Celtics Draft Update

[Way Of The Ray <wayray@ix.netcom.com>]

If the NBA draft was held today:

The Celtics would be at 7. Lucky 7, and it wouldn't shock me,
with the Bad Karma of Pitino gone, that they'd move up to 3.

Denver: The mighty Nuggets have surged up to 19.
Letting the pick ride until a future draft, makes the most sense.

Utah pick clarification: As of right now, the C's would receive the
lesser of the Utah/Cleveland choices, unless Cleveland finishes
16th in the draft or worse, then the C's would get Cavs' pick.
Right now, Cleveland is 12 and Jazz-bound, while the
Celtic-bound Jazz pick is at 23. Should the Cavs fall back into the
lottery, the C's would be receiving the better of the Suns/Utah
pick.


Here's the gobbleygook of those picks:

Utah: 2 picks in 2001 draft: Theirs and Denver's - If both picks fall
into the top 15, Utah gets the better one/ships the lesser one to the
Celtics. Wait a minute you're saying, don't the Celtics have an
option on the Nuggets choice. Sure, and Denver would send Utah a pick
from either the Cavs or Phoenix - See, Denver has either Cleveland's or
Phoenix's pick - apparently not both according to May, and they don't
have the Cavs' choice, if it's in the lottery, as it's protected. But
wait there's
more.

If one of the Utah picks falls in the top 15, Utah will get that one,
and give the lesser choice to the Celtics.
If neither pick falls in the top 15, the Celtics get the better pick.

Am I losing you, I'm losing me. And there's more.

If the Cav's keep their pick, which they will, if they're  lottery
bound, then Denver instead gets the Suns' pick and ships that to Utah,
because it's the less favorable of their two draft choices.

If the Celtics elect to take Denver's pick next year, then the Nuggets
will send their other pick to Utah, who will then send the better of
their two picks to the Celtics, unless one or both of the two Jazz picks
are in the top 15, then the Celtics get the lesser of the Utah picks.