Dwyer praises O'Bryant

[Jeff]

the most glowing report I've seen of the guy yet:

Signed by the Celtics in a great move. Every time I saw this guy last year he looked solid, he just turned 22, and has a good run in limited minutes since his foul-happy first year with Golden State.

Because O'Bryant was drafted by the Warriors before Don Nelson came on board, Nellie couldn't take credit for him, and never took to him. Pity, because he has skills and put together some good numbers down in the NBDL. He'll come cheap, he's the same age as Jason Thompson and six months older than Roy Hibbert, and the skills are there. Now he needs the minutes.

[SShoreFan 2.0]

Nice words.......the comparison to Hibbert should excite a lot of people.

I don't know much about the author, but as much as he praises the O'Bryant signing he writes that New Orleans overpaid for Posey.

[ChampKind]

Nice words.......the comparison to Hibbert should excite a lot of people.

I wouldn't call that a glowing comparison, just a reference to his youth and that he could be viewed as a bonus draft pick.  You could make a pretty similar comparison between Scalabrine and Michael Redd - it doesn't mean anything about his skill level.

[indeedproceed]

Nice words.......the comparison to Hibbert should excite a lot of people.

I wouldn't call that a glowing comparison, just a reference to his youth and that he could be viewed as a bonus draft pick.  You could make a pretty similar comparison between Scalabrine and Michael Redd - it doesn't mean anything about his skill level.

I think its more debunking Nellie's "He never got any better and never will" comments. That to me was O'Bryant's biggest knock, and this does help a little bit to ease the mind of this fan.

[Andy Jick]

Nellie's overrated...

always a bridesmaid and never a bride (as a coach)...i take his evaluations of centers with a grain of salt (he of the paul mokeski / randy brewer / desagna diop school of centers).

[Mon]

Nellie's overrated...

always a bridesmaid and never a bride (as a coach)...i take his evaluations of centers with a grain of salt (he of the paul mokeski / randy brewer / desagna diop school of centers).

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/steve_aschburner/12/21/nelson/index.html

This article really backs up what you're saying.

"Nelson always has been fascinated with "bigs," but rarely the traditional or All-Star variety. Instead, he has gone for the likes of Bol, Chris Anstey, Shawn Bradley, Wang Zhizhi or Dirk Nowitzki, arguably the league's ultimate perimeter 7-footer. Give him a low-post, back-to-the-basket, old-fashioned pivot man, though, and you'd almost expect Nellie to get bored."

I am optimistic that O'Bryant can "break out" and be a good center in this league.

[Robb]

Nice words.......the comparison to Hibbert should excite a lot of people.

I wouldn't call that a glowing comparison, just a reference to his youth and that he could be viewed as a bonus draft pick.  You could make a pretty similar comparison between Scalabrine and Michael Redd - it doesn't mean anything about his skill level.

I thought the same thing, but I'll take optimism about Patty any way I can get it.

[Cman]

Nellie's overrated...

always a bridesmaid and never a bride (as a coach)...i take his evaluations of centers with a grain of salt (he of the paul mokeski / randy brewer / desagna diop school of centers).

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/steve_aschburner/12/21/nelson/index.html

This article really backs up what you're saying.

"Nelson always has been fascinated with "bigs," but rarely the traditional or All-Star variety. Instead, he has gone for the likes of Bol, Chris Anstey, Shawn Bradley, Wang Zhizhi or Dirk Nowitzki, arguably the league's ultimate perimeter 7-footer. Give him a low-post, back-to-the-basket, old-fashioned pivot man, though, and you'd almost expect Nellie to get bored."

I am optimistic that O'Bryant can "break out" and be a good center in this league.

We have a perimeter oriented stiff, er big, that might interest you Nellie, his name is Scal.

[Jon]

Nelson's an interesting guy.  But if you examine his most recent teams (the Mavs and the Warriors) how much he concentrates on offense and so little he concentrates on defense, his judgment is highly questionable, especially in light of the defensive-minded Celtics dominating the offensive-minded Lakers in the Finals. 

Regardless, I've always been a great believer in youth.  Had this kid stayed in school, he'd just be coming out now and would probably have been one of the top picks.  Give him a chance.  The Celtics need to take low-risk, high-reward opportunities like this given their limited financial resources. 

[Andy Jick]

Nelson's an interesting guy.  But if you examine his most recent teams (the Mavs and the Warriors) how much he concentrates on offense and so little he concentrates on defense, his judgment is highly questionable, especially in light of the defensive-minded Celtics dominating the offensive-minded Lakers in the Finals. 

Regardless, I've always been a great believer in youth.  Had this kid stayed in school, he'd just be coming out now and would probably have been one of the top picks.  Give him a chance.  The Celtics need to take low-risk, high-reward opportunities like this given their limited financial resources. 

exactly...there is this misnomer that offense sells tickets but defense wins titles.  well, you can't really have both, and if such a team does exist they are special.  this past celtics' team came awfully close, but they were still offensively challenged.

WINNING is what puts people in the chairs...nelson will never win a title with his philosophy of basketball because today's nba is more defense-oriented than it was 20+ years ago when nellie had moncrief, cummings, pierce, pressey, sikma and the gang playing.

[amenhotep04]

I think you guys are being overly harsh on the original poster.

I remember in the mid 80s Nellie gave an interview where he said that basketball had passed Red by.  He said that Red needed to adapt to changes in the league, and that Red wasn't doing it.  I think history has shown that Nellie was wrong.

About the same time Red gave an interview where he discussed the makings of a championship team.  Strangely enough, it followed the line Danny went.

O'Bryant can play.  The only thing that will make him a stiff is if he doesn't work.  If he does, the guy will contribute. O'Bryant in 2008 is a much better 'draft pick' than O'Bryant in 2006.

[jdub1660]

Let OBrant play in Doc's system and we'll see how good he is. Nellie ruins young players as he won't let them play. Look at Ellis wanting out, along with the vet Al Harrington

[Roy Hobbs]

I think it's hard to blame Nelson too much, when everybody -- Nelson, Mullin, even O'Bryant himself -- attributes at least a chunk of his lack of progress to O'Bryant's failure to work hard.

[johnnyrondo]

Let OBrant play in Doc's system and we'll see how good he is. Nellie ruins young players as he won't let them play. Look at Ellis wanting out, along with the vet Al Harrington

Those are bad examples. Monta Ellis is resigning with Golden State and Nellie has played him a lot and Ellis has developed more than any young Celtic has, with the possibe exception of Big Al. And you label Harrington a vet, so I'm not sure what you're saying. I think Nellie has always been willing to play talente young players dating back to Hardaway and Richmond and Sprewell and Webber, etc.

[crownsy]

Let OBrant play in Doc's system and we'll see how good he is. Nellie ruins young players as he won't let them play. Look at Ellis wanting out, along with the vet Al Harrington

Those are bad examples. Monta Ellis is resigning with Golden State and Nellie has played him a lot and Ellis has developed more than any young Celtic has, with the possibe exception of Big Al. And you label Harrington a vet, so I'm not sure what you're saying. I think Nellie has always been willing to play talente young players dating back to Hardaway and Richmond and Sprewell and Webber, etc.

that rondo kid has shown some pretty good development for 1 full year of starting