CelticsStrong
Around the League => The Draft => Topic started by: CelticsElite on June 22, 2018, 12:42:57 AM
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CBS Sports
C Robert Williams, Texas A&M sophomore
The Celtics get the defensive-minded, elite-rebounding big man they needed. He's a great athlete who can defend in a lot of styles. Could he be the American Clint Capela? The "steal of the draft" label could be his. Grade: A+
https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/2018-nba-draft-grades-pick-by-pick-results-tracker-analysis-for-first-and-second-rounds/
Yahoo:
Boston Celtics: A
Boston got a super talent at No. 27 in Robert Williams, whom many feel had lottery talent. Williams is a strong rebounder with soft hands and has some Clint Capela to his game in terms of shot-blocking and rim-running ability. Questions about his motor and desire are why he slipped in the first round.
Sporting News:
A
The Celtics attempted to trade up into the top five in hopes of landing a young big man to develop, and instead, young developable big man Robert Williams fell to Boston at No. 27. This is a guy who was projected to go from pick Nos. 11-15.
It’s the kind of lucky draft-day break the Celtics would get when Red Auerbach was running the team, which might explain why, when Danny Ainge emerged from the team’s war room, he was two inches shorter, lost three inches off his hairline and sounded like Peter Falk when he spoke.
http://www.sportingnews.com/nba/news/nba-draft-2018-grades-picks-results-cavs-celtics-warriors-suns-kings-mavericks/i7rqmywdcnm31oem4usn37nrp
Steve Alexander, Rotoworld: A
They only got one player, but it was C Robert Williams (27) and many people, including me, are calling him the potential steal of the draft. And with Greg Monroe and Aron Baynes unrestricted free agents, the Celtics met a need without screwing up an already great team. Bravo.
SB Nation:
27. Boston Celtics - Robert Williams, C, Texas A&M
Grade: A
This is wild. Williams is a lottery-level talent as a shot blocker and rim runner in the vein of Clint Capela. He already has NBA-level strength and can jump out of the gym. Incredible value for Boston. How do they always pull this off?
https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2018/6/21/17489496/nba-draft-2018-grades-round-1
The Ringer:
gave us highest grade after pick 19 (A):
https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/6/21/17490094/grading-the-2018-nba-draft
27. Boston Celtics: Robert Williams, PF/C, Texas A&M
It will be interesting to see whether off-court or medical concerns contributed to Williams’s slide, because there’s no reason for a player this talented to be available near the end of the first round. Williams is as physically gifted as any of the big men who went in the top 10. He’s an über-athletic 6-foot-9 big who could stay in front of even the fastest point guards. He’s not particularly skilled on offense, but he shouldn’t have to do much beyond set screens and catch lobs in Boston.
Grade: A
Jeremy Woo, Sports Illustrated: B+
This is great value for the Celtics, who might be getting a starting-caliber talent and do a good job developing players. Many teams were scared off by Williams due to concerns about his maturity and the interview process—there was a sense he’d fall, but perhaps not this far. Someone else’s risky investment is now a terrific flier for Boston here, and the Celtics will give him a strong environment in which to succeed.
USA Today:
gave us the highest grade after pick 20 (B): https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/2018-nba-draft-grades-pick-by-pick-results-tracker-analysis-for-first-and-second-rounds/
27. Boston Celtics - Robert Williams, Texas A&M
Williams is a tantalizing prospect with his size and athleticism, but the reason he nearly fell out of the first round is because there are questions about his work ethic. If he brings the same effort each night, he could be a nightmare on pick-and-roll lobs from Kyrie Irving. A lottery-level talent, he's worth a shot at this point.
