We may well be hours away from a lockout in the NBA, and if that indeed happens, we could find ourselves missing a sizable chunk of next season, if not (God forbid) all of it. The Celtics are still hoping they get a shot at Banner 18 next spring, but right now, there's no guarantee they'll get one.

You guys came armed this week with your questions about the lockout, the Celtics' new draftees, and the team's possibilities down the road in trades and free agency. It's a hectic time to be a C's fan right now — the possibilities are endless, and so is the panic.

Thanks to everyone for your questions. Let's check out the answers.

How much potential do you think JaJuan Johnson has, and what position do you think he'll play in the NBA?
–"Someone"

I think he's got a lot of potential. He's long, he's athletic, and he spent four years at Purdue developing his skills as a scorer, rebounder and defender. He's got all the tools to be a starter in this league. Not an All-Star, but a starter, sure.

I definitely think he's a power forward, but he's not ready to be a good one yet. As JaJuan Johnson himself has admitted, he needs to bulk up. You don't see many 220-pound guys with no lower body strength playing in the post in this league.

Johnson will spend the next year enduring Kevin Garnett's mentorship program. After a year of watching, observing, learning and also hitting the weight room quite a bit, he'll be ready to play the four-spot in the NBA.

Is there any offseason plan for Rajon Rondo to work on his outside shot? If he could keep defenses honest, it would create easier scoring chances across the board.
–Dan

I'll put it this way, Dan: I was in the Celtics' gym last week, and Rajon Rondo wasn't on the floor shooting. He was upstairs, running on the treadmill.

It pains me to say this, and I'm sure it's no picnic for you to read it, but I don't think Rondo is at all concerned with being a shooter. He's a Celtic, and he's surrounded by three Hall of Famers who can shoot like nobody's business. I think he takes that for granted a little bit. For now, Rondo's content just to be a defender, a fast-break weapon, and a facilitator for his teammates in the half-court offense.

I do agree with your assessment that Rondo developing a jumper would make everyone's lives easier; I just don't see it happening any time soon. Maybe there's hope for Rondo pulling a Jason Kidd and becoming a shooter late in his career. But for now, don't hold your breath. Sorry.

I think a lockout would benefit the Celtics. If there's only a 50- or 60-game season, I think it would help a lot with a older team. What do you think?
–Matt

I can see where you're coming from, Matt, but I don't think I agree. Here's the problem: You're playing fewer games, but you're cramming them into a really tight time frame. In 1999, the NBA began its season in February after a long lockout, and they played 50 games in exactly three months, from Feb. 5 to May 5. That's a brutal schedule.

When you have a spare moment, do a quick Google search and find the Celtics' 1999 schedule. It's ugly. There are road trips to five cities in one week. There are back-to-back-to-backs. That's hard for any team, but it's especially bad for the Celtics of today.

The C's will have too many weak knees and sore muscles to endure a season like that. Injuries will come fast, and they'll be painful. You miss just a couple weeks, and boom, that could be nine games. I know this sounds counterintuitive, but I think the Celtics are better off playing a regular 82-game season than a rushed 50-game one.

What will happen to all the players' contracts if there is no season next year? Will Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen still be on the team, or will they become free agents?
–Matt

They'd be free agents. Garnett and Ray Allen have signed contracts that expire in 2012, and that'll happen whether they play another season or not.

Garnett has hinted that if the owners lock him out this season, he may just retire. I doubt anything's set in stone yet, but he's definitely given that some thought. As for Allen, a season off might be OK for him. He'd spend the year eating right, working out, staying in shape and gearing up to return to action in 2012. It wouldn't surprise me one bit to see Allen play until he's 40, especially if he gets a year off now to recharge.

I've said this before, and I'll say it again — I think the veteran guys like Garnett and Allen are at peace with the possibility of a long lockout. They're already filthy rich, whether they get a few more paychecks this year or not. It's the younger, less wealthy guys who are more worried. For example, Avery Bradley also has an expiring contract next season, and the last thing he wants is to become a free agent with only 162 career minutes on his resume.

After the lockout, if the Celtics aren't serious contenders, do you think Danny Ainge might try to trade some of his expiring contracts for draft picks and/or young players? I would think Ray Allen has some value, KG would be tough because his contract is so large, and I'm not sure about Jermaine O'Neal. Your thoughts?
–badax33

Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on! Who said anything about the Celtics not being serious contenders?

I think Danny plans to stick it out to the bitter end with this group. Ray, KG and even Jermaine O'Neal all have more value to the Celtics than to anyone else — right now, they have a chance to win a championship with the personnel they have. They may not be prohibitive favorites, but they definitely have a shot at it, and Danny wouldn't trade that away.

Trading expiring contracts for assets is all well and good, but you don't do it when you're in position to win a title. The Celtics are going for broke with the roster they have. They'll consider themselves serious contenders until someone knocks them out of the playoffs next spring.

Will the Celtics sign restricted free agent Jeff Green?
–Chris Aeschliman

I think they have to, Chris. What's the point of shipping away Kendrick Perkins if you're not going to make a long-term commitment to the guy you're getting back?

The C's currently have six guys under contract — their five starters and Avery Bradley. Those six alone put them over the salary cap. They're going to be hard-pressed to add any new talent this summer, so they'd best make the most of the guys they have first dibs on. That means Jeff Green, Delonte West, and yes, maybe even Glen Davis.

Green has the potential to be good for the Celtics long-term. He needs a training camp to find his way with the C's, and he needs a clearly defined role that he can stick with all season. Green wasn't comfortable for his first three months here, and that's as much Doc Rivers' fault as it is Green's own. But considering the athletic ability and clear basketball skill he brings to the table, Green still has a promising future in this league.

What are the Celtics' chances of signing Samuel Dalembert this offseason?
–David

It's a good question, David. Samuel Dalembert would be a good fit in Boston — he's a reliable big man who basically never misses a game. We haven't had one of those around here in a while. I think the C's have a shot at getting him, but the competition will be stiff.

I've heard that New York and Miami, two teams in desperate need of a center, are going to make serious runs at Dalembert in free agency. The Lakers are also a darkhorse, but their payroll is huge and they might lose a potential bidding war.

Dalembert made $13.4 million last season with the Kings, and it's pretty clear he was overpaid. The guy turned 30 this year and has never averaged 11 points per game. But the question is — how big a pay cut is he willing to take? If he's willing to plummet all the way down to the mid-level exception (around $6 million), then the Celtics and the other big-market powers will be in play. Otherwise, Dalembert may end up with another team entirely, one with cap space. We'll see.

What will Danny Ainge have to do to beat out the Lakers and trade for Dwight Howard?
–Brian

Give up Kevin Garnett. Sorry.

Trades are difficult in this league. Cap-strapped teams like the Celtics aren't allowed to make a deal that brings in more than 120 percent of the salaries they give up. Dwight Howard is making $18.1 million next season. You do the math.

The Celtics aren't getting Dwight Howard in a trade next year. It's mathematically impossible unless the Celtics give up one of their superstar veterans, and the Magic don't want veterans in exchange for their franchise player. They want someone they can build a team around for years to come.

