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To Pick Or Not To Pick |
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Matt Geagan is a sports producer at WBZ-TV… which means he’s not just into basketball. You can catch MattyG’s thoughts on all things sports on his FoxSports.com blog. You can email him at MattyG@RedsArmy.com |
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Ok it has been enough time. I need to step out of the dark room I’ve been sulking in for the last… wow... it’s been four weeks since the Celtics got kicked in the lower regions by the lottery system. In that time span, I thought a lot about giving it all up. Forget about the Celtics, and the town of Boston. I was thinking of moving to LA, try and get the smallest of roles in a movie, and then just get work on an E! special about growing up in the 90’s. But it’s finally time to pull myself together, and act like a grown fan. It’s come down to one question: To pick, or not to pick? Granted that’s the only Shakespearism that I actually understand (despite taking an entire course my senior year of college), but it’s a question we likely won’t know the answer until June 28th. So until then, keep poppin’ the Prozac AJ Soprano-style, because with Danny Ainge at the wheel, who knows what cliff the team could be driving off. |
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TO PICK |
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Yi Jianlian: The beast from the Far East seems to be the most likely to land on the Celtics. Maybe it’s just a Daisuke Matsuzaka hangover, but a lot of people like this kid. They say he is only 19, but some scouts think he could be 24 (I thought this only happened with Cuba and the Dominican). Even at 7-0, he is considered a Power Forward. But if he is only 19, there’s a chance he could learn to play center. Yi averaged over 24 points and 11 rebounds with the Guangdong Tigers last year. Scouts say he is a very physical player and a hard worker, but is not a shot blocker. The Celtics need a center that can play defense. So I don’t know if Yi is the answer. |
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Al Horford: He may be gone, but there’s a chance the 6-9 Power Forward could still be around. He has an impressive 7-3 wingspan, and put up huge numbers in the Gators second straight National Championship against the Buckeyes (18 points and 12 rebounds). He comes from a winning program and the Celtics need guys that know how to win. But where would he fit in? The Celts already have Al Jefferson, Leon Powe and to some extent, Ryan Gomes at Power Forward so someone would have to go if the Celts were to bring him (or Yi) aboard. |
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Mike Conley Jr.: Who wouldn’t want an explosive, team first, pure point guard like Mike Conley. Let’s face it, he led the Buckeyes to those wins over Xavier and Tennessee in the NCAA tournament (21 and 17 points respectively) when Greg Oden was in foul trouble. He’s never played without Oden so it will be interesting to see how he does when he goes out on his own. The Hawks may take him with the third pick (even though they have Speedy Claxton for three more years) and seeing how the Celts already have their point guard of the future in Rajon Rondo, why make this pick? |
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Joakim Noah: A year ago, Noah would have been the first pick in the draft. Now, who knows where he will go. He is a very intense and plays with a lot of heart. Noah may be 6-11, but would still be considered too small for an NBA Power Forwards. With a jumpshot that is almost nonexistent, Noah got most of his points off of offensive boards and dunks. He was a great college player that could play defense against smaller players, but what can we expect against bigger NBA talent? |
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Jeff Green: Green played with Jeremiah Rivers at Georgetown, so he must know what Doc Rivers is like. Then again, what’s the worst Doc’s own son would say about him, he doesn’t know how to use a set rotation? Anyways, Green is what a lot of people like to call a “point forward” or a guy who can run the floor even from the forward position. He can pass, shoot and rebound, although he isn’t great at any aspect of the game. Green is a very streaky shooter, but playing along side a guy like Paul Pierce means he wouldn’t have to be the top guy. |
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Julian Wright: Also known as a “point-forward,” Wright can pass the ball. He is also a pretty solid defender, which is a concern for the Celtics. Wright’s only problem is his inconsistency on offense. But the Celtics should focus more on defense, which would make Wright a pretty good candidate for them. |
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Al Thornton: What do Ryan Gomes, Allan Ray and Al Thornton all have in common? They all went to school for the full four years. I’m a huge fan of four year guys, not because they got their degree, but because they got the experience (as well as four years of bills, minus scholarships). Thornton was a 6-7 Power Forward at Florida State, but will have to revert to Small Forward in the NBA. He played well in tough games for FSU (29 points and 12 rebounds in a loss against UNC, and 21 and eight in a win against Duke) but is he what the Celtics need? I don’t think so. |
