The Celtics Should Thank the Lakers and 76ers for Their Latest Championship

Bad draft decisions by two rivals helped the Celtics win a title.

Jun 12, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) and guard Jaylen Brown (7) celebrate after a play during the first quarter in game three of the 2024 NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

As the confetti rained down on the victorious Boston Celtics at the TD Garden Monday night, at the center of the celebration were stars Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. Boston's dynamic duo are both homegrown players, having been selected in the 2016 and 2017 NBA drafts respectively. The Celtics can thank two rivals for allowing their selection.

The 2016 and 2017 drafts were unique, as they each had the same top three teams. The 2016 lottery played out with the Philadelphia 76ers getting the top pick, the Los Angeles Lakers at No. 2 and the Celtics at No. 3. The 2017 draft wound up with the Celtics at No. 1 (thanks to a trade with the Brooklyn Nets), the Lakers at No. 2 and the 76ers at No. 3. It didn't matter though, Boston sent the top pick to the Sixers in exchange for the No. 3 pick and what wound up being the 14th pick in the 2019 draft.

So entering both the 2016 and 2017 drafts, the 76ers had the top pick, followed by the Lakers and Celtics. In each instance, Boston came out on top.

In 2016, Philadelphia selected Ben Simmons, long pegged as the top player in his class. The Lakers snagged Brandon Ingram, who was long thought of as the best of the bunch behind Simmons. The rest of the class depended on preference with a number of high-upside options. The Celtics opted for Brown over Dragan Bender, Kris Dunn, Buddy Hield and Jamal Murray. It's safe to say the move worked out.

Simmons was a three-time All-Star and two-time All-Defensive selection with the Sixers, but his career quickly fell apart starting during the 2021-22 season. He never developed an outside shot and seemed to lose his edge mentally. Ingram became an All-Star after the Lakers traded him to the New Orleans Pelicans as part of the Anthony Davis deal. His career has since plateaued. Meanwhile, Brown is a three-time All-Star, was second team All-NBA in 2023 and now has a title and NBA Finals MVP trophy.

In 2017, the Sixers once again selected the consensus top player in Washington guard Markelle Fultz. The Lakers then went local and grabbed uber-hyped UCLA point guard Lonzo Ball. That left the Celtics wide open to select Tatum, the most complete player in the draft.

Fultz's career never got off the ground in Philadelphia. A shoulder injury destroyed his ability to shoot and he was an odd fit on a team that already had Simmons running the point. He was eventually traded to the Orlando Magic in February of 2019. Ball provided a lot of flashy highlights, but injuries and an inability to shoot from distance led to the Lakers including him in the aforementioned Davis trade. Meanwhile, Tatum has become one of the best players in the world, with three first team All-NBA selections, five All-Star appearances and now an NBA title.

To make matters worse, the additional pick the 76ers sent the Celtics to move up in 2017 only added to things. Boston used the 14th pick in the 2019 draft to select Indiana guard Romeo Langford. In February of 2022, the Celtics sent Langford and Josh Richardson to San Antonio in exchange for Derrick White, who is now their starting point guard.

The Sixers and Lakers misread the draft in back-to-back years, opening the path for Boston to build a championship team. The Celtics have done just that. They should probably send a pair of thank you notes to their two rivals.