OUR MOCK DRAFT
Nobody knows Ainge’s plan
NEW YORK — The Celtics still were in the No. 3 draft position as the NBA wheels continued to turn yesterday, but as we’ve been reminded in these recent trade-filled days, everything can change in a New York minute.
Danny Ainge and company were back in Boston plotting strategy and seeking more of the transactional fun they kick-started by sending the No. 1 overall pick to Philadelphia.
One NBA executive told the Herald that Ainge would love to find a way to get North Carolina State point guard Dennis Smith Jr., who isn’t rated by anyone as the third overall pick. Another said the Celts were looking at perhaps moving down in the draft again and picking up another asset for their trouble.
Meanwhile, to give you an idea of how surreal this all has become, a coach from yet another team said that if you asked 10 different clubs what Ainge wanted, you’d get 10 different answers. “We call him the minister of disinformation,” he said. “He’s putting a lot of stuff out there.”
Most sources believe if the Celtics still are at No. 3 tonight, their choice will come down to either Kansas’ Josh Jackson or Duke’s Jayson Tatum, both 6-foot8 forwards. Florida State’s Jonathan Isaac also has crept into the speculation.
Smith enjoyed his recent workout for the Celts.
“It went very well,” he said at yesterday’s media session with the top draftees in a Manhattan hotel. “I got to meet Danny Ainge, and that was great. Ironically, the Lakers and Celtics rivalry, (ESPN’s) ‘30 for 30’ had just come out, so I had a little background with Danny Ainge going into the meeting.
“Danny Ainge was crazy back then, so I had some background info on him. In turn, our meeting went well. I knew something about him, he knew something about me.”
Of Brad Stevens, Smith said, “He knows basketball. He’s younger, so he’s easier to relate to. He’s a great guy, and he seems like he cares about his players.”
Talking about the possibility the Celtics and Ainge could maneuver to get him (for example, Sacramento has the fifth and 10th picks), Smith said, “I know he likes me. I’m a big fan of them. They’re fans of me, so we’ll see how that plays out.”
Jackson addressed his initial refusal to work out for the Celtics when they had the top pick and then the failure to set up a session once they had dropped to No. 3.
“OK, so the Celtics originally had the No. 1 pick, and me and my agent, we talked and we just didn’t feel like they had much interest in drafting me at No. 1,” Jackson said. “So we felt like it would be sort of a waste of time for the both of us.
“But after they got the third pick, we tried to schedule something for me to get out there, but it was just scheduling issues and it was just a little too late. . . . I was definitely open to the possibility.”
Jackson said he has spoken with Stevens and some assistant coaches on the phone, but, “Danny Ainge himself, I have not spoken with him.”
Asked if he might get that done before the draft, he said, “Possibly. I’m open to it.”
Jackson described the conversation with Stevens as “just asking what I bring to the team, how would I feel about playing in Boston and how I see myself fitting in. Stuff like that.”
He added, “I think it’d be great to play in Boston. I see a lot of the players on their team that are about the same things that I’m about. Anybody who knows me knows that I love to win, and I see that in a lot of the guys on their team.”
Jackson also spoke about the misdemeanor charge of criminal property damage stemming from a December incident in which he allegedly kicked a car being driven by a Kansas women’s basketball player.
“A lot of the character issues that you guys probably been reading, they’ve really been blown out of proportion,” he said. “Obviously I did a few things wrong that I shouldn’t have done, but you know, it’s been blown up a lot just because I am who I am. And the people close to the situation, the teams that are considering drafting me that I’ve talked to, they know exactly what’s going on. . . . It was just a minor mistake.”
Asked what kind of person he is, Jackson said, “I’m a humble guy. I’m a competitor, really a high-character guy. They know what I bring to a team. They know I’m competitive, and I’m all about winning.”
Tatum had two sessions with the Celtics.
“They went great,” he said. “The first workout, they came and watched me work out. This past Monday, I actually went to Boston, and they put me through a workout, and it was great. I got to spend time with Danny Ainge and coach Stevens and the other staff and hang out.”
Of the first request to work out, Tatum said, “I was surprised because they had the No. 1 pick, but they know more than I do, so when they called me for a workout, I was, ‘Sure.’ I was excited.”
Things changed by the time Tatum got to town for his latest audition. He was looking to see how he might fit into the Celtics’ plans.
“I talked about that with coach Stevens,” Tatum said. “And he said, you know, guys at my size and my position that are able to hit open shots and defend 1 through 4, it’s hard not to play those guys. So that’s how he looks at me, if they were to draft me.”