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It’s amazing how quickly things can change in a year. Last year, Celtics nation was enduring yet another occurrence of the freakishly bad luck the franchise has had since the last NBA Championship in 1986. Len Bias and Reggie Lewis dying. Rick Pitino walking through that door. 15, 19, and 24 win seasons. Paul Pierce putting gauze on his head. And lastly, missing out on Kevin Durant and Greg Oden in the 2007 NBA Lottery.

But two trades changed all that. Wally Sczerbiak, Delonte West, and the #5 selection landing Ray Allen. Al Jefferson, Gerald Green, Theo Ratliff, Sebastian Telfair, Ryan Gomes, and two first round picks netted KG. And 82 wins later, The C’s hoisted banner #17 when they ran the Los Angeles Kobes out of the new Gahden.

So what were fans of the Green supposed to make of Draft Night 2008? Well, as expected, most Celtics fans approached last night with apathy. Who would the Celtics need at #30? Backup center, backup point guard? Whoever the pick was, you had to be confident in the guy making the decision. Danny Ainge, as much as any other GM in the league, knows how to strike gold with late-round picks.

That brings me to the picks. While the Celtics were not looking for Rose/Beasley/Mayo type talent, they did need to draft guys that had a shot at making an impact in 2008-2009. What turned out to be the prevailing theme for the Celtics draft was athleticism. At #30, they selected JR Giddens out of New Mexico. Then they got the #47 pick from Washington for cash, and that pick turned into Bill Walker out of Kansas State. The last pick in the draft was used on a European center who has little to no chance of ever making an impact. For our intents and purposes, we’ll focus on the first two selections.

JR GIDDENS – Athletic, but with a questionable history. I don’t really understand this pick, especially since Chris-Douglas Roberts and Mario Chalmers were available for the taking. The Celtics should only have room on their roster for one person who’s been stabbed in a barfight (I’m only half joking). His off-the court troubles led him to transfer from Kansas to New Mexico, where he didn’t put up TREMENDOUS offensive numbers in a weak conference. They were good, just not great. You’d expect more out of a first round pick. He is very athletic and should be able to provide some spark on defense, and if this spells the end of Tony Allen in a Celtics uniform I can’t be too upset. I’ll give the pick a grade of a “C” only because I really believe Roberts was the better pick.

BILL WALKER – Knee injuries killed a once very highly regarded HS prospect. This is a guy who was a top-10 talent and played on the same HS team as OJ Mayo, and he cost the Celtics nothing but cash. He seemed to regain some of his confidence and productivity last season playing alongside another top 3 pick in Michael Beasley. This is a perfect low-risk, high reward pick. His basketball IQ is said to be off the charts, so don’t be surprised if he makes the team and Giddens doesn’t next season. I think it’s a real possibility. I love the pick not only because it’s great value, but because of the potential here. I’ll give it an “A”.

So what chance, if any, do these players have to contribute? I think if nothing else these moves provide depth if James Posey elects to move elsewhere. I fully believe Tony Allen is gone, and I think each player will get every chance in the world to contribute. Face it, Celtics fans should be ecstatic if one of these guys makes the team and there’s a real shot both will. All in all, it’s a draft that fits into Ainge’s MO and I really can’t complain too much.

Nice work Danny. Now sign Posey to a 4 year deal worth $28 million and let’s get ready to defend.