The C's have a shot at Howard, but it won't be in a trade. They'll have to wait for the summer of 2012 and then make a bid on the open market like everyone else.

Are there any big-name forwards or guards you see coming in 2012, once KG and Ray are gone and the C's actually have some loose money?
–TJ

Forwards or guards? You mean I don't get to talk more about Dwight Howard? You're killing me!

But yeah, TJ, there are plenty of good ones. The unfortunate thing is most of them are point guards, making them redundant with Rajon Rondo — Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Steve Nash, Jason Kidd, Andre Miller and Jameer Nelson are all among the guys who could hit the open market next summer.

But as for guys who will actually fit with the Celtics, here's a brief list: Gerald Wallace, Elton Brand, Jason Terry, Antawn Jamison, Randy Foye. None of them are big superstars, but each could fill a role in Boston. There's also the possibility that some guys from the 2008 draft class don't sign extensions with their current teams, giving them a chance to test restricted free agency over the summer. A refresher course on that class: Derrick Rose, Kevin Love, Russell Westbrook, Eric Gordon, Serge Ibaka, Danilo Gallinari and the Lopez twins.

The summer of 2012 will be an interesting one in Boston. It's been a long time since the Celtics had any cap space to work with. Let's see how they spend it.

You could buy stock in Pets.com. You could pay a plastic surgeon to make yourself and all your loved ones look just like Steve Buscemi. You could even buy 582,396 copies of Bristol Palin's new book, "Not Afraid of Life: My Journey So Far."

But let's be honest: $8.8 million for a four-year veteran big man who's missed 75 percent of his games with injuries? That's one of the worst investments imaginable.

And it's precisely the situation faced this summer by the Portland Trail Blazers, who are reportedly making a big investment in former No. 1 draft pick Greg Oden. According to multiple reports released Wednesday night, the Blazers are all set to make a hefty qualifying offer to their restricted free agent.

It surely wasn't an easy decision for Chad Buchanan, who's taken over on an interim basis as the Blazers' third general manager in the last year. The Blazers like Oden and want to keep him around, but $8.8 million? For a guy who's spent three times more playing time on his living room couch than the basketball court?

But that's the way it works in the NBA — young players aren't rewarded in this league for their production on the court, but rather for their position in the draft. Al Horford, the No. 3 pick in the 2007 draft, signed an extension this season for five years and $60 million. Kevin Durant, the No. 2, inked his last summer for the max — five years, $82 million.

Oden won't get an offer that big, in all likelihood. But the current CBA requires the Blazers offer him way more than he deserves.

The Blazers are in a tough spot. If they let Oden walk, they're left with no one on their roster but the creaky 37-year-old Marcus Camby that can play center. If Camby gets hurt next season, they're screwed. But if the Blazers keep Oden, they're investing a ton of money in a guy who can't play until 2012 and may well break down again. Especially if the 2011-12 season turns out to be a lockout-shortened one like 1998-99, with the league trying to cram 50 games into three months, sometimes playing dreaded back-to-back-to-backs. The risks are just too great.

Oden's next deal has the potential to be a terrible, terrible contract. Possibly franchise-ruining-ly terrible. The Blazers will try to spin the situation, saying they don't have a choice but to keep Oden around. But is that really true? $8.8 million is a lot of money. There are some quality veteran centers in this league — guys like, say, Kendrick Perkins — available for that kind of dough.

The right move with Oden is to cut him loose. Let him hit the open market, then try to renegotiate. With operations on both knees behind him and nothing but uncertainty ahead, he won't command $8.8 million anywhere in the league. If the Blazers were sensible, they would let Oden slide into unrestricted free agency and then try re-signing him on the cheap.

When you spend $8.8 million, you should know what you're getting. You should be investing in someone productive, complementary, and above all reliable. This would be common sense, you'd think — but sometimes, NBA teams have an unfortunate habit of letting fear, bias and sentiment get in the way of good old-fashioned logic.

Good luck, Portland. Clearly you'll need it.

But there is a small handful of players who were in the league during the prolonged work stoppage that began in the summer of 1998. One of them, Suns veteran Grant Hill, spoke this week to Marc Spears of Yahoo Sports and reflected on the last lockout with no regrets.

"It's always worth it," said the 17-year veteran. "I think you learn a lot. I think it's worth it. I think the game recovered. The game is in great shape now. I think both sides are very smart and understand sort of what's at stake. I'm confident they will figure out what’s best for the game."

Hill speaks from a position of experience, wisdom and perspective. And he's a smart guy, so when he speaks his mind, people should listen.

Then again, easy for him to say.

Hill grew up comfortably in an upper-middle-class family in suburban Washington, D.C. His father was a Yale graduate and an All-Pro NFL player; his mother graduated from Wellesley, where she roomed with Hillary Clinton. Hill grew up privileged, got a full ride to Duke, and went on to make over $130 million (and counting) playing pro basketball.

Hill has never had to worry about money a day in his life.

Not everyone in the NBA is like Hill, though.

For every guy in the league who's already made millions and now has nothing to lose, there are plenty more that remain insecure about their next paycheck — guys who have made down payments on their homes and cars, but now risk being up to their eyeballs in debt if they don't get paid next season.

Not everyone in the league is a multi-millionaire. You look in that Phoenix locker room and you'll see Hill and Steve Nash; you'll also see Gani Lawal and Garret Siler. There are a lot more guys from the latter group than the former.

This is why every time a lockout rolls around, in the NBA or in any other sport, the deck is always stacked against the players. It's simple: They have way more to lose.

Every single owner is rich. When you're a billionaire, it's easy to play high-stakes poker and bluff with a few million. Not every player has that same luxury.

For a counterexample to Hill, let's take a look at some comments from another well-known NBA veteran — only this time, let's zoom back in time 13 years.

Paul Pierce, now a superstar and a Finals MVP (not to mention the Celtics' player rep as we enter this lockout mess), wasn't always in his position of fortune and fame. In the summer of '98, he was a 20-year-old kid out of Kansas, desperate to earn his first paycheck. Take a look at his comments from back in '98:

"It's terrible," he told the New York Daily News that summer. "I don't have [a source of income] right now. I got loans, that's about it. It's an anxious time. I want to have a good start. I just have to be patient."

The majority of NBA players are not 2011 Hill. They're 1998 Pierce.

Every time you pit the diverse group of players against the uniformly rich group of owners, the owners win. The old sports cliché is about players winning because of "wanting it more;" in this case, it's the reason they lose. They have too much invested, both literally and figuratively.

The owners want a lot of things this summer. They've been clamoring for non-guaranteed contracts, franchise tags, and of course the infamous "hard" salary cap. For the most part, all that stuff is a diversion. The bottom line is they want a bigger slice of the pie; right now, the cap is set at 57 percent of the teams' revenues, and the owners want it reduced to 50-50.

They're going to win, whether it takes a couple of days or many, many months. Eventually, inevitably, the owners will have their way.

The players' first payday comes Nov. 15. If that day passes with no deal in place, all hell will break loose. Some guys, like Hill, will lose a few bucks and not care. But those guys are in the minority.

