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Message: [QUOTE="RF2044, post: 1127028, member: 40"] Spot on. I'll also add that The Celtics had spent the entire preceding year intentionally tanking in the interests of landing Tim Duncan. They had two lottery picks, and a very high statistical percentage chance of landing the #1 pick... but of course that didn't happen despite their league worst record, and they ended up with the #3 and #5 picks. Those picks became Billups [at #3] and Ron Mercer, who'd played for new Celtic coach Rick Pitino at UK. The Celtics gave up on Billups prematurely, and Trader Rick shipped him off about 1/3 of the way into his rookie season. Mercer ended up having an OK career but fell WAY short of expectations, and bounced around the league as a second string type of guy; clearly not what you expect when you draft a guy #5. Missing out on the Tim Duncan sweepstakes set the team back a decade. [/QUOTE]