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Corey Brewer: They always say save the best for last. Well Brewer is my favorite. The swingman is a decent scorer, but his defense is his strongpoint. Mix him with Rajon Rondo in the back court, and the Celtics have a dynamic defensive duo. I hate to play the winner card again, but he was on back to back National Championships. If the Celts were to add another guard, someone (or more than one) would have to be sent packing. But adding a solid defender is just too good to pass up. He’ll just have to change jersey number, because #2 is off limits. |
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NOT TO PICK |
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On the flip side of things, if the Celts don’t want to draft anyone at five that means it’s up to Danny Ainge to pull off a trade. Preferably one that actually works out for the team. Last year, he traded away the 6th pick (which eventually ended up being 2007 Rookie of the Year Brandon Roy), Raef LaFrentz, and Dan Dickau for Theo Ratliff, Sebastian Telfair and a 2008 2nd round pick. It looks like a terrible trade on paper, but with Ratliff and his $11 million a year expiring after this season, he is a pretty decent bargaining chip or cap relief at the end of the year. Telfair is on his way out of Boston after a terrible season and another gun charge, but then again, would Dan Dickau have done any better? At least Raef won’t be wearing green and making nearly $13 million in 2009. So let’s give Danny a mulligan for that one. But of his 16 other trades since taking over the front office in 2003, Danny has pretty much swung and missed on all of them. The one trade he came away looking good was when he traded back for Antoine Walker at the trade deadline in 2005. The trade turned into a steal when Danny sent Gary Payton, Tom Gugliotta, and Michael Stewart to Atlanta, only to get Payton back a week later when he was released. Originally acquiring Payton from the Lakers was also a pretty decent move, but it was more of a sideways move than anything. But what about all of the other ones? Getting Ricky Davis in 2003 was decent, but it also meant fan favorite Eric Williams was gone, and soon after that, Jim O’Brien. And then turning Ricky into Wally Szczerbiak has really handcuffed the team. Wally was a 20 point a night guy, but that’s when he actually plays. Since Wally World will cost the Green $13 million into 2009, Danny almost had to trade Raef last year. Ok enough bashing Danny’s trades. (No just one more shot. Thanks for ruining my 20th birthday by trading away Toine. The 20th birthday is already dumb enough, and saying goodbye to the wiggle was just too much). He did manage to get two picks in his first year that later turned into Tony Allen and Delonte West. But if he is going to trade this year’s pick, it better be for a solid veteran, not just a salary dump and a head case. So who is out there? Kevin Garnett and Jermaine O’Neal are both available, but each would be pretty pricey. They both will be making over $20 million in the next few years as well. I couldn’t agree more with Karalis that Shawn Marion would be a great option for the Celtics. Despite possibly the ugliest shot in the NBA, Marion can score. Not just by that awful shot, but he attacks the hoop as well. At only 6-7 he can rebound extremely well. He’s averaged around ten every year he’s been in the league, minus his rookie season. And since I made a huge deal about defense with all the draft picks, Marion is easily a top ten defender in the league despite not making the first or second all defensive team. Ever. How does this happen? The one guy on the Suns that actually excels on the defensive side, and he doesn’t get rewarded for it. Anyways, Phoenix got screwed almost as much as the Celtics three weeks ago. Had the Hawks gotten the fourth pick or worse, it would have gone to Phoenix. Instead, Atlanta gets the third, and Phoenix gets NOTHING this year. How about the fifth pick, Gerald Green and Theo Ratliff for Marion and a second rounder? I’m sure Steve Kerr would love to start his tenure off with a big move like that. One thing is for sure, Danny better not screw this up. He can’t think he has to trade the pick, but rather he could trade the pick. He should sit back, and let the offers come in. If nothing else, he can get a few laughs. Like this one that Chad Ford reported from the Knicks: David Lee and Nate Robinson for Gerald Green, Sebastian Telfair and the Pick What I would have done to see Danny’s reaction to that one. He should have said, “Hey Isaiah, what do you say we throw in Al Jefferson for Jerome James, just to make it fair?” and then just started laughing and eventually hang up. Chances are Danny will have to make a trade at some point this summer. The team has an abundance of young talent and it would be great to package one or two of them to get that veteran help that Paul Pierce has wanted so much for the last few seasons. And there is always the chance that Pierce could be the one to go, in an effort to start the entire rebuilding process again. Danny should keep his ears, and mind, open to whatever teams are willing to offer. But like I said before, lets just hope this one actually works… |