2025 CelticsBlog Fantasy Draft: '05-'25 Edition

[Roy H.]

Even Jrue, while an elite defender, isn't all that big (same with Victor).  He will struggle guarding all of the elite SG's in this

Jrue has never struggled to guard SGs.  You just crack me up, man.

Jrue Holiday spent an entire season at SF in New Orleans and made first team all-defense.  If you didn't notice, he routinely guarded SFs and even bigs while with Boston. 

[Who]

Rose really helps the SAB team. Dynamic shot creation.

Agreed. Great pickup.

A major boost to quickness / athleticism in the backcourt. Kidd and Vince older slower. I love the idea of a D-Rose & Kidd backcourt. Klay an average athlete. SGA was the only guy with strong speed. Rose gives the team a major boost athletically as well as providing another prolific dribble drive threat.

[Roy H.]

The Milwaukee Bucks select Tony Allen

Tony Allen is the type of disruptor I was talking about when I announced the Amen Thompson pick.  A guy who can come in and just mess with the other team's offensive scheme.

[Who]

Even Jrue, while an elite defender, isn't all that big (same with Victor).  He will struggle guarding all of the elite SG's in this

Jrue has never struggled to guard SGs.  You just crack me up, man.

Jrue Holiday spent an entire season at SF in New Orleans and made first team all-defense.  If you didn't notice, he routinely guarded SFs and even bigs while with Boston.

Yeah, I wouldn't be worried about Jrue or Oladipo defending big SGs. Both guys are very good at defending people bigger than them. I am guessing both guys are in the top 5 defensively of all SGs taken in this draft.

[Who]

The Milwaukee Bucks select Tony Allen

Tony Allen is the type of disruptor I was talking about when I announced the Amen Thompson pick.  A guy who can come in and just mess with the other team's offensive scheme.

Speaking of contrasting skill-sets ... Tony Allen and Michael Redd are about as different as you can get as reserve SGs for Milwaukee.

[Who]

I like the Battier pickup. Needed a true backup SF.

Toronto's bench shaping up well

G: Mike Conley
G: Devin Booker
F: Shane Battier
F: Paul Millsap, Chet Holmgren
C: Timelord

[Moranis]

Even Jrue, while an elite defender, isn't all that big (same with Victor).  He will struggle guarding all of the elite SG's in this

Jrue has never struggled to guard SGs.  You just crack me up, man.

Jrue Holiday spent an entire season at SF in New Orleans and made first team all-defense.  If you didn't notice, he routinely guarded SFs and even bigs while with Boston.

Yeah, I wouldn't be worried about Jrue or Oladipo defending SGs. Both guys are very good at defending people bigger than them. I am guessing both guys are in the top 5 defensively of all SGs taken in this draft.

Perhaps, but these aren't typical SG's.  They are bigger stronger and better than the vast majority of the league and while Jrue is incredibly strong he is only 6'4" and Victor was listed at 6'3".  I don't think they can defend someone like Kobe for an entire game. Sure possessions here and there, but the whole game is a big ask, especially when he has a poor defender at PG and SF.  He is always getting the toughest assignment and I don't think he is bug enough to handle it all game every game.

[Roy H.]

Even Jrue, while an elite defender, isn't all that big (same with Victor).  He will struggle guarding all of the elite SG's in this

Jrue has never struggled to guard SGs.  You just crack me up, man.

Jrue Holiday spent an entire season at SF in New Orleans and made first team all-defense.  If you didn't notice, he routinely guarded SFs and even bigs while with Boston.

Yeah, I wouldn't be worried about Jrue or Oladipo defending SGs. Both guys are very good at defending people bigger than them. I am guessing both guys are in the top 5 defensively of all SGs taken in this draft.

Perhaps, but these aren't typical SG's.  They are bigger stronger and better than the vast majority of the league and while Jrue is incredibly strong he is only 6'4" and Victor was listed at 6'3".  I don't think they can defend someone like Kobe for an entire game. Sure possessions here and there, but the whole game is a big ask, especially when he has a poor defender at PG and SF.  He is always getting the toughest assignment and I don't think he is bug enough to handle it all game every game.

We all have opinions.  It's just that not all of them are based in reality.  I'm probably an idiot for responding to your bait.

Maybe you should talk about Luka's defense and how he's going to guard anybody.  We all witnessed the traveshamockery he displayed in the 2024 Finals.  Or, how Fat Shaq is going to guard guys on the perimeter or in the pick-and-roll.

[snively]

Even Jrue, while an elite defender, isn't all that big (same with Victor).  He will struggle guarding all of the elite SG's in this

Jrue has never struggled to guard SGs.  You just crack me up, man.

Jrue Holiday spent an entire season at SF in New Orleans and made first team all-defense.  If you didn't notice, he routinely guarded SFs and even bigs while with Boston.

