CELTICS GREEN BLOG by and for boston celtics fans: Fiddlin' and Diddlin' on 5/21

Only 1 day to go until we know the Celtics lottery fortunes. I get more and more nervous. Although I do believe that there is life beyond the second pick, the first 2 picks are the type of franchise players that rarely come along. I still remember that crushing feeling 10 years ago when the Celtics came up at 6 and then at 3. I don't want to feel that again.

The Salem News tells us that even Tommy, Mr. Positive when it comes to the Celtics, is nervous. It is important to remember that Tommy actually has nothing to do with the way the ping pong balls fall. Whether we get the number 1 pick or not, I still love Tommy as one of the biggest Celtics homers in the world. But, being the person to bring home the #1 pick that would set this franchise up for #17 and beyond would be a fitting tribute to Tommy's legacy.

Steve Bulpett also reports on Tommy representing the Celtics at the lottery. We have heard all the parallels to the 1997 draft, but this article draws a parallel to the 1970 draft.

Heinsohn is more than a little familiar with the current state of the Celtics. He was running the show from the bench in 1969-70 when, a year after winning the title in Bill Russell’s last season, the C’s won just 34 games and earned the fourth overall pick. There was even some talk the club wasn’t always putting its best foot forward that season in order to enhance its draft position.
“Nah,” said Heinsohn. “That was taking a team, seeing who we were going to build with and how we were going to build with them. I mean, we got rid of two or three guys off that ballclub - Bailey Howell and Emmette Bryant and ultimately (Larry) Siegfried. But we weren’t deliberately trying to lose games. We were playing people to look at them.
“I mean, we won 30-some-odd games with Henry Finkel as our only center, with Rich Johnson and Jim Barnes. We had (John) Havlicek and Satch (Sanders) and Jo Jo (White) and (Don) Chaney.”
The Celts wound up taking Dave Cowens with the fourth overall pick. They won 10 more games in 1970-71 and were in the Eastern Conference finals a year later.

Peter May chooses to rub in the fact that we missed out on Tim Duncan back in 1997 and presents the reactions from both sides to that draft. The best one comes from Greg Popovich who says that justice will be served if the Celtics win the the lottery this year.

The Chicago Tribune reports that the team that drafts Oden may be told that he wants to play with his long time friend Mike Conley Jr as point guard. The Celtics could use another PG to back up Rondo. Having Oden plus Conley would definitely be a plus. The article also includes this little tidbit: (A Danny smokescreen maybe?)

And it's time again, with Ohio State center Greg Oden the consensus No. 1 pick … unless the Celtics get it? I think he was joking, but one personnel guru said the feeling was the Celtics were the only team that might take Texas' Kevin Durant No. 1 (no booby prize) because of general manager Danny Ainge's unusual reliance on brain typing for draft picks.

In the Providence Journal, Bill Donaldson wants the Celtics to get the first or second pick so as to keep the Celtics from using it as an excuse for continued mediocrity.

I’m rooting for the Celts with more enthusiasm than I have mustered for them in years. I want them to win the NBA lottery, because I’m tired of hearing their excuses for losing. I want them to get the first pick, or at least the second, because I don’t want to go through another dismal decade of listening to Boston fans whine: “If only we’d gotten Oden or Durant.”

BostonsportZ wants us to help out the Celtics by wearing something Celtics tomorrow. Celtics Blog has a post where you can post what you plan to do tomorrow and any good luck charms or rituals you plan. I am going to be wearing my tee shirt with the black clover with "Red" in it. I am hoping that Red and DJ can pull some strings for us. I will have everyone in my family, including my 7 month old grandbaby, wearing Celtics shirts. I think CelticBalla32 gets the prize for being the most steadfast fan (or most superstitious anyway):

Also, like I have stated before, this is what I'll be wearing on the night of May 22nd:
- Celtics t-shirt with a Paul Pierce jersey over it.
- Celtics night pants with Celtics shorts over it.
- Celtics boxers.
- Celtics socks.
- A Celtics hat.
- Celtics headband and wristbands.
- Celtics "I Am A Celtic" bracelet (from 2005).
- A Celtics pin.
I will also be drinking green kool-aid (no joke, I picked up 4 packets of it yesterday) out of my big Celtics mug that I have never drank out of before. In my other hand, I'll be holding up my bobblehead of Lucky.

Southcoast Today has an article that discusses the drop off between the second and third pick. Granted there is a drop off, but I have been impressed with what I have been reading about Noah, Brewer, and Yi. I don't believe that all is lost if we don't get Oden or Durant. With the core of players we already have and any one of the top prospects, I think we can contend. I want Oden or Durant more than anything but just don't subscribe to the fact that we are doomed if we don't get them.

ESPN Page 2 has a good article on Greg Oden. Oden grew up in Terre Haute, Indiana. This is just a stone's throw from where Larry Bird grew up in French Lick. Is this an omen? Oden is a nice kid and this article hopes he won't change. I just hope he is a Celtic.

Only 1 more day. I have been sitting and watching the seconds tick off of the countdown clock. Right now I have hope. We have a 38% chance of getting a top 2 pick. If there is any justice, we will get the #1 pick. I hope we still have as much hope on Wednesday.

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