This lockout is about the little guy. The little guy can't afford to lose this fight.

Either he's missing a fundamental basketball skill — he can't score, he can't share the ball, he can't play defense — or it's a character thing. He could be immature, selfish, unprepared mentally, and so on, and so forth. When you're scraping the bottom of the barrel, you're not going to find golden boys. You're getting problem children.

That said, Danny Ainge might be the best in the business at finding the guy who has the "right problem."

Kendrick Perkins can't score? That's fine — draft him at No. 27 and put him next to Paul Pierce in his prime. No offense necessary out of him.

Al Jefferson can't play D? Easy — put him next to Perkins.

Glen Davis is a little immature? Put him in the same locker room with three of the game's best veterans. That'll teach him.

Every post-lottery pick has weaknesses. Ainge is the master of knowing those weaknesses and putting the player in a position to thrive anyway.

That brings us to JaJuan Johnson. The Purdue power forward was a huge star in college, a prolific scorer and a consensus All-American. But like any No. 25 pick in a weak draft, he's got a weakness. In this case, his weakness is his strength. Or lack thereof.

"I'm definitely hoping to put on some weight," Johnson said when introduced to reporters Monday in Brighton. "I know it'll happen. I'll definitely put the time in in the weight room, and eat, and all of that."

To call Johnson scrawny would be an absurd understatement. Johnson has pipe cleaners for legs. It's a miracle he can support his upper body without tipping over.

But here's the thing: Strength is an easily fixable flaw. It's a lot simpler to add muscle than to add a fadeaway jumper, and a meeting with a strength trainer is also a lot easier than a meeting with a shrink.

All Johnson has to do is eat right, spend time in the weight room and — once that pesky lockout is over, that is — consult regularly with the Celtics' training staff. He has the power to change his wiry 220-pound frame.

Johnson is the perfect Ainge pick. He has a clear weakness, but he'll be able to move past it. And the Celtics, a veteran team with little interest in overusing their rookies, are in the perfect position to wait patiently.

When asked if Johnson was too skinny to be a power forward in the pros, Ainge answered simply, "Well, we wouldn't have drafted him if we had that issue."

Translation: Down the road, the issue won't be there anymore.

Danny Ainge has a history of turning late first-round picks into solid professional players. JaJuan Johnson will turn out to be yet another fine example of that.

Case in point: David West is opting out of his final season with the New Orleans Hornets, and that could be the best news the Celtics have heard in years.

Why, you ask?

Not because the Celtics are getting West, that's for sure. The two-time West All-Star (or is that the two-time All-Star West?) is going to demand a big payday this summer. He signed a five-year extension worth over $45 million back in 2006, but that deal scaled backward such that the final year was worth only $7.5 million. He knows he's worth more than that, which is why he's testing the open market. He deserves a huge raise.

The Celtics can't give it to him. The only way the C's can acquire a player in the $10 million range is by trading a star like Ray Allen. Not happening. West will end up with someone who can offer all the perks: cap space, a big market and a star teammate or two, preferably at point guard. Think New Jersey.

But here's what might happen for the C's.

West's departure might be the start of a larger-scale fire sale in New Orleans. Dell Demps might realize that his team isn't winning anything without its star forward (the Hornets got knocked out of the first round without him in April), and he might begin the rebuilding process early.

That might mean Chris Paul is available for 70 cents on the dollar.

And if that's the case, Danny Ainge will surely come calling.

Let's think big. Let's think about Rajon Rondo for CP3. Why not? It could really work.

Not right away, mind you. Paul will make $16.4 million next season and Rondo will make just a little over $10 million, so they'll need some extra bulk in there to make it work. The C's can wait until after the lockout is settled, re-sign Glen Davis for $5 million, and then send him to New Orleans with Rondo for Paul in the preseason, whenever that may be. Welcome to the Big Easy, Big Baby.

The Celtics would finally have a point guard that can shoot. CP3's presence would make everyone else on the floor better. More open looks for Paul Pierce. More for Ray Allen. With an aggressive point guard that can create for himself, defenses will be kept more honest than ever.

The Hornets would get a young stud they can rebuild around. And between Rondo, Trevor Ariza and Emeka Okafor, they would have a new identity in New Orleans. They'd be a defensive juggernaut.

They'd have their No. 1 guy locked in through 2015. The Celtics would only have Paul for one more year, but after that, their chances of re-signing him will be good (assuming Bird rights still exist after the lockout).

This really could happen. Demps is a young visionary from the new school of NBA execs. He's not afraid to make a big move if it'll help his team long-term.

As for Ainge, he's definitely not gun-shy. Just ask Kendrick Perkins.

David West is moving on, and that's big news. But what happens next could be even bigger. Watch out.

Glen Davis

He's not doing a very good job of earning that respect.

The radio interview Davis did last week with KFXX in Portland is making the rounds around the blogosphere, as it's easy fodder for those looking to psychoanalyze the Celtics' reserve forward. Davis admitted that he'd hired a sports psychologist to help him "tap into the zone," and that raised a few eyebrows, no doubt.

But that's not really the interesting part of Davis' comments last week. So the guy sees a shrink. Big deal! Sports psychologists are part of the game. Red Sox catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia credited the work of Tom Hanson in helping Salty cure a case of the "yips" — trouble throwing the ball back to the pitcher — last year. Lots of guys see them, and lots of guys are better for it. Davis is right to say that every athlete, including LeBron James, can benefit from seeing one.

But there are some other, more troubling quotes that Davis dropped in his radio interview. Such as…

• "A lot of players are affected in ways that you would probably never even imagine, even little things a coach says or little things off the court, teammates."
• "I'm a big 'No' guy. When somebody tells me 'No,' I go the opposite way."
• "Mentally, I wasn't there [in the postseason]. I had to kind of adjust the way I played in the second half of the season, and mentally, I didn't get a rhythm."
• "You miss a shot, you don't worry about that. You go to the other end and use that energy to do something else on defense. Let it pass like a cloud. Clouds pass by you all the time, and you don't worry about it."

This stuff smacks of pretty much every quality you don't want to see in your four-year veteran, going on five. Glen Davis sounds petty, oversensitive, uncoachable, unreliable and lazy. In other words, Glen Davis sounds like he's a Baby again. A Baby who would probably be better off keeping his mouth shut.

It may be true that players are affected by little things with coaches and teammates. But that's not something Davis, who's been maligned for his whiny ways, should be saying publicly.

Likewise, it may be true that Davis doesn't care about missing shots. But he shouldn't share that, either. Because he should care about missing shots. He's consistently ranked among the league's lowest-percentage shooters from all over the floor, and he doesn't seem to be making any mental notes about changing that.

These comments sound stubborn. Davis is supposed to be evolving as a player, learning how to carry himself better. This reads like a relapse. Suddenly, he's the same clueless kid the Celtics drafted back in 2007.

Maybe the shrink will help. But he's sure got a lot of work to do. Because at the moment, Davis sounds like a complete head case, far closer to a Big Baby than a big-name free agent.

That's no fun for anyone. And unfortunately, the hoops scene is now headed for the same fate.

