[Blackadar]

Did you ever see a team start to be assembled, piece by piece, and wonder if they were going to be a "team of destiny"? I'm not talking about drafting a superstar like Tim Duncan and then thinking the Spurs would be good (duh!).

The reason this comes to mind is the NBA draft was just held. I'm not a huge basketball fan, but I do root for the Celtics. It seems to me that over the last 3 years, they've assembled a fantastic amount of potential. I starting to wonder if we're seeing the beginnings of what could be a dynasty.

Danny Ainge took the team over two years ago.

In his first draft, Danny drafted:

PG Marcus Banks
C Kedrick Perkins

Banks really hasn't lived up to expectations, but there's still hope after learning from Gary Payton last year. Perkins was a High School player who was considered a project. He's now starting to come into his own and could be a huge force in the next few years.

The next year, Danny drafted:

PF Al Jefferson
SG Tony Allen
PG Delonte West

AlJef exceeded all expectations last year. Coming straight out of High School, he really showed his rebounding and scoring potential. SG Tony Allen is a streaky defensive stopper with great athleticism. PG Delonte West is going to challenge for the starting PG spot this year. All 3 have the potential to be solid starters, with AlJef having much more than that. And you really can't forget about 2nd round pick F Justin Reed, another project player who has shown promise.

Now this year, the Celtics drafted:

F Gerald Green
PG Orien Green (2nd round)
F Ryan Gomes (2nd round)

Gerald Green has to be considered the steal of the draft. Favorably compared to TMac, he somehow slipped to the 18th spot. He's yet another High School player with incredible potential. Even the 2nd round picks of PG Orien Green and F Ryan Gomes have monster upsides.

Looking at this roster, there's 3 High School kids who have the size, skills, speed and talent to be very good, All-Star type players - Perkins (C), AlJef (PF) and Gerald Green (SF). Add in a mix of role-players in Allen, West, Banks and Gomes who all have shown skill enough to think they could be solid starters, that's a heck of a future. Not to mention existing players like Paul Pierce and Ricky Davis who are proven players who also have decent trade value.

Now potential doesn't always equate to winning, but this team has the potential to really become a force in the NBA.

Have you ever seen a team assembled piece-by-piece in the draft and said, early on, that these guys could be incredibly good?