and the rumors continue to fly. The Celtics and Sixers already made a whopper of a deal, and the Knicks are poised to make huge noise as well by trading Kristaps Porzingis, Carmelo Anthony or both. Metro’s Sports Editors in Boston (Matt Burke), Philly (Evan Macy) and New York (Joe Pantorno) went at this week over the state of the NBA on the I-95 corridor.
Burke: How’s this for a 3-way? Celtics get Kevin Love. Cavs get Carmelo. Knicks get No. 3 pick and Jae Crowder. Who says no?
Macy: The rest of the East can fight for scraps, but we all know that the next championship team from the Eastern conference hails from the city of brotherly love. A healthy Embiid, Fultz and Simmons = dynasty.
Burke: “Healthy Embiid” is an oxymoron
Pantorno: I’m fine with Jae Crowder to the Knicks. Perimeter defense which the Knicks haven’t had since I was about seven and a nice piece for the triangle
No hero ball…probably an ego that isn’t the size of Oklahoma…
Macy: While I let Joe react to the ridiculous trade offer Matt just tossed out there I’ll relax and think about watching, for the first time ever, two overall No. 1 draft picks debut on the same day when the upstart Sixers take The Process to the next level.
Pantorno: I would get in my car, travel to Philly (ew) to watch a Sixers game. They’ll be a blast to watch if everyone stays healthy.
But something is probably bound to go wrong.
Burke: Love Philly putting the horse before the cart. Has anyone there even entertained the idea that Fultz might not be the best player in this draft? I trust Danny Ainge’s talent evaluation over Bryan Colangelos any day.
Macy: Danny Ainge, who drafted fab melo, marshawn brooks and j.r. Giddens in first rounds?
Burke: Where did Ainge draft those guys?
Mid first or late first. Swings and misses there every single year
Macy: So he’s only a good talent evaluator if it’s a top 3 pick then?
Pantorno: Do we really want to talk about bad drafting? Because New York wins… (except for KP)
Macy: By the way, I would like to point out that it’s more about fit in my opinion. Fultz is the perfect complement to Ben Simmons and the kind of player that the Sixers need.
Burke: Ainge drafted Rajon Rondo at 21, Avery Bradley at 19, and Al Jefferson at 15. He’s been pretty good in the draft considering where the Celtics were picking.
Pantorno: Must be nice to get all this talent from the draft…
@Celtics player Danny Ainge wore a shirt that reads, ‘I hate Danny Ainge!’ before a game against the Detroit Pistons
May 24, 1987 pic.twitter.com/rORd6GZyT6— Rair_Jordan (@RairJordan_) December 30, 2016
Burke: Joe, seriously. What would it take for Porzingis to Celtics?
Pantorno: Isaiah Thomas
I would do that straight up
Begrudgingly
Given the age difference
Macy: I think it’s safe to say that Danny Ainge has hit on about 50% of his first-round picks. If that is the measure of success when it comes to evaluating talent, then it’s more of a crapshoot anyway. The Sixers moved up to get the guy who fits perfectly with their team. The Celtics got an extra draft pick for their trouble. Both sides win what’s the problem?
Burke: Woof. The Knicks need picks and lots of them. The Celtics have them. Isaiah Thomas and Carmelo aren’t going to get you anywhere.
Pantorno: Oh Melo is gone in my head already. Knicks need a point guard and asking for IT and picks would prob be too much to ask for no?
Burke: I have no problem with it. The Sixers made the right move. It’s just ridiculous how everyone already thinks Philly has “won” this trade
Pantorno: But if there were no other suitors and KP had to be dealt, I don’t know. Crowder, this year’s No. 3 and next year’s first rounder?
Maybe Avery Bradley with it, too?
Burke: I know you guys in NY are used to being stuck in neutral. If I were Phil Jackson I would do what Philly did. Tank hard. Don’t even worry about what players you get in return right now.
Or what Ainge did four years ago with the Nets. Get as many first round picks as possible. It gives you flexibility.
Pantorno: Knicks fans don’t have the world “rebuild” in their vocabulary.
That’s not taking a jab at them, it’s just the way this team has been run over the past two decades.
Macy: It’s true, the Knicks have not welcomed nearly the pain that Philly has over the last four years. If our plan works everyone’s going to do it. And the league will probably explode. (edited)
Burke: I think everyone’s been trying to do it for years, just not to that extreme.
The super team era will force even more teams to do it though.
Pantorno: Right
Macy: I have to say, the potential of the Sixers, Celtics and Lakers being the center of the basketball universe again will be freaking awesome.
Pantorno: The ’80s looked like a pretty solid time.
Macy: Sorry New York…. Maybe in the 2030s.
Pantorno: Eh, that’s probably earlier than a lot of us are expecting to be honest.
Burke: I’m ashamed to admit this, but I was a quasi Knicks fan in the 90s even being from Boston (the Celtics were brutal for much of that decade and I was rooting against Jordan). The only way they’re going to get right is if Dolan goes. I would like to think he’d stop Phil from trading Porzingis, but … it’s Dolan
Pantorno: the truth comes out….
Absolutely right about Dolan.