If a lockout happens and some or all of next season is wiped away in the NBA, everyone loses. There's not a soul out there who wants to see basketball die out for any extended period. But some will lose more than others.

Here's a look at 10 parties who could suffer the most from a potential lockout in the NBA >>>

Doc Rivers is back and will be for the next five years, and Rajon Rondo is similarly signed long-term as a franchise cornerstone. But beyond that, a lot is in doubt.

This will likely be the final season that we see Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Jermaine O'Neal together with captain Paul Pierce in Celtic green, and therefore it might be the last time in a long while that we view the C's as serious championship contenders.

Before they can make their plans to pursue that championship, there are plentiful questions to be answered. They need depth, they need youth and they need an army of capable big men who can come off their bench, get rebounds and make plays defensively.

But they can't answer any of those questions now, with a lockout approaching.

The Celtics have a mere six players under contract — the aforementioned five starters plus the young Avery Bradley — and when the NBA's collective bargaining agreement (CBA) bites the dust on July 1, they'll be forbidden from improving upon that core group. Their current players will no longer be employees, and any prospective newcomers will be unable to negotiate with the C's.

This is a tough time to be Danny Ainge, the man who only wishes he were allowed to retool his Celtics this summer.

"It doesn't really change our approach," Ainge said. "It's the same for everybody. We're all in this situation. Nobody wants to not be doing business as normal, but we're patiently waiting and preparing for the time that we will be doing business. We don't know what the rules will be, or maybe they stay the same, who knows, but we'll be prepared. We're in the same boat with every team."

That's true. But not every team has the same urgency that Ainge and the Celtics do. With Garnett, Allen and O'Neal all coming off the books in 2012, there is a very clear and present danger of his team's title window closing. It's now or never for the C's.

Some GMs can sleep easy every night knowing that one way or another, it'll all work out. But for Ainge, the man who built this Celtic team in the summer of 2007 with multiple championships in mind, there's immense pressure.

There are guys out there who can help this team. The draft yielded a pair of promising Purdue Boilermakers in JaJuan Johnson and E'Twaun Moore, but more importantly the Celtics need veterans. They need players who are prepared, both physically and mentally, for the rigors of chasing a ring.

"We're prepared," Ainge said. "We have a long list of guys that will be our priorities. In free agency, the challenge is to get out of the gate fast and let everyone know you like them and how much you want them to come. But so much of it is dependent upon our obligations contractually with players. We don't have a lot to go chase free agents. We have try to go get free agents that want to come play here, maybe for a little less money in some cases. Chase a lot of minimum contracts, like we did last year with [Shaquille O'Neal] for example. Free agency is a challenging ordeal, but we'll be prepared for it."

The Celtics were over the salary cap last summer but achieved an extraordinary level of success recruiting minimum-salary free agents. Shaquille O'Neal, Delonte West and Von Wafer all agreed to come to Boston on the cheap. Then when buyout season rolled around in late February, Ainge also recruited Troy Murphy, Sasha Pavlovic and Carlos Arroyo.

It was quite the haul. But all of the above players are looking uncertain for next season, so Ainge might need to strike gold on the open market again.

It's a daunting task, and it's even more daunting when the Celtics' exec has no idea when — or how — to begin.

Someday, the C's will resume their quest for Banner 18. Someday.

It's a difficult question. Normally free agency would be right around the corner, and the Celtics would be busy making a few offseason tweaks to improve their roster for another championship run in 2012. But a bitter labor dispute threatens not only to ruin our summer, but to wipe out part of next season.

What does this mean for the Celtics? What does it mean for the rest of the league? NESN.com Celtics reporter Evans Clinchy will delve into it this week.

If you have any questions about this summer and what it means for the C's, then fire away. Check back later this week for all the answers.

Leave your question for Evans Clinchy's mailbag in the comments section below, send them to him via Twitter, or send them here. Evans will pick a few questions to answer every week. Be sure to check back to see if your question was answered by Evans.

Perhaps too convenient.

For a matter of minutes, the Providence College alum was Boston-bound after Danny Ainge phoned in the No. 25 pick of the NBA draft Thursday night. But it didn't last long. Ainge was already in the process of calling New Jersey and swinging a deal for Purdue forward JaJuan Johnson and a future second-rounder.

Brooks was a feel-good story — a Stone Mountain, Ga., native who rose to fame in New England. He was a flashy player, too. He emerged this season as one of the best scorers in college basketball, even dropping 52 in a single game against Notre Dame on Feb. 23. In more ways than one, the Brooks pick was sure to be a big hit.

But Danny Ainge, who's clearly not one to preoccupy himself with public opinion, went for the sound long-term basketball decision over the PR victory. Hence the trade, and hence the long-term project in Johnson.

Johnson is a good player. He won player of the year honors last year in the Big Ten. He's long, athletic, and he can score. He's got the potential to be somebody in this league.

But not yet. Johnson is only 22 and still needs to add some strength, especially of the lower-body variety, if he wants to be a real player at the pro level. Until then, he's got work to do. Whether it's in the Celtics' weight room or in the D-League, he's got to pay his dues before the C's give him a paycheck.

This is by design. Ainge and Doc Rivers have both repeated the mantra over and over: They're not looking to find immediate impact at the bottom of a weak draft. They don't even want it at this stage in the game, with a veteran team making one last run at a championship. They can't afford to rock that boat.

So they traded down, and they got the only thing this draft has to offer them: future assets.

They followed up the Brooks/Johnson deal by selecting E'Twaun Moore, another Purdue Boilermaker, in the second round. Moore is also unlikely to do much of anything in Boston next season.

If you show up to a game at the TD Garden next season looking for talented youngsters, you may see them. But don't expect to see them playing. More likely, they'll be behind the bench fetching Gatorades for the vets.

All we've learned from the draft is this: The future can wait. Right now, the Celtics are in pursuit of Banner 18, and the young guys can watch from the sidelines.

We've already taken a look at the winners of the 2011 NBA draft that unfolded on Thursday night. A few players landed in the right situations and a few teams struck gold surprisingly late in the draft.

But who lost? That's the more interesting angle.

Here's a look at the teams who went astray, the players who got screwed over, and one very sad professional sports league on the verge of disaster. Here are the losers of the 2011 draft.

Click Here To See Who Left the Draft as The Biggest Losers >>>

Here are the winners of the 2011 NBA draft. It's a smattering of players, teams, and miscellaneous others. All of them can look back on Thursday night and feel pride in a job well done.

Click Here To See Who Really Took Advantage of Thursday's Draft >>>

They’d love nothing more than to retool on the go, add a couple of nice pieces, and make their charge toward a championship in 2012. But at the moment, there’s not much they can do. They’ve only got six players under contract, none of them particularly tradable, and free agency will likely be delayed when the owners and players can’t make a deal.

That leaves the draft as the C’s lone means of adding to their roster at the moment. And needless to say, you guys have plenty of questions about that.

Thanks to everyone for their submissions to the mailbag. Be sure to check back next week and fire away again, after the draft is over and the Celtics have made their picks.

