The More I Watch Tatum

[Anthony]

The more I want to strangle Colangelo. I hope Fultz turns into a great player or gets us Leonard via trade bait. If not this is a fucking disaster.

[DEERSPINE GUY]

DUDE, WHY KEEP OBSESSING OVER THIS? MAKING YOURSELF CRAZY? WAIT TILL THE KID GETS A HALF SEASON UNDER HIS BELT, HE MAY TURN OUT TO BE BETTER THAN TATUM.

[HEREisAKERS]

HAHA I'm actually with Ant on this...

It is SO HARD to watch him be such a vibrant component of that team. The Process implies we will win a championship. And it is uncertain we will when such a talented guy we could've had is the youthful spark of our main competitor. The impact is practical in his gameplay compared to Fultz and also psychological for the entire organization!!!!

[dev_32]

It's even harder when you see Fultz on the sidelines, smiling and happy for TJ McConnell. Like he's fine being 3rd line sub

[JuTMSY4]

I'm happy with the Brandon Graham pick now. Earl Thomas was a cowboys fan anyway.

[The Duck]

Tatum wasn't even in the conversation for the Sixers. All we heard was what a "bad fit" he was, and how nobody wanted another Duke guy after the Okafor fiasco.

If it wasn't Fultz, it was probably going to be Jackson or Monk anyway. Let it go. Hopefully Markelle hits puberty this summer.

[Sect 236]

There's also been a lot of talk (from Boston homers especially) that Ainge was taking Tatum at #1 if the Sixers didn't make the trade. Maybe true, maybe not, either way, I agree that the chances that Tatum was going to be the guy at any point were slim.

[McCarthy12]

For me it's not so much a Fultz vs. Tatum thing (although watching Tatum excel is salt in the wound) as much as a "we still could have gotten Fultz (or Fox or Smith or whoever) at 3 and not traded a 1st rounder" thing.

Boston always wanted Tatum. Lakers obviously wanted Ball. I feel like that chatter was out there early. I think it is strange that BC couldn't connect the dots.

[Sect 236]

Boston and LA both say that's who they wanted because that's who they have. If one of them had Fultz, they'd say they wanted Fultz. If Ainge was confronted with taking the consensus top pick or passing on him, who knows? He wasn't guaranteed to be getting Kyrie at that point and he knew IT's hip was fucked.

Lavar was loud about wanting Lonzo to be a Laker, but there were reports that Magic was "in love" with Fultz after his workout for LA.

Not to mention that another team could have jumped them if they really wanted him too.

There is a high probability that trading up to #1 was the only way they were going to get Fultz for sure. Now, you can definitely make a compelling argument on if Markelle or Tatum or any player not named LeBron is worth making that trade for.

[Anthony]

I agree Tatum still could be a Celtic anyway but to give them a Top 10 pick next year and draft another potential bust is inexcusable. They could have just sat at 3 and taken Fultz and this would be easier to deal with. We have 2 hopes left. One that Fultz turns into a solid player and two that Sacramento lights it up next season. Colangelo was a real idiot that day. Ainge schooled him.

[Anthony]

Colangelo broke 3 unwritten rules. Never trade in your division with a rival, never tip your hand on who you want and most importantly, never trade a future lottery asset (which alot of teams foolishly do, look at Brooklyn).

I just personally wish they let Hinkie finish what he started. Also, rumors say he wanted Porzingis over Okafor but Harris overruled him because he couldn't sell it to the fans. Now Okafor was the clear choice over him on Draft Day and it was unpopular even in NY where Okafor was already off the board so I get it. Bottom line though is Hinkie knew what the fuck he was doing, Colangelo is setting them up to look up at Boston throughout the process.

[McCarthy12]

I think there is a little more to it than just 20/20 hindsight.

I think about when the Eagles traded up for Wentz. Did they trade up because they were really OK with whoever the Rams didn't take or did they at least have a pretty good sense (if not more) that they would get Wentz? Pretty sure it's the latter.

I think these guys know way more than we do. I think BC should have had a better pulse on the situation. It looks like he got taken to the cleaners. In fairness Ainge has done his fair share of that (see: Brooklyn Nets) but still.

[Sect 236]

I don't agree with you often Ant, but I'll agree with a "Shoulda Kept Hinkie" every day of the week.

[Sect 236]

Aren't you kind of making my point? Maybe Colangelo knew LA would take Markelle at 2 if Boston passed on him at 1, so he knew he had to jump them? I know I'm giving Bryan Colangelo way more credit than he deserves but I'm just saying that there is a chance that he paid the price that he had to to get the guy he (and most other scouts and analysts) thought was the final piece.

The other part to this is I hate Danny Ainge more than any front office exec in sports that doesn't come from the Jerruh bloodline. I just don't want to give him any more credit than he already gets from everybody falling over themselves to blow him.

[ishimonster]

It's even harder when you see Fultz on the sidelines, smiling and happy for TJ McConnell. Like he's fine being 3rd line sub

How dare he put the team before himself. He should be pouting and bitching to the media like a real pro.