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Boston Celtics: Keep An Eye On The Dallas Mavericks

By Eric Laboissonniere

Nov 18, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics center Jared Sullinger (7) and guard Avery Bradley (0) react to a play against the Dallas Mavericks in the second quarter at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 18, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics center Jared Sullinger (7) and guard Avery Bradley (0) react to a play against the Dallas Mavericks in the second quarter at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports /
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Almost every Boston Celtics fan is really excited about the lottery pick from the Brooklyn Nets for the 2016 NBA Draft, but the Celtics might have another lottery pick in the upcoming draft thanks to the Dallas Mavericks.

Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge got rid of Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce for a plethora of future picks from the Brooklyn Nets in July  2013. The Celtics received a few players that are no longer with the team today, and they received the Nets’ first-round picks in 2014, 2016 and 2018, along with the right to swap picks with the Nets in 2017.

Ainge and the Celtics made out extremely well on this deal because Brooklyn’s future is not looking bright right now, so Boston might have lottery picks for the next couple years. Many Celtics’ fans have been paying attention to Brooklyn’s boxscore every night because the more they lose, the higher chance there is for a top-five pick in the 2016 NBA Draft.

Now, the Celtics should focus on the Nets, but they should also keep an eye on the Dallas Mavericks. Remember when a guy named Rajon Rondo played for the Celtics? Well he played for the Celtics from 2006 all the way up until he was traded on Dec. 19, 2014, to the Mavericks.

The Celtics received Jae Crowder (not even the centerpiece of the trade), Brandan Wright (the centerpiece of the trade), a protected 2016 first-round pick and a 2016 second-round pick from Dallas. The 2016 first-round pick is top-seven protected and as of right now, the Mavericks are out of the playoffs, which means the Celtics could have two lottery picks in the upcoming draft.

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Think about it, Boston could have two lottery picks in the upcoming draft and they could make a run in the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Celtics know that the the Brooklyn pick is more valuable then the Mavericks’ pick, but that pick is becoming more valuable seeing that they are out of the playoffs right now.

Dallas is currently 36-38 and is tied with the Houston Rockets for eighth in the Western Conference, but the Rockets own the tiebreaker. The Utah Jazz are also 37-37 and they are currently seventh in the West, so there is not a lot of separation at the bottom of the playoff picture.

The Mavericks have had a terrible month of March by going 4-10 and they have one more game left in the month, but how does their remaining schedule look? The Mavericks have eight games left and six of them are against current playoff teams that are fighting for spots like the Detroit Pistons, the Jazz and the Rockets.

These next eight games for Dallas is not going to be easy, and Celtics’ fans should keep a close eye on these games.

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Overall

Boston fans should keep focusing on the Celtics because they are in a tight battle for home-court advantage in the playoffs, but fans should also be paying attention to how Dallas finishes their season. Two lottery picks for the Celtics would be really nice and that could easily happen due to the difficulty of the Mavericks remaining schedule.

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