Celtics poor decisions have hurt their present and future

People make stupid decisions everyday in the NBA.

Stephen Jackson turned down a big contract with the defending champion San Antonio Spurs to test the free agent market but he received no offers and had to sign with the Atlanta Hawks for less money. The Detroit Pistons passed on Carmelo Anthony for Darko (someone named Darko Darko). MJ came out of retirement one last time. People actually hired Isiah Thomas. Kobe Bryant went to that hotel room. The Portland Trailblazers practically invented the term "stupid decision."

And the Boston Celtics drafted Kedrick Brown, Joe Forte, and Marcus Banks and traded for Vin Baker, Raef Lafrentz, Chris Mihm, Ricky Davis, and Chucky Atkins.

That's a great team. Atkins and Banks at the point, Davis chucking from the two-spot, Brown at the three, Vin at the four, and Mihm inside, with Lafrentz on the injured list and Forte with no position. Right. Let's just say the Fleet Center box office has not seen an increased interest in playoff ticket requests in the last two weeks.

The Celtics have made a lot of shaky moves over the last several years -- the Vin Baker trade sort of stands alone as the Statue of Liberty of stupid trades, a beacon of light and hope to those looking to sabotage their team with insane moves.

But the last edition of Inside the NBA promised to take a closer look at some of the more recent crimes perpetrated by general manager Danny Ainge. Ethan Austin counted down most of these in his column last week. Ainge traded Eric Williams and Tony Battie for Davis. At the time of the trade, Boston was 12-12 while Cleveland was 6-17. Since the trade, the Celtics are 15-22 while the Cavaliers are 21-19.

That's not a coincidence. Davis has been on good behavior and done his best, but you can't trade away hardworking veteran role players like Battie and Williams and expect to win in the NBA.

Ainge claimed that he had to trade Antoine Walker because he wasn't going to re-sign at the end of the year. Yes, that's true, but so what? Let him walk. He wasn't that good and he certainly wasn't worth the type of dollar he was going to demand.

But, Ainge said, then we won't get anything in return. Wrong. The Celtics would be getting (saving) the millions upon millions of dollars they are spending on Raef LaFrentz over the next four years.

The players given up and received in these trades have ruined the Celtics' present. What has gone unnoticed is how the draft picks that Ainge has stockpiled will ruin their future. Ainge has acquired three draft picks in this year's draft and on the surface this seems like a good thing. Don't be fooled.

The Celts' draft picks currently play out to the 11th, 23rd, and 24th picks. The only problem is that this is the weakest draft in years, with only Emeka Okafor, high schooler Dwight Howard, and maybe Jameer Nelson considered to be somewhat sure things. Also, first round draft picks get guaranteed three year contracts. So basically, for the next three years, the Celtics will be paying guaranteed money to not one, not two, but three players from the bottom end of a weak draft.

Ainge could try to package those picks for one higher pick, except that no other GMs want more picks lower down in a bad draft.

Plus, Ainge probably thinks this is a strong draft. Remember, this is the guy who essentially used Memphis' 13th pick in last year's draft to pick Marcus Banks. He probably thinks guys like Robert Swift or Julius Page would be steals.

If Ainge is lucky, he'll find a team that has no picks in this year's draft. And if he's smart, he'll try to swap one or two of this year's picks for selections in a future draft.

But don't bet on it.