2008 CelticsBlog draft board.

[Gainesville Celtic]

Z = Yao

Really?  I don't think that one's particularly close, and it's in Yao's favor.

Yeah, I don't think Big Z is even on Yao's level.

Well I think Z is one of the few players who can bother Yao's shot... neither is particularly mobile, but Z can step out and hit that 13-15 foot jumper, which draws Yao away from the basket and mitigates his defensive impact. 

Like Roy said about Iverson and BIllups, Yao would beat Z one-on-one, but i think in a team matchup, Z comes pretty equal.... if anything its a slight advantage for Yao... and you have to factor in Yao's injury history at this point.  You used to have to with Z but he's been a relative rock for the last few years.

[Kwhit10]

The West was a little tougher in the middle so I have 5 tiers for the west where tiers 2 and 3 could be combined, but anyways I feel like everything isn't 100% updated (I know the clipps aren't).  Anyways if the season started today this is how I rank the Talent

Tier 1: Blazers, Mavs, Rockets
Tier 2: Twolves, Warriors
Tier 3: Clippers, Nuggets
Tier 4: Jazz, Lakers, Suns, Grizzlies
Tier 5: Spurs, Thunder, Kings, Hornets

Really seems like that 8th spot would be up for grabs.

[BigAlTheFuture]

The West was a little tougher in the middle so I have 5 tiers for the west where tiers 2 and 3 could be combined, but anyways I feel like everything isn't 100% updated (I know the clipps aren't).  Anyways if the season started today this is how I rank the Talent

Tier 1: Blazers, Mavs, Rockets
Tier 2: Twolves, Warriors
Tier 3: Clippers, Nuggets
Tier 4: Jazz, Lakers, Suns, Grizzlies
Tier 5: Thunder, Kings, Hornets

Really seems like that 8th spot would be up for grabs.

Hmm. My team isn't even in a tier?

[zerophase]

see i always felt my team could indeed at least make the playoffs but i've been bashed for my center position (which i'm trying to fix right now) but if i do indeed get a quality center, i feel i can definitely make a 7th or 8th seed.

[Gainesville Celtic]

jesus, i had no idea kareem rush was off the board, the Pacers "selected" him last round...

i suppose we'll take Fred Jones if he's still available

I admittedly was following the draft from a cell phone yesterday but thought someone (was it you Pacers?) selected Kareem Rush in the middle of the round on time (or shortly after) and before the Bulls did....

I know kareem rush won't make/break the title, but we should stay consistent with the rules.  I'll go check the posts...

UPDATE:

The Pacers took Kareem Rush at 2:49 PM yesterday...

i think someone leaked my board 

the Indiana Pacers select Kareem Rush

then the Bulls took him again at 7:35 PM yesterday....

Kareem Rush; Chris Quinn...

-sw

The confusion was that the Bucks in fact had Brandon Rush.... but JGod had asked that so as to take Kareem it appears, which he did... then someone quoted the Bucks sayign they had Brandon as evidence that Kareem was still available.. .which he wasn't.

So technically The PACERS should have Kareem Rush and not Fred Jones (who they just picked) and the Bulls need to make a replacement selection ASAP (if they have their eye on someone).  Alternately the Pacers and Bulls could work out some form of compenstation.... but KAREEM RUSH should be a PACER.

[Rondo2287]

Z = Yao

Really?  I don't think that one's particularly close, and it's in Yao's favor.

Ya im not gonna say Big Z is on Yao's level when Yao is 100 percent.  Right now Yao is still hurt as shown in the Olympics.  He has been hurt a good portion of his career and Z hasn't had a significant injury for the past 3-4 years.  I mean i think its obvious Yao has more talent, but you also have to consider the health.  

[Roy Hobbs]

jesus, i had no idea kareem rush was off the board, the Pacers "selected" him last round...

i suppose we'll take Fred Jones if he's still available

I admittedly was following the draft from a cell phone yesterday but thought someone (was it you Pacers?) selected Kareem Rush in the middle of the round on time (or shortly after) and before the Bulls did....

I know kareem rush won't make/break the title, but we should stay consistent with the rules.  I'll go check the posts...

Yeah, we just noticed that, too.  The Kareem Rush selection by Indiana was buried in the draft thread, and we didn't update it.

We PM'd Indiana, and are still waiting for a response as to who they want.  Since they had two selections, it probably makes sense to give them both Rush and Jones, but it's a bit confusing right now.

