mrsister

I don't agree with that assessment. I don't think you can rebuild a team with just young guys. Who do they learn from? Even if Doc was a good coach, he can't be the only one to teach. Young guys learn from the veterans, too. Yes, the older guys will decline and retire, but they will have left their mark. Plus, there is absolutely no shortage of young guys on the team. They acquired Allen, but they also got rid of Wally. They gave up a pick, but they got another one. All they really gave up in youth was Delonte.

And last I checked, the NBA is still a business, so yes, it is about making money and filling seats. By getting Allen, more people will watch and may actually care. It may also entice other players to come here who wouldn't have considered it before. Getting Allen was more than just about Allen. Sure, the fifth pick could have turned out to be something special, but it's just as likely it may not have been.

I think both teams came out ahead. Seattle is truly rebuilding and have a future superstar to do it with, so it wasn't that big of a risk giving up Allen for the fifth pick. The fifth pick was not nearly a sure thing to produce a future superstar, so keeping it would have been a gamble for the Celtics. Now we have two proven All-Stars to start winning with and to help the young guys along. Guys like Jefferson, Rondo, and Green can still be the future of the franchise (provided they don't get traded), but in the meantime, they can learn alongside a couple of the best in the game while the franchise continues to make money. I don't think the Celtics got fleeced at all. If they'd given up Jefferson, Rondo, Green, or Theo's contract, then it would be a different story.