BSJ Weekend Briefing: Apparently, Danny Ainge can do no wrong; Sox back home; B's in on Kovalchuk

Good morning!

A few random thoughts this morning while I figure out if Danny Ainge got a total steal in Robert Williams or if it was highway robbery:

• If I didn't know any better judging from most of the media coverage of the Celtics and, especially last night's selection of Robert Williams III, you would expect the Celtics to be in full-blown, 2001-04 Patriots dynasty mode.


• Let me check what basketball reference has to say ...

• Nope, just like I thought. It's going on 11 years since Ainge and the Celtics won a title. When Bill Belichick was doing through his little "drought" every draft pick was viewed as, "Ok, we'll see, but his drafts haven't been knocked out of the park, especially those over-drafted safeties."


• Ainge is in a similar drought (with one title in his pocket) and from what I read, there's absolutely zero chance Williams won't be a game-changing big man this team needs — and sooner rather than later. Some version of Danny Does it Again was plastered all over the internet.


• Now, Ainge and his staff have obviously done a terrific job rebuilding the Celtics to this point and if it wasn't for a few unfortunate injuries, the Celtics would have been in the NBA Finals putting up more of a fight than the Cavs. I'm fully on board with everything they do. But there's a limit to that, and the 27th overall pick should be it.


• I mean, Williams was certainly worth a flier at that point in the draft, it's great that it's a spot where the Celtics could use the help and he has a high ceiling, but it doesn't take long watching a little film on him to see he's a big-time projection at this point even before you get into his motor and other off-court issues.


• This reminds me of the Dominique Easley or Ras-I Dowling picks by the Patriots. And both were met with some warranted skepticism as the Patriots' title drought had reached a decade.


• It'd just be nice to hear some of that on this pick, but you'll have a hard time finding it.


• Good to see the Red Sox offense decided to make an appearance before coming home to start a homestand tonight.


• Bruins are really going to do this Ilya Kovalchuk thing, huh? After five years in the KHL, and he's now 35? I feel like the guy in the Hoosiers barbershop scene ... I don't have a hair of a notion why we hired someone who's been in the water for the last 10 years ... Hope it works as well for the Bruins as it did Hickory.

— Celtics Junkies (@CelticsJunkies) June 22, 2018