Yeah, I wouldn't be worried about Jrue or Oladipo defending SGs. Both guys are very good at defending people bigger than them. I am guessing both guys are in the top 5 defensively of all SGs taken in this draft.

Perhaps, but these aren't typical SG's.  They are bigger stronger and better than the vast majority of the league and while Jrue is incredibly strong he is only 6'4" and Victor was listed at 6'3".  I don't think they can defend someone like Kobe for an entire game. Sure possessions here and there, but the whole game is a big ask, especially when he has a poor defender at PG and SF.  He is always getting the toughest assignment and I don't think he is bug enough to handle it all game every game.

I think the problem with using Jrue/Dipo exclusively as SGs isn't their individual defensive capacity but the overall team size. By playing them as 2-guards next to smallish PGs, you keep the team small. And in

[Who]

Jaylen Brown
Ray Allen
Manu Ginobili
Anthony Edwards
Kobe Bryant
Jrue Holiday
Klay Thompson
Brandon Roy
Dwyane Wade
James Harden

Most of those guys aren't that big.

* Ray is a finesse player. Manu is a finesse player. Klay is a finesse player.

* B Roy a ball-handling guard. Ant stays mostly on the perimeter. Harden has a lot of muscle but again is a ball-handling SG like Ant or B-Roy.

* Wade has a strong post game but he is no bigger than Jrue or Oladipo.

* Kobe & Jaylen Brown are the only ones with superior height and a strong post games.

On a side note, I was watching a Ron Harper clip the other day where he talked about the difference between Kobe & MJ and said they were almost identical because Kobe patterned both his game and his identity after MJ. One difference though was strength. MJ was much stronger than Kobe and could withstand more of a beating.

I have no issue with the size of Jrue or Oladipo defending Kobe. They had guys of similar size who defended Kobe well during Kobe's career.

And we are all going to have double team CLE's big perimeter guys when they post up our guards.

[Who]

I think Boston will have to defend their own positions for the most part.

Steph is too small to switch over onto quality SGs or SFs. Hedo is too slow to switch over and defend quicker guards. So Hedo will have to defend his own spot at SF. Steph will have to defend his own position at PG. Jrue will be almost permanently be defending SGs as a result.

There are only a few teams that have perimeter guys who are low quality enough as scorers to switch across different positions. 90+% of the time guys will defend their own spot.

[snively]

Jaylen Brown
Ray Allen
Manu Ginobili
Anthony Edwards
Kobe Bryant
Jrue Holiday
Klay Thompson
Brandon Roy
Dwyane Wade
James Harden

Most of those guys aren't that big.

* Ray is a finesse player. Manu is a finesse player. Klay is a finesse player.

* B Roy a ball-handling guard. Ant stays mostly on the perimeter. Harden has a lot of muscle but again is a ball-handling SG like Ant or B-Roy.

* Wade has a strong post game but he is no bigger than Jrue or Oladipo.

* Kobe & Jaylen Brown are the only ones with superior height and a strong post games.

On a side note, I was watching a Ron Harper clip the other day where he talked about the difference between Kobe & MJ and said they were almost identical because Kobe patterned both his game and his identity after MJ. One difference though was strength. MJ was much stronger than Kobe and could withstand more of a beating.

I have no issue with the size of Jrue or Oladipo defending Kobe. They had guys of similar size who defended Kobe well during Kobe's career.

And we are all going to have double team CLE's big perimeter guys when they post up our guards.

Roy's bigger issue is this league will offer no place to hide Curry/Brunson while Hedo can also be match-up hunted by quicker guys.

[Who]

Love the Z-Bo pick.

Never thought of Smart.

[Who]

So Philly's bench will be:

G: Westbrook, J Wall
G: M Smart
F: Peja Stojakovic
F: K Love, B Griffin
C: M Camby

Interesting group. I am glad you added a SG in Smart. Balances out the bench.

--------------------

Wow, I just realized Philly have Rondo, Westbrook and John Wall at PG. Amazing athletes. Broken jump-shots. High assist genetrators. Each guy had 10+apg seasons, right? Did each guy lead the league in assists at one point?

John Wall had three 10+apg seasons but he finished 2nd each time. Westbrook had 5 such seasons and led the league 3 times. Rondo had 4 seasons of 10+apg and led the league 3 times. Wall finished 2nd to Rondo one year, to Harden one year, and to CP3 the other time.

[Roy H.]

I love the synergy between Tony Allen and Zach Randolph.  That "grit and grind" team was an entire vibe.  You know how certain teams will always be remembered even if they never made the Finals?  For me, some of those teams are the "Run TMC" Warriors, the early 2000s Kings, and the Zach Randolph Grizzlies.