1. What do you make of Danny Ainge’s comments that there isn’t much in the draft and he doesn’t want to saddle Doc Rivers with a rookie next season? Can he get a decent veteran for a first-round pick in this draft? I can’t see anyone trading a first next year for this year’s pick.
–Badax33

That’s a tough question. My gut instinct is this — Danny Ainge‘s comments are interesting, but I’d hesitate to overreact to them too much. He’s not necessarily saying he definitely wants to trade the pick. He’s just saying the pick won’t yield any major, immediate impact.

The Celtics are in a position right now where this could be their last chance to win a championship. The last thing they want to do is shake up their rotation by throwing in an immature youngster who can’t learn the system in time. That’s why the C’s aren’t looking Thursday night to acquire a major rotation player — they wouldn’t mind drafting a long-term project with some upside down the road.

I don’t think the pick has much trade value at all. The chances of the No. 25 guy panning out aren’t good, and everyone else in the league knows this as well as Ainge does. Their best bet is to keep the pick, trust Ainge’s scouting instincts, and draft someone who might help them a couple of years down the road.

2. Could you see the Celtics trading up for a better pick? If so, who could they put on the table?
–Johnny

It’s an interesting thought, Johnny, but I’d lean toward no. What could they give up? Let’s play the “process of elimination” game.

Would they trade a player? Doubtful. They only have six guys under contract right now — the obvious Big Four, plus Jermaine O’Neal and Avery Bradley. They’re not giving up a starter, and Ainge wouldn’t trade Bradley, who he thinks would be a top-five pick in this weak class.

A future pick? Also unlikely. Ainge basically said point-blank Wednesday that he would never trade a 2012 draft pick for a 2011 one, since he thinks next year’s class will be way better.

I think Ainge has decided to suck it up and pick where he’s at. There’s not enough upside in taking a risky move up the ranks. He’s happy with his team the way it is, and there’s no reason to shake things up too much.

3. DeShawn Sims was the Rookie of the Year in the D-League last year, and Stephane Lasme showed some great rebounding intensity before missing the last cut to make the team last year. Do you think either of them has a shot at making the Celtics next season?
–Tom Melanson

It’s possible, Tom, but unlikely in my opinion. And even if one of them does make it, it’ll probably just be in a 15th-man role, waiting in the wings for a handful of injuries to guys above him on the depth chart. So you’ve got to ask yourself — where would you rather see the youngsters, sitting in Boston and waiting, or going to Maine and playing big minutes every night? The latter has got to be way better for their development.

I think the Celtics are comfortable with their identity right now as an old team. I think they’d rather sign a lot of minimum-salary veterans like Troy Murphy and Carlos Arroyo than devote too much time to developing rookies. It makes the locker-room dynamic simpler and Doc Rivers’ job easier that way.

That said, they’re both solid players. Sims is a big-time scorer, and Lasme is a great energy player although quite undersized. I hope they both find success in the pros somewhere, at some point.

4. I’m praying that the Celtics go after Dwight Howard! I would be willing to trade Jeff Green, Glen Davis, cash and draft picks to make that happen. Without a beast in the middle like Howard, there is no way the Celtics can win! What do you think?
–Steven

Steven, you’re far from the only fan out there pulling for a Dwight Howard megadeal. But unfortunately, it’s very unlikely to happen. The C’s have a chance at getting Howard, but it’ll almost certainly have to wait until free agency in the summer of 2012.

First of all, the players you named are not currently under the Celtics’ control. Their contracts are both expiring and they’re heading for free agency. There are a lot of other C’s — Murphy, Arroyo, Sasha Pavlovic, Delonte West, Von Wafer — in that same boat. Now normally, the team would only have to wait until July 1, and then free agency would begin and you could potentially see sign-and-trade deals happen. But that’s not the case this year with a lockout coming. Instead of July 1, you might be waiting for Dec. 1, or God forbid even later.

And even then, it’s doubtful that a Green/Davis/picks package would get a deal done for Howard. You’re talking about the best big man of his generation. The Magic won’t let him go that easy.

The Celtics’ best strategy vis-a-vis Howard is simple: Wait for 2012, save some cap space, and make him an offer he can’t refuse.

5. Hey Evans, I have a request. Please impress upon Ray Allen that his fans do not want him coming off the bench. Jeff Green should be fine in time, but start him now? No. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
–Minnie Wesbee

I’ll see what I can do, Minnie.

I agree that the Celtics’ starting five is an institution and there’s no reason taking a massive risk by tweaking it. Doc Rivers has always marveled at the continuity with that group — he can call any play he’s ever drawn up from the last four years, and his starters will know it instantly and run it with no difficulty. No other team in the league has that.

Green will be a good sixth man for this Celtic team. It’ll take him time to learn that role, but he’s capable of doing it. He has all the tools to be a Sixth Man of the Year, both physically (versatility as a player) and psychologically (ego-less devotion to the team). Let’s be patient with him.

6. This Rajon Rondo trade rumor that’s been floating around Twitter — any truth to it?
–Jamey

I think that talk is a little overblown. I won’t say there’s a zero percent chance of Ainge trading Rajon Rondo — this is Ainge we’re talking about, and you can never be sure. But the Celtics surely recognize that Rondo is their best player, and it would take an amazing offer to pry him away.

Ainge is a very active GM. He’s constantly on the phone with other teams, floating them ideas, making suggestions. Trade “talks” happen all the time, but that doesn’t mean deals are necessarily close to happening. Whenever you hear news like this leak, you should take it with a huge grain of salt.

The Celtics are going to pursue a championship in 2012, and they need an elite point guard to do it. So if they trade Rondo now, it had better be for Chris Paul, or someone else in that same stratosphere. Just a couple of someone’s spare parts isn’t gonna cut it.

7. With the interest in Richard Hamilton over the past season or two, do you see any possible move involving him? I know he may be expensive, but I just wanted your take.
–Ryan H.

That would be a nightmare logistically, Ryan. Richard Hamilton is under contract with the Pistons next season, due to make a guaranteed $12.5 million. That’s a ton of money, and it means two things — one, the Celtics can’t trade for him without offering up a contract of equal value (think Ray Allen), and two, it’ll be tough to buy Hamilton out. Who would walk away from a deal that rich?

Yes, the Celtics have definitely had interest in Hamilton in the past. But that was either in a trade two years ago (there was a Hamilton-Tayshaun Prince-Rodney Stuckey megadeal for Rondo discussed in 2009), or in a buyout this past winter. Neither of those two routes worked out for them.

If the C’s still want Hamilton, they’ve got one last option, and that’s convincing him to get out of his contract with the Pistons before March 1, 2012 and then signing him on the cheap. I suppose that’s possible, but it’s unlikely. The 33-year-old vet would have to leave a lot of money on the table.

8. Do you think there will be a lockout in the NBA?
–Wesley

Unfortunately, Wesley, I don’t think there’s much question at this point. A lockout is definitely happening.

The two sides are way too far apart to get a deal done now. A quick crash course — the players currently get a 57-43 split of the league’s revenue, and the owners are proposing a “flex cap” system that would change those numbers to 50-50. The players don’t want to give away that much dough.