Grade: (B)
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He's quite decorated:
#3 in PER in the SEC since 2009-2010:
https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/conferences/sec/leaders/per-player-career.html
#2 in SEC Box +/- since 09-10:
https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/conferences/sec/leaders/bpm-player-career.html
#2 in SEC Defensive Box +/- since 09-10:
https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/conferences/sec/leaders/dbpm-player-career.html
#2 in SEC Defensive Rebound % since 09-10:
https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/conferences/sec/leaders/drb-pct-player-career.html
#6 in SEC Block % since 09-10:
https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/conferences/sec/leaders/drb-pct-player-career.html
The other names to pop up multiple times at the top are Willie Cauley Stein, Bobby Portis, and JaMychal Green. Not bad company for the #27 pick, our only 'quiet' draft in 6 years.
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let us just hope that he is one of those players who tanked in college because he wasnt getting paid, and now that he is actually getting paid he will work hard at his job. If he doesnt, it wont be for lack of positive environment.
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The next Clint Capela or Ben Wallace
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We got extemely lucky he fell to us. I know he was pick once he was still there and we were on the clock.
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The next Clint Capela or Ben Wallace
He reminds me of Whiteside or Caples at the moment from the videos
hard to say when he hits the NBA floor
does he become Caples or Jordon Mickey
The pros make 98 % of college star look very poor . Tatum is the one in 1 in million exception.m
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Givony - ESPN/DraftXpress
You get to give out one A grade. Who gets it?
Jonathan Givony: The Boston Celtics. I thought Robert Williams should have been a lottery pick. To get him at No. 27 -- especially considering the makeup of their roster and the fact that he might get real playing time as early as next season -- is a major coup.
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This from ESPN:
http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/23864234/2018-nba-draft-six-big-first-round-winners
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let us just hope that he is one of those players who tanked in college because he wasnt getting paid, and now that he is actually getting paid he will work hard at his job. If he doesnt, it wont be for lack of positive environment.
Really? That's not a good attitude for a college kid.
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The A-grades are correct across the board. Not necessarily because of the player (about whom I know nothing), but rather, because the Celtics did what you're supposed to do at the end of the first round: Take a player who is either going to be a huge steal or a bust, with nothing in between.
Mike
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let us just hope that he is one of those players who tanked in college because he wasnt getting paid, and now that he is actually getting paid he will work hard at his job. If he doesnt, it wont be for lack of positive environment.
Really? That's not a good attitude for a college kid.
Hard to know what is going on in peoples lives. In high school freshman/sophomore years I was barely a C student my home life was a mess. Moved out and made the honor roll junior year and was top 5 GPA senior year. Maybe his love life was a mess, sick parents, hated the coach, was a bad system for him, or maybe he's just not competitive! We shall see but right now I'm excited to have him.
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When was the last time the Celtics had a real shot blocker ? i cant wait for swatted balls traveling to the 4th and 5th rows! (thats what she said)
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The next Clint Capela or Ben Wallace
If indeed capela is a parallel player, then let’s all remember that in capelas rookie year he hardly played and was not very good.
Will that keep Cbers from screaming “bust” early on if he doesn’t look great? We shall see. ;D
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When was the last time the Celtics had a real shot blocker ? i cant wait for swatted balls traveling to the 4th and 5th rows! (thats what she said)
Remember what bill Russell said about such blocks. To do this only gives the ball back to the other team. More effective is to block the ball to one of your teammates, not the fourth row.
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Rare draft where the expectations of fan base met that of the front office. Very little criticism of this pick day after. I guess that's a good thing.
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https://twitter.com/DannyLeroux/status/1009984582223945729
@DannyLeroux
"Absolute heist. My biggest steal of the draft (having not watched many guys outside the lottery)"
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When was the last time the Celtics had a real shot blocker ? i cant wait for swatted balls traveling to the 4th and 5th rows! (thats what she said)
Remember what bill Russell said about such blocks. To do this only gives the ball back to the other team. More effective is to block the ball to one of your teammates, not the fourth row.
That’s what Bill said, or that’s what ‘she’ said ?
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When was the last time the Celtics had a real shot blocker ? i cant wait for swatted balls traveling to the 4th and 5th rows! (thats what she said)
Remember what bill Russell said about such blocks. To do this only gives the ball back to the other team. More effective is to block the ball to one of your teammates, not the fourth row.
