NBA: Ranking the 10 best scouting departments over the past 20 years

Boston Celtics

A championship organization that has had a long history of winning, early on, Danny Ainge struck out a lot in the draft, but he’s been able to bounce back quite nicely in recent years. Looking back at his decision to draft Jayson Tatum, at the time, NCAA basketball analysts were raving about Fultz and considered him to be the for sure No. 1 pick.

So when Ainge decided to trade down and pass on such a coveted prospect, the NBA world was left puzzled. Fultz has dealt with an unusual shoulder injury and can still meet the standards that come with being the first pick, but you can’t deny how impressive Tatum, Rozier, and Brown (a pick that many Celtic fans booed on draft night) looked during the playoffs last year — all draft picks that Ainge made three years in a row.

Hits: Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Kelly Olynyk, Marcus Smart, Terry Rozier, Tony Allen, Al Jefferson

Misses: Fab Melo, Jared Sullinger, R.J. Hunter, James Young, J.R. Giddens, Kris Joseph