[Celtic Fan Forever]

Right now I see the east this way
1-New Jersey
2-Detroit
3-Orlando
4-Toronto
5-Ny
6-Chicago
7-Charlotte
8-Atlanta

sorry i gotta say ORL is much better than Detroit --

Billups > Watson (and i love Watson; but he'll get posted up all night)
Delonte = Ben Gordon (gordon better on Off.; West better on D)
Granger > Turkoglu
Duncan > Marion
Miller = Ming (Yao by a nose.... Miller can be physical with Yao (always a inj. risk) even if he doesn't block his shot and we can always throw Noah and Foyle at Yao to wear him down, and/or bring Duncan over onto Yao, and match smaller lineups)

Harpring/Noah/Barnes/Dudley/Wright/JWill/Foyle >> Terry/Wilkins/Lowry/Landry/Hibbert


TOR is a little better than DET too..:

Iverson > Watson (and i love BOTH)
Carter > Ben Gordon
Th. Young < Turkoglu
Jamison = Marion (they do diff things, but this is a nice matchup)
Z = Yao

Detroit has the slightly better bench

Gainsville, I've got to say I respect your opinions and always have, but are you kidding me?

Yao Ming is a superstar, you call him equal to Brad Miller and Zydrunas Ilgauskus?


Plus, Ben Gordon is without a doubt better than Delonte, and Turkoglu and Granger is a tie right now.
Plus, I think our benches are close to equal

[Rondo2287]

And also, im not sure what other people are thinking about how we take injuries into consideration in the draft.  But when I think Yao Ming, I think 3 things
(in no order)
1. China
2. 7 Foot 6
3. Can't Stay Healthy

[Gainesville Celtic]

jesus, i had no idea kareem rush was off the board, the Pacers "selected" him last round...

i suppose we'll take Fred Jones if he's still available

I admittedly was following the draft from a cell phone yesterday but thought someone (was it you Pacers?) selected Kareem Rush in the middle of the round on time (or shortly after) and before the Bulls did....

I know kareem rush won't make/break the title, but we should stay consistent with the rules.  I'll go check the posts...

Yeah, we just noticed that, too.  The Kareem Rush selection by Indiana was buried in the draft thread, and we didn't update it.

We PM'd Indiana, and are still waiting for a response as to who they want.  Since they had two selections, it probably makes sense to give them both Rush and Jones, but it's a bit confusing right now.

see my edits above (for the quote/timestamps...)  the #18 pick was Kareem Rush so IND is just 1 pick behind (#26 - which could be Fred Jones) and therefore the Bulls need to reselect pick #4 or #19 (one was Quinn, one was Rush --- taken 5 hrs after he was taken by IND). 

Not a big deal,,, just trying to help... the Mods have done so much, just trying to do my part 

[Roy Hobbs]

jesus, i had no idea kareem rush was off the board, the Pacers "selected" him last round...

i suppose we'll take Fred Jones if he's still available

I admittedly was following the draft from a cell phone yesterday but thought someone (was it you Pacers?) selected Kareem Rush in the middle of the round on time (or shortly after) and before the Bulls did....

I know kareem rush won't make/break the title, but we should stay consistent with the rules.  I'll go check the posts...

Yeah, we just noticed that, too.  The Kareem Rush selection by Indiana was buried in the draft thread, and we didn't update it.

We PM'd Indiana, and are still waiting for a response as to who they want.  Since they had two selections, it probably makes sense to give them both Rush and Jones, but it's a bit confusing right now.

see my edits above (for the quote/timestamps...)  the #18 pick was Kareem Rush so IND is just 1 pick behind (#26 - which could be Fred Jones) and therefore the Bulls need to reselect pick #4 or #19 (one was Quinn, one was Rush --- taken 5 hrs after he was taken by IND). 

Not a big deal,,, just trying to help... the Mods have done so much, just trying to do my part 

Yeah, basically what we're waiting for is to see if Indiana still wants Jones, or if he's available. 

Personally, I'd just select Jones as Indiana's #26 selection if we don't hear from them soon, but that's wdleehi's call.

[Roy Hobbs]

Plus, Ben Gordon is without a doubt better than Delonte, and Turkoglu and Granger is a tie right now.

I tend to agree with those two points, as well.  I don't like Gordon much, especially in terms of chemistry...  but he's certainly a more talented player than Delonte West.  It's not like Delonte is a lockdown defender; he's average at best.

Turk vs. Granger is very, very close.  I'd probably actually favor Turk, as he's a very clutch player, but it's essentially a tie to me.

Overall, though, I like Orlando's roster better.  A roster is more than a sum of its parts, and I like how Orlando's pieces fit better. 

