If Zombie Doc Talks return, it will be over which number 1 pick

There's still a good amount of chatter for a deal that has now been pronounced dead twice. As has been said 101 times already, the deal isn't really dead (only "mostly dead") until the Clippers hire a coach not named Doc Rivers.

Zombies are annoying like that. You never know when they'll pop up and start looking for brain a la carte. Gotta make sure you give them the double-tap. Don't be a hero.

The Clippers, for their part, have talked compensation with both Byron Scott and Brian Shaw. But still no hire. Reportedly Doc Rivers is very upset about the way this whole process has made him look and it sounds like he's had about enough of Donald Sterling's lowball/hardball tactics. You'd think that at some point he'd decide that he wouldn't want to work for that guy anyway. Then again, there's a lot of money on the table and a chance at a ring could make it bearable.

You have to think Danny doesn't really care either. Aside from feeling bad for his buddy Doc, Ainge is only really concerned about getting something out of this. So maybe he'll just wait out the Sterling games and end up still getting his number one pick on Monday (or thereabouts).

At some point, Sterling has to relent and give up a number one pick if he wants this done. The second rounder just won't cut it. So the negotiations have to come down to which number one pick it would be.

Celtics Say Talks Are Dead, Clippers Say They're Just Passed Out | SportsCity.com

As for Donald, who’s not immovable — just the next thing to it — I can’t believe he won’t finally offer a No. 1. Unfortunately, team president Andy Roeser couldn’t put it on the table Friday when talks broke up because Donald, who loves draft picks — think about it, each one bringing a player who works cheap for five years — hadn’t authorized it. Assuming Donald decides he can live without one of his precious No. 1s, the question will arise, which one? The Clippers are reportedly okay with giving up next week’s No. 25 pick, but Ainge doesn’t want it. Ainge wants their No. 1 in the hot 2014 draft but, surprise, so do the Clippers. The 2015 pick? It’s a real possibility with Ainge, obviously a student of history, aware of the Clips’ tendency to implode every few years.

That seems logical to me. I'd rather have 2014 but if that's not an option then I'm fine with 2015 over 2013. We might never actually use that pick. It could be packaged with some other pieces to complete a bigger trade.

So will it get done in a couple of days? Or will it be finally, completely double-tapped to death? Or will there be more waiting and wondering and wandering around looking for brains?