That’s what Bill said, or that’s what ‘she’ said ?
Hee hee!
It was a "that's what she said" joke.
Mike
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Finally! We replaced what we lost with Jordan Mickey!
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When was the last time the Celtics had a real shot blocker ? i cant wait for swatted balls traveling to the 4th and 5th rows! (thats what she said)
Well, Steimsma was basically Bill Russell, so I guess 2012?
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This from ESPN:
http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/23864234/2018-nba-draft-six-big-first-round-winners
Boston Celtics
Selected center Robert Williams with the No. 27 pick.
Schmitz: Along with Walker, Williams has the potential to be the steal of the draft at No. 27 -- the same draft slot of a similar lob-catching, shot-blocking center in Clint Capela. While there are clear questions about Williams' motor, the rangy big man is without a doubt a top-10 caliber talent when fully engaged.
He's much more suited for the open NBA game than the role he played as a power forward with clogged paint at Texas A&M. Boston is the exact environment that Williams needs to rev up his focus and commitment to his craft. The Celtics also could really use a big in Williams' mold, as he'll be a tremendous lob threat for Kyrie Irving and the rest of Boston's offensive weapons.
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This from ESPN:
http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/23864234/2018-nba-draft-six-big-first-round-winners
Boston Celtics
Selected center Robert Williams with the No. 27 pick.
Schmitz: Along with Walker, Williams has the potential to be the steal of the draft at No. 27 -- the same draft slot of a similar lob-catching, shot-blocking center in Clint Capela. While there are clear questions about Williams' motor, the rangy big man is without a doubt a top-10 caliber talent when fully engaged.
He's much more suited for the open NBA game than the role he played as a power forward with clogged paint at Texas A&M. Boston is the exact environment that Williams needs to rev up his focus and commitment to his craft. The Celtics also could really use a big in Williams' mold, as he'll be a tremendous lob threat for Kyrie Irving and the rest of Boston's offensive weapons.
I think certainly the C's also saw the potential Williams had and that he was misused a bit at A&M. I think CBS even mentioned this in one of the interviews yesterday, and many draft pundits have echoed the same, that Williams was misused at A&M and could have done more in different roles. No doubt CBS can unlock Williams' true potential ;D
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Finally! We replaced what we lost with Jordan Mickey!
Danny has finally advanced to taking 6'9" big men instead of 6'8" big men. It's a big day
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Finally! We replaced what we lost with Jordan Mickey!
Danny has finally advanced to taking 6'9" big men instead of 6'8" big men. It's a big day
I'm so proud of him.
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SB Nation:
27. Boston Celtics - Robert Williams, C, Texas A&M
Grade: A
This is wild. Williams is a lottery-level talent as a shot blocker and rim runner in the vein of Clint Capela. He already has NBA-level strength and can jump out of the gym. Incredible value for Boston. How do they always pull this off?
https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2018/6/21/17489496/nba-draft-2018-grades-round-1
Ummm, Boston has NEVER pulled this off before. Who else is a lottery-level talent who slipped to the end of the draft and was drafted by Boston?
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The next Clint Capela or Ben Wallace
I will gladly take a Biyombo too.
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SB Nation:
27. Boston Celtics - Robert Williams, C, Texas A&M
Grade: A
This is wild. Williams is a lottery-level talent as a shot blocker and rim runner in the vein of Clint Capela. He already has NBA-level strength and can jump out of the gym. Incredible value for Boston. How do they always pull this off?
https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2018/6/21/17489496/nba-draft-2018-grades-round-1
Ummm, Boston has NEVER pulled this off before. Who else is a lottery-level talent who slipped to the end of the draft and was drafted by Boston?
It's the Dunkin Donut coffee drinking leprechauns.
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After not taking Jordan Bell last year, this feels great.
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SB Nation:
27. Boston Celtics - Robert Williams, C, Texas A&M
Grade: A
This is wild. Williams is a lottery-level talent as a shot blocker and rim runner in the vein of Clint Capela. He already has NBA-level strength and can jump out of the gym. Incredible value for Boston. How do they always pull this off?
https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2018/6/21/17489496/nba-draft-2018-grades-round-1
Ummm, Boston has NEVER pulled this off before. Who else is a lottery-level talent who slipped to the end of the draft and was drafted by Boston?
