FanNation - The Republic of Sport

"With the first pick in the 2007 NBA Draft, the Boston Celtics select Greg Oden".  "With the second pick in the 2007 NBA Draft, the Boston Celtics select Kevin Durant".

Barring an unlikely trade, these much anticipated words that long-suffering Celtics fans hoped to hear come out of David Stern's mouth on June 28th will now never be uttered and those die-hard fans who just completed suffering through an icy loss-filled winter will be forced to suffer for years to come, wondering what-if. 

They didn't get either of the coveted first two picks, and the odds that a worst-case scenario that the C's would plummet all the way to fifth in the upcoming draft was a mere 12.34 percent.  Unfortunately, the lowest possible odds were the winning odds for the Celtics.  How much longer do we have to suffer? 

Danny and Doc will spin this to tell you that this draft is deep and stocked with talent, but everyone knows the two plums that everyone wanted to pick were the real reason the Celts suffered loss after dismal loss this past winter to the point that many league insiders have accused them of tanking games in order to increase their odds of getting one of those two coveted picks.  The brass can spin it all they want, but how many people do you think are lining up outside TD Banknorth today waiting to buy season tickets for next season?

Because if they did get one of the first two picks, that's what would have happened today.  I'm sure that the Celtics went as far as having extra staffers ready to come in this morning to man the ticket windows in anticipation of the massive rush to gain ducats to watch the new saviors bring the franchise back to glory.  That extra staff is no longer needed.  How many people are clamoring to buy tickets to see Brandon Wright, Al Horford, Corey Brewer or the number of others who the Celts might choose with the number 5 pick?

Now what?  History tells us that top picks are far from guaranteed (Sam Bowie above Michael Jordan anyone) or will guarantee a championship (Patrick Ewing), but Greg Oden and Kevin Durant sure as heck look like the real-deal this time.  If anything, this upcoming draft gave Celtics fans hope.  Even if it was flighting, it was hope.  Hope that we won't eternally be stuck at our Sweet Sixteen party in some macabre basketball version of Groundhog Day.  Hope that the losing seasons and mediocrity will come to an end.  Hope that Causeway Street will once again rock the way it did when Larry, Kevin and Robert were walking through those doors every night; that Celtics tickets would once again become the most coveted ticket in town, even more coveted than a ducat to Yawkey Way.  (For those too young to remember and find this as some surreal fantasy scenario, that's how it was during the 80's).

But now, that perennial pot of gold that the leprechaun used to bring the Celtics is missing.  And the winning that comes along with it is missing as well and might be missing for years to come.