[bdm860]

My look

Orlando
NY
Nets
Pistons
76ers
Hawks
Bobcats
Raptors
Bulls

HOLD IT.  Wait a minute now, how are you going to catapult Orlando above my team in the East?  My core has been together for weeks now, and Orlando just made their trade today.  They're not just going to magically develop chemistry over night, it takes weeks to develop the kind of chemistry my core has, weeks, not hours. 

[Gainesville Celtic]

Right now I see the east this way
1-New Jersey
2-Detroit
3-Orlando
4-Toronto
5-Ny
6-Chicago
7-Charlotte
8-Atlanta

sorry i gotta say ORL is much better than Detroit --

Billups > Watson (and i love Watson; but he'll get posted up all night)
Delonte = Ben Gordon (gordon better on Off.; West better on D)
Granger > Turkoglu
Duncan > Marion
Miller = Ming (Yao by a nose.... Miller can be physical with Yao (always a inj. risk) even if he doesn't block his shot and we can always throw Noah and Foyle at Yao to wear him down, and/or bring Duncan over onto Yao, and match smaller lineups)

Harpring/Noah/Barnes/Dudley/Wright/JWill/Foyle >> Terry/Wilkins/Lowry/Landry/Hibbert


TOR is a little better than DET too..:

Iverson > Watson (and i love BOTH)
Carter > Ben Gordon
Th. Young < Turkoglu
Jamison = Marion (they do diff things, but this is a nice matchup)
Z = Yao

Detroit has the slightly better bench

Gainsville, I've got to say I respect your opinions and always have, but are you kidding me?

Yao Ming is a superstar, you call him equal to Brad Miller and Zydrunas Ilgauskus?


Plus, Ben Gordon is without a doubt better than Delonte, and Turkoglu and Granger is a tie right now.
Plus, I think our benches are close to equal

Here's my thinking.... of course i could be wrong,  but here's my assessments:

Yao --- I was calling him equal in regards to the team matchups.... which take into account the other players on the floor, not just players in a vacuum.  he's a superstar, but he's played 57, 48, 55 games the last 3 years (compared to 79, 56, 72 for Miller who is 4 years older than Yao; and 78, 78, 73 for Z who is 5 years older than Yao) ... you can't ignore that.  He might dominate for 50 games, but they you have to pencil in Hibbert for 32 games too.

Yao's offensively gifted and a great passer, but he's not a great rebounder --- esp. considering that he still has 3  inches on Z and a full 1/2 foot on Miller.  Their per-min rebounding numbers are 9.8 (miller), 10.5 (yao) and 11.0 (z)... Yao should be much higher, but he gets pushed around by thicker guys with a low center of gravity --- like Miller can.


Gordon --- IMO Gordon scores the ball better than Delonte, is a better FT shooter and is more durable than Delonte (not big issue for me w/ Harpring, Barnes, Wright able to pick up the slack (vs. Hibbert stepping in for Yao)).  Delonte does everything else -- defend, rebound, pass, block shots.  Maybe it's slight edge Gordon but i think he's vastly overrated.  he's a scorer.. that's it.


Turkoglu vs. Granger --- maybe it's closer than 1st reported, but there is no way Turkoglu is better in my mind.  With Turkoglu having a career year (and unlikely to get appreciably better IMO), Granger still is better than him scoring and rebounding, Turkoglu is a better paser, but Granger is a far superior defender.  Turkoglu benefited from being on a team with Dwight Howard and Rashard Lewis (even though Turkoglu was better than Rashard), while Granger had Mike Dunleavy and Troy Murphy.  And Granger's still improving, Turkoglu might stay at this level for 3-5 more years, but I think Granger easily surpasses him this year.


Benches --- Harpring/Noah/Barnes/Dudley/Wright/JWill/Foyle >> Terry/Wilkins/Lowry/Landry/Hibbert .... Here's how i see them breaking down by spots: 

Lowry = JWill -- JWill has a ring and is a better passer; Lowry is younger, more athletic
Terry > Harpring -- but by a very slim margin; Terry is an offensive guy, Harpring is a bulldog/glue guy who can shoot and get hot.
Barnes/Wright >> Wilkins
Dudley/Sheldon Williams = Landry --- glue guys all around, landry is a good rebounder, but so are Dudley and Williams.
Noah/Foyle >>> Hibbert --- Hibbert is completely unproven

[wdleehi]

Sorry, I haven't been looking at this.


Whoever picked the player 1st gets him.