Not to be a party pooper but gerald green?
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SB Nation:
27. Boston Celtics - Robert Williams, C, Texas A&M
Grade: A
This is wild. Williams is a lottery-level talent as a shot blocker and rim runner in the vein of Clint Capela. He already has NBA-level strength and can jump out of the gym. Incredible value for Boston. How do they always pull this off?
https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2018/6/21/17489496/nba-draft-2018-grades-round-1
Ummm, Boston has NEVER pulled this off before. Who else is a lottery-level talent who slipped to the end of the draft and was drafted by Boston?
Not to be a party pooper but gerald green?
sullinger too
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CBS Sports
C Robert Williams, Texas A&M sophomore
The Celtics get the defensive-minded, elite-rebounding big man they needed. He's a great athlete who can defend in a lot of styles. Could he be the American Clint Capela? The "steal of the draft" label could be his. Grade: A+
https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/2018-nba-draft-grades-pick-by-pick-results-tracker-analysis-for-first-and-second-rounds/
SB Nation:
27. Boston Celtics - Robert Williams, C, Texas A&M
Grade: A
This is wild. Williams is a lottery-level talent as a shot blocker and rim runner in the vein of Clint Capela. He already has NBA-level strength and can jump out of the gym. Incredible value for Boston. How do they always pull this off?
https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2018/6/21/17489496/nba-draft-2018-grades-round-1
The Ringer:
gave us highest grade after pick 19 (A):
https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/6/21/17490094/grading-the-2018-nba-draft
27. Boston Celtics: Robert Williams, PF/C, Texas A&M
It will be interesting to see whether off-court or medical concerns contributed to Williams’s slide, because there’s no reason for a player this talented to be available near the end of the first round. Williams is as physically gifted as any of the big men who went in the top 10. He’s an über-athletic 6-foot-9 big who could stay in front of even the fastest point guards. He’s not particularly skilled on offense, but he shouldn’t have to do much beyond set screens and catch lobs in Boston.
Grade: A
USA Today:
gave us the highest grade after pick 20 (B): https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/2018-nba-draft-grades-pick-by-pick-results-tracker-analysis-for-first-and-second-rounds/
27. Boston Celtics - Robert Williams, Texas A&M
Williams is a tantalizing prospect with his size and athleticism, but the reason he nearly fell out of the first round is because there are questions about his work ethic. If he brings the same effort each night, he could be a nightmare on pick-and-roll lobs from Kyrie Irving. A lottery-level talent, he's worth a shot at this point.
Grade: (B)
I am sorry but the idea of these immediate draft grades are mostly moronic, I remember when Ainge was lambasted for drafting Rozier so high and thought R.J Hunter was a good pick that late, so these guys have no idea how players will turn out mostly.
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Yahoo:
Boston Celtics: A
Boston got a super talent at No. 27 in Robert Williams, whom many feel had lottery talent. Williams is a strong rebounder with soft hands and has some Clint Capela to his game in terms of shot-blocking and rim-running ability. Questions about his motor and desire are why he slipped in the first round.
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The next Clint Capela or Ben Wallace
If indeed capela is a parallel player, then let’s all remember that in capelas rookie year he hardly played and was not very good.
Will that keep Cbers from screaming “bust” early on if he doesn’t look great? We shall see. ;D
Probably best to keep these numbers around, then :-\ -
https://www.basketball-reference.com/gleague/players/c/capelcl01d.html
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Finally! We replaced what we lost with Jordan Mickey!
Danny has finally advanced to taking 6'9" big men instead of 6'8" big men. It's a big day
I'm so proud of him.
Bring it in, guys. Group hug, lol ::) ;D.
