We are only a few hours away from the 2019 NBA Draft, where the Boston Celtics have three picks and an endless directions they could go as they look to rebound from moves that haven’t happened yet (technically, Kyrie Irving and Al Horford are yet to sign elsewhere!).

Often, people who follow the draft claim their victories but fail to own their mistakes -- finding things they were right about and burying the things they got wrong. So here are a combination of five takes and predictions entering Thursday’s pivotal evening. Think of this as a way to keep me honest (an important aside: These are not based on reporting).

1. Darius Bazley is going to go higher than people think.

Bazley has enough potential to convince teams to take a shot midway through the first round in a draft with little star talent. Squint hard enough, and you can see a how a player like Pascal Siakam might emerge with good development -- slithery athleticism, length, defensive versatility, vision and finishing around the rim.

If I were the Celtics, I would take a long look at Bazley at No. 20 or 22, assuming he makes it that far.

2. Bol Bol might slide late into the first round.

A few things that are true:

- A lot of teams have solid big men already and don’t need a center.

- Bol likely won’t go in the top eight. After the lottery (starting with the Celtics at No. 14), there are a bunch of teams relying on the draft to build next year’s rotation, and Bol likely won’t be a rotation player next year. Picking him is a bet on future development (and a prayer he can stay healthy). Is a team between 9 and 14 going to be willing to put real chips on Bol and roll the dice?

- The questions about Bol’s mentality and passion for the game aren’t new. They followed him for years, even while he was dominating at the high-school level.

Mix all that together, and you can paint a picture of a prospect who falls for a while on draft night. Teams in the 20s might be willing to take a flier, but the fit with Bol is a lot more difficult than many might think. He will struggle to defend at a high level, and teams are going to target him in PnRs constantly until he figures out a way to recover. His shooting is nice, but the holes in his game are going to be scary for lottery teams.

3. Louis King is going to be good.

Just about everybody who watched draft prospects year-long has a second-round sleeper or two they believe in unconditionally.

Mine is Oregon wing Louis King, who missed the first seven games of the season with a torn meniscus but returned to average 13.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, while shooting 38.6 percent from 3-point range. He’s a big wing -- 6-foot-9 in shoes, which is the 84th percentile for his position, according to NBAthlete’s numbers -- who can handle the ball, hit from deep and pull up on a dime. His jumper is smooth and comfortable, and he’s an explosive athlete. He needs to add some weight, and he isn’t much of a passer at this point, but there are a ton of tools to like.

Frankly, King probably should have gone back to school to showcase himself for another year. He has first-round talent (and maybe more).

4. The Celtics are going to take a hard look at Tyler Herro.

This is not reporting, just reading the tea leaves, but Herro had a great workout with the team and impressed with his shot-making ability. With no high-level point guards projected to be available at No. 14, Boston will likely have to consider a knock-down shooter who would space the floor for Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. Herro isn’t just a spot-up shooter either, which adds a level to his scoring potential.

5. This has Danny Ainge written all over it.

The Celtics don’t want three rookies on the team next year. A bunch of teams want in on the early 20s. Can Ainge grab a contributor in exchange for one of his picks? That certainly sounds like something he would be willing to try.