During the 1997-98 season, Danny Ainge was so ahead of his time that some thought the then-Suns coach was out of his young mind.

Or maybe he was just making the most of his material. He sometimes started three point guards (Kevin Johnson, Jason Kidd, Steve Nash) and was an early implementer of a principle that seems to guide most forward-thinking coaches now: You can never pack enough skill into a lineup.

The Celtics president of baketball operations now has a coach in Brad Stevens who applies the standard to his big men as well. The goal is to play five skilled players together as often as possible.

Ainge is in New York this weekend for the closest thing there is, outside the Final Four, to college hoops heaven — the ACC tournament at Barclays Center and the Big East tournament at Madison Square Garden.

The most anticipated NBA draft in recent years is just over three months away, and Ainge has control of the first-round picks of the league’s worst team for two more years. The Nets’ death spiral is his gain, but at first glance the draft field doesn’t match his needs.

It has the potential to become one of the great point guard drafts, which isn’t exactly the right shoe size for the team of Isaiah Thomas, Avery Bradley, Marcus Smart and Terry Rozier.

Then again, provided he doesn’t trade the pick, maybe Ainge is thinking back to that crazy experiment, when the Suns won 56 games before a fast playoff exit with a guard-heavy scheme.

Though this is always fluid, right now the top three in the 2017 draft class points to the Celtics somehow supplementing backcourt skill with more of the same. Here’s a quick summary of the current best, all three of them freshmen:

• Markelle Fultz, 6-foot-5 point guard, University of Washington — He’s the most complete offensive player on the board, with near magical playmaking and the ability to score both off and with the ball, including the pick-and-roll. And the Celtics reportedly consider him the easiest fit out of this point guard field to play in tandem with Thomas. There could be some serious defensive consequences if this combination ever took form, but on offense the team considers it a very desirable mix. Fultz’ only blemish is his team. Though Fultz has played well individually with a 23.3 scoring average, just under six assists per game and almost as many rebounds, that success hasn’t translated to the Huskies overall. Some, alas, believe his season has been mildly disappointing, raising some questions (albeit quietly for now) about his leadership.

• Lonzo Ball, 6-6 point guard, UCLA — His shooting has been better than anticipated, and he’s the finest passer in the college game. And you might think that a player of this size, in an era when versatility is one of the greatest assets an NBA player can possess, will be able to make those plays from a variety of positions.

“No, he’s a point guard, that’s where he has to play,” said one scout, pointing to a limitation that could require more of an adjustment by the Celtics, were they to find a way to make him fit.

Ball has also benefitted this season from a situation that has hurt Fultz. The Bruins are a veteran team and have made his transition to the college game seamless.

• Dennis Smith Jr., 6-2 point guard, North Carolina State — He lacks the size of the other two, but is the most explosive player of the group, and a great threat off the dribble. Shooting is his challenge, though his 3-pointer has improved, and he’s also the best ready-made defender in this group. Encouraging, too, is Smith’s ability to rebound from a torn ACL that forced him to miss his senior season in high school.

“In a few years he could turn out to be the best of the bunch,” said the scout.

This week’s C’s timeline

Today, vs. Chicago, 3:30 p.m. — Heading into the weekend the Bulls held a half-game lead over Miami for the eighth and final playoff seed in the Eastern Conference. None would be surprised if the Bulls finish out of the playoffs, and this jumbled part of the conference considered, not many would be surprised if they end up with a first-round date with Cleveland. Nor does anyone quite understand how this team was constructed, either.

Wednesday, vs. Minnesota, 7:30 p.m. — If transported into the East, the Timberwolves would probably be fighting, successfully, for a late playoff seed. They are young, big and athletic, and thus the kind of team that still gives the Celtics a lot of trouble.

Friday, at Brooklyn 7:30 p.m. — The Celtics check in to see how their draft stock is doing, and have another chance here to ensure that their lottery odds remain the best in the league.

BOGUT HISTORY HURT HIS CHANCES

It was with a great deal of hesitancy that the Celtics approached that second trade deadline — bought-out free agents — this season. Their cynicism, in particular, focused on Andrew Bogut, the veteran center who was traded from Dallas to Philadelphia, and then left to choose from three terrific playoff situations — eventual employer Cleveland, the Celtics, and Houston.

But even before he was bought out, several in the Celtics organization had expressed grave reservations about Bogut’s extensive injury history, and wondered if it would truly be beneficial to bring him aboard as a help their rebounding and interior defensive troubles.

Bogut chose Cleveland and his greatest chance at a return to the finals, and suffered a stress fracture in his lower right leg not even one minute into his first game as a Cavalier. He was waived again, and that distant whistle you might have heard was of the Celtics realizing they dodged a bullet.

Though there was some speculation the Celtics might be interested when Bogut becomes a free agent on July 1, a league source made it clear last week — they will not be calling.