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The next Clint Capela or Ben Wallace
He reminds me of Whiteside or Caples at the moment from the videos
hard to say when he hits the NBA floor
does he become Caples or Jordon Mickey
The pros make 98 % of college star look very poor . Tatum is the one in 1 in million exception.m
Autocorrect? ;D
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SB Nation:
27. Boston Celtics - Robert Williams, C, Texas A&M
Grade: A
This is wild. Williams is a lottery-level talent as a shot blocker and rim runner in the vein of Clint Capela. He already has NBA-level strength and can jump out of the gym. Incredible value for Boston. How do they always pull this off?
https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2018/6/21/17489496/nba-draft-2018-grades-round-1
Ummm, Boston has NEVER pulled this off before. Who else is a lottery-level talent who slipped to the end of the draft and was drafted by Boston?
avery bradley? gerald green was considered lottery level before the draft. so was sullinger.
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SB Nation:
27. Boston Celtics - Robert Williams, C, Texas A&M
Grade: A
This is wild. Williams is a lottery-level talent as a shot blocker and rim runner in the vein of Clint Capela. He already has NBA-level strength and can jump out of the gym. Incredible value for Boston. How do they always pull this off?
https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2018/6/21/17489496/nba-draft-2018-grades-round-1
Ummm, Boston has NEVER pulled this off before. Who else is a lottery-level talent who slipped to the end of the draft and was drafted by Boston?
avery bradley? gerald green was considered lottery level before the draft. so was sullinger.
Rajon Rondo
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SB Nation:
27. Boston Celtics - Robert Williams, C, Texas A&M
Grade: A
This is wild. Williams is a lottery-level talent as a shot blocker and rim runner in the vein of Clint Capela. He already has NBA-level strength and can jump out of the gym. Incredible value for Boston. How do they always pull this off?
https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2018/6/21/17489496/nba-draft-2018-grades-round-1
Ummm, Boston has NEVER pulled this off before. Who else is a lottery-level talent who slipped to the end of the draft and was drafted by Boston?
avery bradley? gerald green was considered lottery level before the draft. so was sullinger.
Bradley and Green were both picked in the teens, which isn’t quite the same thing. Even Sullinger in the early 20s is different, since a lot of people thought he could fall due to medical issues. Williams going 10-15 spots after people thought kind of took everyone by surprise.
We got a bit lucky that most of the teams in the 16-26 range didn’t necessarily need a player like Williams, since they already have someone comparable.
Phoenix has Ayton/Philly has Embiid
Milwaukee has Maker
Spurs could have picked him
Atlanta has Collins
Minnesota has Patton (and Towns and Dieng)
Utah has Gobert
Bulls maybe could have picked him, but they already had a promise to Hutchison (and had already picked Carter)
Pacers have Turner
Blazers have Collins and probably Nurkic
Lakers could have picked him
Sixers have Embiid
Once he fell below Washington, who needed a player just like him, there really weren’t all that many great landing spots. The Spurs got another lottery-level talent with injury concerns, and that was about it until the Lakers passed at 25. So there definitely was some real fortune there if you believe that Williams was the top prospect on the board for a few picks.
Thinking about the draft process has gotten me a little more excited about Williams, and I’m willing to believe that he could have gone 5-10 spots higher but for Washington making a bad pick and the circumstances with most of the other teams in between prioritizing wings over a rim-running big, as it’s a specialty position that you generally only need one of.
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SB Nation:
27. Boston Celtics - Robert Williams, C, Texas A&M
Grade: A
This is wild. Williams is a lottery-level talent as a shot blocker and rim runner in the vein of Clint Capela. He already has NBA-level strength and can jump out of the gym. Incredible value for Boston. How do they always pull this off?
https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2018/6/21/17489496/nba-draft-2018-grades-round-1
Ummm, Boston has NEVER pulled this off before. Who else is a lottery-level talent who slipped to the end of the draft and was drafted by Boston?
avery bradley? gerald green was considered lottery level before the draft. so was sullinger.
Bradley and Green were both picked in the teens, which isn’t quite the same thing. Even Sullinger in the early 20s is different, since a lot of people thought he could fall due to medical issues. Williams going 10-15 spots after people thought kind of took everyone by surprise.