The two sides have been meeting this week in New York, desperately trying to work out a deal. But at the moment, they’re nowhere close. They’ve got a week to go, and they need way more time than that.

9. I believe this Celtic team can win a championship. If they did, would Danny Ainge still blow up the team in 2012 as planned?
–Badax33

Do they really have a choice? Winning a championship would be nice, but it still wouldn’t change the fact that this team is too old to win it again in 2013.

Kevin Garnett will turn 36 next summer. Ray Allen will be 37. Both guys’ contracts will be up, and it looks like that’s a logical time to cut ties with the aging vets and begin retooling for the future. Between Garnett, Allen and Jermaine O’Neal, the Celtics will have $37 million coming off the books next summer. That’s a lot to rebuild with.

The Celtics will do everything in their power to win a championship in 2012. But here’s a word of advice: If they do, don’t view it as a revitalization. View it as a swan song. This team won’t be together for much longer, and they have one last chance to go out on top.

But the further down the list you go, the more questions arise. Who else will go high in the lottery? Who will just barely sneak in? Who will fall all the way to the bottom of the first round?

All these questions and more will be answered.

Here's an educated guess at how the first 30 picks will fall into place on Thursday night.

1. Cleveland Cavaliers — Kyrie Irving, Duke
There's been all kinds of posturing and all kinds of grandstanding, but at the end of the day, there's not much doubt. Irving is the pick. The freshman point guard is the closest thing this draft has to a sure thing — he's athletic, he's smart, and he's the one guy in this draft that is a can't miss. Will he be a Hall of Famer? Maybe not. But he's got a good chance of bringing the Cavaliers back to respectability in the years ahead.

2. Minnesota Timberwolves — Derrick Williams, Arizona
This is a two-player draft; this is the second player. So it's no surprise that Williams goes second to Minnesota. It's a good thing for the T-Wolves, too — they want nothing to do with Irving or any of the other guards in this draft. Selecting too many guards in 2009 was exactly what scared away Ricky Rubio, who's only now coming to the States to play the NBA game. Now we may see Rubio, D-Will and Kevin Love all in the same lineup. Intriguing.

3. Utah Jazz — Brandon Knight, Kentucky
No, the Jazz can't take Jimmer Fredette third, no matter how much the fans of Utah might love it. Knight's the pick here. He's the second-best guard in the draft after Irving, no doubt. There are doubts about whether Knight's ready to be a true point guard in the league, but he can learn for a little bit as Devin Harris' backup. So far, we know two things for sure: one, Knight is an athlete and two, he can shoot. That's a nice start.

4. Cleveland Cavaliers — Enes Kanter, Turkey
This draft is loaded with foreign prospects, and Kanter is probably the best of them. He's a big upgrade over the Turkish center the Cavs already have (Semih Erden) — he's a highly skilled big man on both ends of the floor, and he's shown the range to knock down a deadly jump shot. We don't know much about Kanter yet, but we know he can play.

5. Toronto Raptors — Jan Vesely, Czech Republic
There's been a ton of buzz lately about the Raptors changing course at the last minute and grabbing UConn's Kemba Walker, the hero of the NCAA tournament. I'm not buying it. Vesely is still the best fit in Toronto. He's a long, athletic big man who can strengthen their team defensively by giving them a shot-blocking presence down low. That, not another high-volume scorer at the guard position, is what they need most.

6. Washington Wizards — Kawhi Leonard, San Diego State
Leonard is a small forward, but a very versatile one. He does it all — he scores, he rebounds, he defends, he makes plays for others. He single-handedly carried San Diego State into the Big Dance last year, and he'll have an immediate impact in the NBA. Imagine Leonard, John Wall, JaVale McGee and Andray Blatche all in the same starting lineup. That is one intriguing young basketball team.

7. Sacramento Kings — Kemba Walker, UConn
It's a risky pick for the Kings, because they kind of already have their own "point guard who can't play point guard" in Tyreke Evans. They might not want another one in Kemba. But the former March Madness hero is a dynamic scorer, an unbelievable competitor and he's got his head on straighter than the other young stars in Sacramento. He might be just the addition that this wayward young Kings team needs.

8. Detroit Pistons — Bismack Biyombo, Spain
Biyombo has been compared to Ben Wallace. The Pistons already have a Ben Wallace type, and his name is Ben Wallace — but Ben Wallace will turn 37 before the beginning of next season, so they could probably use a new Ben Wallace. Biyombo is a promising young kid. He can run, he can jump, he can leap, he can rebound, and oh boy, can he ever block shots. His offensive game is still limited, but there's time to work on that. Or he can just never develop it, and he'll turn into … you know. Ben Wallace.

9. Charlotte Bobcats — Marcus Morris, Kansas
Morris is a similar player to the No. 2 pick Williams — he's a versatile forward in the 6-foot-8, 6-foot-9 range whose exact role in the pros is still undefined. Maybe he's a power forward, maybe he's a wing, but in either role, he'll be plenty productive. He's a high-volume scorer and rebounder who can fit in well anywhere. If the Bobcats are lucky, the former Jayhawk will fill the vacancy that Gerald Wallace left last season.

10. Milwaukee Bucks — Alec Burks, Colorado
This guy might well be the best shooting guard in the draft. He averaged 20.1 points per game for the Buffaloes last season, showing an ability to create his shot from anywhere on the floor. The Bucks could definitely use a guy like that, as their offense struggled a lot last season. Then again, who couldn't use a guy like Burks?

11. Golden State Warriors — Jonas Valanciunas, Lithuania
If not for contract concerns, Valanciunas would be going a lot higher. Rumor has it that the Lithuanian big man won't be able to get out of his current contract, forcing him to wait until 2012 to make the trip stateside. That would be a deterrent to most teams, but the Warriors? They can wait another year. They've got nothing to lose. It's going to be a long rebuilding process anyway under new coach Mark Jackson. Valanciunas might prove to be worth the wait.

12. Utah Jazz — Chris Singleton, Florida State
Again, the Jimmer temptation will obviously be there. But again, Kevin O'Connor will know to make the best basketball decision, not to pick the sentimental favorite that his fans will worship. Knight is the obvious pick at No. 3, so the Jazz will already be getting a small guard earlier in this draft. At No. 12, therefore, they should go for Singleton, a versatile wing player who may prove to be the best defender in the 2011 draft class.

13. Phoenix Suns — Tristan Thompson, Texas
Like Singleton, Thompson is another energetic young small forward known for his defense. It's questionable, though, whether Thompson will become known for anything else. He's still a raw player offensively, but with the 13th pick in a weak draft, he's a good enough athlete that the Suns should probably go ahead and take the chance.

14. Houston Rockets — Markieff Morris, Kansas
Markieff might be the lesser of the two Morris brothers, but he's still a lottery pick. The Rockets need size up front, and this Morris led the Jayhawks in rebounding at 8.2 per game last season and plays like a true power forward. He'd be a great fit in Houston.

