Even Danny Ainge let himself get excited on lottery night when the Celtics were assured to be in the top 3 going into that tense commercial break. Unfortunately for every green-clad, lucky charm wielding Celtics fan, the Green did not vault into the top two, where the two players in the 2016 draft pegged as franchise talents (Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram) will most certainly come off the board. However, as history shows, the number three pick isn't just a consolation prize -- it is often the safety net through which elite prospects rarely slip.
In the course of NBA history, it has normally been the number two pick that has fallen upon ill luck.