We got a bit lucky that most of the teams in the 16-26 range didn’t necessarily need a player like Williams, since they already have someone comparable.
Phoenix has Ayton/Philly has Embiid
Milwaukee has Maker
Spurs could have picked him
Atlanta has Collins
Minnesota has Patton (and Towns and Dieng)
Utah has Gobert
Bulls maybe could have picked him, but they already had a promise to Hutchison (and had already picked Carter)
Pacers have Turner
Blazers have Collins and probably Nurkic
Lakers could have picked him
Sixers have Embiid
Once he fell below Washington, who needed a player just like him, there really weren’t all that many great landing spots. The Spurs got another lottery-level talent with injury concerns, and that was about it until the Lakers passed at 25. So there definitely was some real fortune there if you believe that Williams was the top prospect on the board for a few picks.
Thinking about the draft process has gotten me a little more excited about Williams, and I’m willing to believe that he could have gone 5-10 spots higher but for Washington making a bad pick and the circumstances with most of the other teams in between prioritizing wings over a rim-running big, as it’s a specialty position that you generally only need one of.
Didn't Wall recently say the Wizards need more athletic big men? I'm not sure if I recall correctly, but I remember that. Makes their pick very weird indeed
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SB Nation:
27. Boston Celtics - Robert Williams, C, Texas A&M
Grade: A
This is wild. Williams is a lottery-level talent as a shot blocker and rim runner in the vein of Clint Capela. He already has NBA-level strength and can jump out of the gym. Incredible value for Boston. How do they always pull this off?
https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2018/6/21/17489496/nba-draft-2018-grades-round-1
Ummm, Boston has NEVER pulled this off before. Who else is a lottery-level talent who slipped to the end of the draft and was drafted by Boston?
avery bradley? gerald green was considered lottery level before the draft. so was sullinger.
Bradley and Green were both picked in the teens, which isn’t quite the same thing. Even Sullinger in the early 20s is different, since a lot of people thought he could fall due to medical issues. Williams going 10-15 spots after people thought kind of took everyone by surprise.
We got a bit lucky that most of the teams in the 16-26 range didn’t necessarily need a player like Williams, since they already have someone comparable.
Phoenix has Ayton/Philly has Embiid
Milwaukee has Maker
Spurs could have picked him
Atlanta has Collins
Minnesota has Patton (and Towns and Dieng)
Utah has Gobert
Bulls maybe could have picked him, but they already had a promise to Hutchison (and had already picked Carter)
Pacers have Turner
Blazers have Collins and probably Nurkic
Lakers could have picked him
Sixers have Embiid
Once he fell below Washington, who needed a player just like him, there really weren’t all that many great landing spots. The Spurs got another lottery-level talent with injury concerns, and that was about it until the Lakers passed at 25. So there definitely was some real fortune there if you believe that Williams was the top prospect on the board for a few picks.
Thinking about the draft process has gotten me a little more excited about Williams, and I’m willing to believe that he could have gone 5-10 spots higher but for Washington making a bad pick and the circumstances with most of the other teams in between prioritizing wings over a rim-running big, as it’s a specialty position that you generally only need one of.
Didn't Wall recently say the Wizards need more athletic big men? I'm not sure if I recall correctly, but I remember that. Makes their pick very weird indeed
Yes, he did. Fans here in DC seem baffled by passing on Williams, especially when their choice was instead a combo guard that can’t shoot and has only average athleticism. I thought the Wizards had absolutely the worst draft, between their absurd 1st round selection and then passing on Keita Bates-Diop in the second to select an 18 year-old Euro guard who’s years from even coming over, much less contributing. That team is over the tax with 10 players, has questionable depth and is lacking front-court athleticism. Rather than getting the type of athleticism they need and an immediate contributor at the 3/4 in KBD, they selected two projects, who are of questionable fit with their best players (who happen to be the only players they have under contract beyond this year).