15. Indiana Pacers — Jimmer Fredette, Brigham Young
Wouldn't this be ironic? Jimmer gets passed up twice by the Jazz, then slips all the way to the second-whitest team in the NBA, the Pacers. Well, believe it. Not many teams are in the market for a little guy that chucks crazy jumpers, but Indiana is one place he'd fit well. The Pacers need one more big boost to transform from an 8-seed to a true playoff contender, and if Jimmer can score in the NBA anywhere near the way he could in college, then look out.

16. Philadelphia 76ers — Nikola Vucevic, USC
The Sixers need a true center, a really huge dude that can clog up the paint and grab every rebound. Vucevic, at 7 feet and 260 pounds, is that dude. He might be the biggest player in the whole draft. He gives the Sixers another element, making them a tougher team and perhaps a greater playoff threat a year or two from now.

17. New York Knicks — Klay Thompson, Washington State
The Knicks would love to add a guard who can shoot. Mike D'Antoni loves shooters. His system has room for as many as possible. But most of the big names — Kemba, Jimmer, Alec Burks — will be off the board by No. 17. Thompson is the next-best thing. He's not a great athlete, but he's big for a shooting guard at 6-foot-6, and he sure can shoot. Thompson averaged 21.6 points per game for the Cougars last year, and that skill might just translate to the pros.

18. Washington Wizards — Donatas Motiejunas, Lithuania
Motiejunas is a 7-footer, and the Wizards already have a legit 7-footer in their lineup in JaVale McGee. But Motiejunas is different. He's got the Euro game, the inside-out style that's been perpetuated in the past by international 7-footers like Dirk Nowitzki and Andrea Bargnani. Motiejunas might not be as good as those two guys, but he'll bring a similar game to the NBA.

19. Charlotte Bobcats — Kenneth Faried, Morehead State
Faried averaged 14.5 rebounds per game last year as a senior at Morehead State. If we've learned anything about the draft in recent years it's that rebounding ability always translates to the pros, so at No. 19 Faried may end up being the steal of the draft. His offensive game is still growing, but it's shown improvement over time, and Faried may turn into a complete NBA player in a few years. Don't bet against him.

20. Minnesota Timberwolves — Marshon Brooks, Providence
The Wolves have their rebounding big man in Kevin Love, and their scoring small forward in Michael Beasley. If all of the above is correct, they're about to add Derrick Williams, too. But they still need a shooting guard, and Brooks is a monster one. He dropped 52 points in a single Big East game this past season. If he can't score in the pros, it'll be a shock.

21. Portland Trail Blazers — Jordan Hamilton, Texas
Who needs Brandon Roy when you've got this guy? OK, maybe that's going a little far. But Hamilton might turn out to be a similar player. He's big for a shooting guard, he's competitive and he can knock down jumpers in boatloads. Hamilton's got the talent to far exceed the expectations of a typical No. 21 pick.

22. Denver Nuggets — Tobias Harris, Tennessee
The Nuggets just lost a 6-foot-8 forward this season (you may have heard of him — name's Carmelo Anthony), and they've got a chance to grab a new one in Tobias Harris. Harris is still only 18, the youngest player in the draft, but he's a good athlete and he's growing into something a little more than that. He'll fit in well with a Nuggets team built around a dozen role players and zero big stars. He can contribute right away.

23. Houston Rockets — Darius Morris, Michigan
What's that, you say? A third Morris in the first round? Yep, that's right. The Rockets like size, toughness and rebounding ability at every position, and this Morris can offer them that. He's a 6-foot-5 point guard, a physical guy who can add a little extra edge to their bench rotation. Morris is a solid mid- to late-first rounder.

24. Oklahoma City Thunder — Kyle Singler, Duke
Singler is a smart, disciplined player who spent four full seasons developing at Duke under Mike Krzyzewski. He's developed his basketball instincts well enough that he could play for an NBA contender right now, at least in a limited role off the bench. If he goes to OKC at No. 24, expect Singler to be an immediate contributor to Scott Brooks' second unit backing up Kevin Durant.

25. Boston Celtics — Jeremy Tyler, Japan
The C's aren't looking for an immediate impact player in this draft. They're content to find a long-term project, stash him away and wait until 2012 or later to unleash him. Tyler could be a good fit for that. He's an explosive big man with all kinds of physical tools, but questions about maturity derailed him in his quest to become a high lottery pick. There's nothing quite like a year of Kevin Garnett boot camp to whip a young kid into shape.

26. Dallas Mavericks — Justin Harper, Richmond
What do the champs need? Well, nothing in particular. That's why they're the champs. But they can't go wrong adding Harper, a capable small or power forward with scoring range from here to Jupiter. He averaged 17.9 points per game last season as a senior at Richmond, but he's still got room to improve further.

27. New Jersey Nets — Tyler Honeycutt, UCLA
Honeycutt wasn't a dominant anything in college — scorer, defender, rebounder, playmaker. But he did everything pretty decently. He's a solid all-around player who can play anywhere from one to four, and his role will depend on the team that drafts him and its needs. In New Jersey, he could come off the bench as a key defensive stopper for Avery Johnson. It's a possibility.

28. Chicago Bulls — Shelvin Mack, Butler
The Bulls would love to find a backup they can trust for Derrick Rose. So why not Mack? He took the Cinderella Bulldogs to the Final Four in 2011, so he's proven he can win big games. At a muscular 6-foot-3, the Butler point guard gives the Bulls a solid, tough youngster to work into their bench rotation for next season.

29. San Antonio Spurs — Davis Bertans, Latvia
The young Euro measures at about 6-foot-9, or even 6-foot-10, but he's really a small forward. He's a 3-point shooter — perhaps the best one we've seen in the draft in a long time — and he's exactly the kind of role player who quietly makes a name for himself under Gregg Popovich in San Antonio. It might take a few years, but Bertans could grow into a really great Spur.

30. Chicago Bulls — Nikola Mirotic, Serbia
Mirotic is a 6-foot-10 power forward with solid all-around fundamental game and deadly scoring efficiency. On talent alone, he could be a lottery pick in this draft, but concerns about his contract situation with Real Madrid are a little worrisome. The Bulls can afford the risk, though. They'll draft him, sit on him for a couple years, and then show him off stateside whenever he's ready.

Ainge's Celtics have the No. 25 pick in a weak draft on Thursday night. He's looking forward to making a selection, but he doesn't expect to see a franchise-changing player come walking through that door.

"I'm not trying put a negative spin on this, but I am trying to be realistic," he said. "The 25th pick in the draft is probably not going to help us immediately. But there are some players who we think that can fill our roster, that can fit in with the personality of our team, that have a work ethic, that can make our team better in practice, and that can add depth to our roster."

The biggest area of concern for the Celtics, on paper at least, is size. The Celtics have lost four centers in the last four months — Kendrick Perkins was traded to Oklahoma City, Semih Erden was dealt to Cleveland, Shaquille O'Neal retired and Nenad Krstic signed a contract to play overseas in Russia.

But the Celtics are hesitant about looking to add a new 7-footer late in the first round. If anyone is still on the board that late, there's probably a catch.

"If size is available at the 25th pick, I don't know if that's a good sign or a bad one," C's coach Doc Rivers said. "But sometimes you can get lucky. Danny, I've said it for years, if there's a guy there at that size that can play, he'll know it."

"We have to address size in the offseason for sure," Ainge added. "But it doesn't necessarily have to be in the draft."

There are plenty of intriguing guys out there in the first round. If the C's do opt for size, there's Maryland's Jordan Williams or international recruit Jeremy Tyler. If they want scoring, there's Providence's Marshon Brooks or Duke's Kyle Singler. If they want a confident backup point guard, there's BC's Reggie Jackson or another Blue Devil, Nolan Smith.

Ainge will weigh all his options and make the best choice on Thursday night.

"All the things factor in," he said. "Sometimes we're looking to add more character, more toughness, more shooting, better ball-handling, better decision-making or better upside. All of those things come into play every time you draft. But rarely are those characteristics all in one player, and if they are, then his name is Michael Jordan.

"We're looking for good people. This year, I think we'll be able to add some good pieces to our team, but I don't see any starters. We're not adding any starters to our team. We'll add some good role players, hopefully."

But what's less certain is the status of the rest of Rivers' staff, most notably lead assistant Lawrence Frank. The former Nets head coach has spent one season in Boston as Rivers' right-hand man, and it remains to be seen whether he'll find a new opportunity elsewhere.

Frank's predecessor, Tom Thibodeau, jumped ship to Chicago and was named Coach of the Year in his first season as a head coach. Frank is no doubt looking for a similar opportunity.

"Lawrence has interest in coming back," Danny Ainge said. "Lawrence will have the opportunity to coach. But as you know, he's been a top candidate for a lot of teams this year, runner-up in a couple of places."

The "couple of places" are likely Houston, where Frank was interviewed before Kevin McHale won the job, and Golden State, where he looked like the front-runner before Mark Jackson swooped in and stole the gig.

One possibility still remaining for Frank is Detroit, where John Kuester vacated his position after a turbulent season. Frank is alive and well in the running for that job. If he doesn't get it, though, his backup plan may be a return to Boston.

"We want Lawrence back, but he will have options for other teams, too," Ainge said. "He's not under contract, and he'll have an opportunity to explore all his options."

But there was no truth to any of them, and Rivers silenced everyone by agreeing to a five-year, $35 million extension shortly after the conclusion of the Celtics' playoff run.

Rivers clarified Wednesday that there was never any doubt. If he coached at all, he knew it would be in Boston.

"During the playoffs, Danny [Ainge] and I had been talking a lot," he said. "I was in the position to be a free agent, I guess, and I thought about a lot of stuff. I kept thinking — you can go other places, but this is the place I want to be."

After coaching in Orlando for four seasons and a wee bit of a fifth, Rivers took over the Celtics' job in 2004 and has held it down for the last seven years, now going on 12. He's the third-winningest coach in franchise history, behind only Red Auerbach and Tommy Heinsohn. His all-time record with the C's is 336-238.

He wants to add to that record.

"I want to be here because of what I am," Rivers said. "I'm a Celtic. I believe in this organization. I love the team, the brand.

"That doesn't guarantee a future for us as far as who we are, as far as players. Kevin [Garnett] and Paul [Pierce] and Ray [Allen] are getting older. But at the end of the day, I still coach the Celtics.

"That's why I took the job originally, when we didn't have them, and it's why I stayed here. The only other decision for me was not coaching."

Jermaine O'Neal, 32 years old and riddled by injuries, has expressed an interest in returning to the Celtics for one more season.

"He has every intention of coming back," Danny Ainge said Wednesday. "I wouldn't say that something can't happen that he won't come back, but he has every desire to come back and play. He didn't like the way it finished this year and doesn't want to end his career on that kind of note. He wants to be a much greater contributor next year."

Injuries were a huge concern for the Celtics center last season, his 14th in the league. He missed 58 of the Celtics' 82 regular-season games, primarily because of his knees. He underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in early February and didn't return until late March. Then, after the playoffs, it was revealed that he'd played a handful of postseason games with a fractured wrist.

Luckily, O'Neal now has plenty of time to rest up this summer. Perhaps even more than usual, depending on the resolution of the impending NBA lockout.

"He's doing treatment a lot and working on his body," coach Doc Rivers said. "I think a lot of guys are kind of rushing their treatments because of the July 1 date [of the lockout] — after that, treatment goes away. That may have a little bit to do with it as well."

Ainge said that O'Neal had the option of undergoing another surgery at the end of the season, but that he opted against it. From here, it's time for a long offseason recovery process in the hopes of a healthy, productive season in 2011-12.

One of their newfound followers? None other than the leader of the other winter sports team in town — Celtics coach Doc Rivers.

"I don't know anything about hockey, but I went to a game and was very supportive," Rivers said Wednesday. "It was just fun to watch."

Rivers was in attendance for Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final, the B's final home contest at the TD Garden this year. He said he didn't understand much of what was going on — other than a quick wisecrack of "I love the hitting" — but he was thrilled to see another Boston team find success on the big stage.

"I think it's unbelievable," he said. "It's a great time to be a Boston fan in sports."

Rivers, who won his first NBA championship as a head coach in 2008, was thrilled to welcome Claude Julien into the club of Boston's championship coaches. Julien's first Cup puts him in elite company with Rivers; Terry Francona, whose Red Sox won the World Series in 2004 and '07; and Bill Belichick, whose Patriots won Super Bowls in the 2001, '03 and '04 seasons.

"It's really neat to know that you have four coaches in town that have all been champions," Rivers said. "But more importantly, I think it's great for the city. This is a city of champions right now, and I think each coach and each team wants to keep that going.

"I thought it was neat how often the Bruins mentioned that they wanted to join in with everybody else, that that was one of their driving forces. I think it's terrific. There's a great chemistry and bond with the four coaches, and I think there's a great bond with all the teams, too.

"It's a neat thing to be a part of. You don't get that everywhere, but we have it."

But he's still working at it. Rondo was the only current Celtics player present Wednesday at the team's practice facility, and he's still rehabbing, trying to return to peak physical form.

"He's not 100 percent yet," said Danny Ainge, meeting with the media for a pre-draft session on Wednesday afternoon. "He's probably about four weeks away from playing basketball full-speed. He can do some training and conditioning right now, that's all."

Rondo left in the third quarter of Game 3 after the tangle-up with Wade. Unbelievably, he returned in the fourth and helped to fuel a 97-81 C's win over the Heat, their only victory in the five-game series. He managed to play 38 minutes in Game 4 and 30 in the final despite the severe injury.

"Rondo's a tough kid," Ainge said. "But I think any of our players would have been out there playing, though, in that situation. You don't often get the opportunity to play in a big series like that. Rajon was in a lot of pain but was able to give us a good effort."

"I don't think players get enough credit, honestly," added coach Doc Rivers. "Rondo, what he did was amazing. But I agree with Danny — I think everybody on our team would have played.

"I can't speak for other teams, but I think we have that kind of group. They wanted to win, and they knew that you can't take any year for granted. They wanted this to be our year. That didn't happen, but it still says a lot about the guy that he went out and played."