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I read Williams didn't go to the Combine. He also didn't show up Draft night. And then he didn't come out for the draft last year. Some in the media questioned his work ethic, but I didn't see that in the videos I saw, unless he was spending too much time over the rim!
It apparently doesn't take much for talent to drop in the draft boards. I recall Pierce dropped to 10th his draft year and fell into Pitino's lap. Porter dropped to 14 this year because of concerns about his back--even though he had come back and played after his rehab. Though he cancelled his workout before the draft, which may have also been a factor.
I guess you have to ask the other GMs why they didn't consider Williams prior to #27. Many had him as a lottery pick the previous year. Maybe another factor was Texas A & M wasn't very good last season.
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https://twitter.com/DannyLeroux/status/1009984582223945729
@DannyLeroux
"Absolute heist. My biggest steal of the draft (having not watched many guys outside the lottery)"
This could be a heist of Red Auerbach proportions. :laugh:
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SB Nation:
27. Boston Celtics - Robert Williams, C, Texas A&M
Grade: A
This is wild. Williams is a lottery-level talent as a shot blocker and rim runner in the vein of Clint Capela. He already has NBA-level strength and can jump out of the gym. Incredible value for Boston. How do they always pull this off?
https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2018/6/21/17489496/nba-draft-2018-grades-round-1
Ummm, Boston has NEVER pulled this off before. Who else is a lottery-level talent who slipped to the end of the draft and was drafted by Boston?
avery bradley? gerald green was considered lottery level before the draft. so was sullinger.
Bradley and Green were both picked in the teens, which isn’t quite the same thing. Even Sullinger in the early 20s is different, since a lot of people thought he could fall due to medical issues. Williams going 10-15 spots after people thought kind of took everyone by surprise.
We got a bit lucky that most of the teams in the 16-26 range didn’t necessarily need a player like Williams, since they already have someone comparable.
Phoenix has Ayton/Philly has Embiid
Milwaukee has Maker
Spurs could have picked him
Atlanta has Collins
Minnesota has Patton (and Towns and Dieng)
Utah has Gobert
Bulls maybe could have picked him, but they already had a promise to Hutchison (and had already picked Carter)
Pacers have Turner
Blazers have Collins and probably Nurkic
Lakers could have picked him
Sixers have Embiid
Once he fell below Washington, who needed a player just like him, there really weren’t all that many great landing spots. The Spurs got another lottery-level talent with injury concerns, and that was about it until the Lakers passed at 25. So there definitely was some real fortune there if you believe that Williams was the top prospect on the board for a few picks.
Thinking about the draft process has gotten me a little more excited about Williams, and I’m willing to believe that he could have gone 5-10 spots higher but for Washington making a bad pick and the circumstances with most of the other teams in between prioritizing wings over a rim-running big, as it’s a specialty position that you generally only need one of.
Didn't Wall recently say the Wizards need more athletic big men? I'm not sure if I recall correctly, but I remember that. Makes their pick very weird indeed
Yes, he did. Fans here in DC seem baffled by passing on Williams, especially when their choice was instead a combo guard that can’t shoot and has only average athleticism. I thought the Wizards had absolutely the worst draft, between their absurd 1st round selection and then passing on Keita Bates-Diop in the second to select an 18 year-old Euro guard who’s years from even coming over, much less contributing. That team is over the tax with 10 players, has questionable depth and is lacking front-court athleticism. Rather than getting the type of athleticism they need and an immediate contributor at the 3/4 in KBD, they selected two projects, who are of questionable fit with their best players (who happen to be the only players they have under contract beyond this year).
Yeah, their selections made absolutely no sense to me. I would’ve even liked to see them take a flyer on Metu ahead of the Ukrainian guard. I think a few teams will regret passing on KBD, most of all Washington
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When was the last time the Celtics had a real shot blocker ? i cant wait for swatted balls traveling to the 4th and 5th rows! (thats what she said)
Remember what bill Russell said about such blocks. To do this only gives the ball back to the other team. More effective is to block the ball to one of your teammates, not the fourth row.
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