2009 Celticsblog Draft: Voting Analysis : Team of the Future

[Scribbles]

I think IP hopes to be seeing a lot of this haha. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkdFUDgIwP8

Around 15-20 second mark.

(music has some vulgar if you end up watching the whole thing just fyi)

[indeedproceed]

It's interesting, we ended up trading our #1 (and a 10th) for a #2, #4, #5, and #7.

Those players essentially turned out to be Amare + 10th for Rashard Lewis, Mike Bibby, Brad Miller, and Ronny Turiaf.

Who wins that trade?

rule=always trade 1sts?

[wdleehi]

It's interesting, we ended up trading our #1 (and a 10th) for a #2, #4, #5, and #7.

Those players essentially turned out to be Amare + 10th for Rashard Lewis, Mike Bibby, Brad Miller, and Ronny Turiaf.

Who wins that trade?

Depends.


Does Amare played like how you hyped him last year?

[Roy Hobbs]

It's interesting, we ended up trading our #1 (and a 10th) for a #2, #4, #5, and #7.

Those players essentially turned out to be Amare + 10th for Rashard Lewis, Mike Bibby, Brad Miller, and Ronny Turiaf.

Who wins that trade?

Depends.


Does Amare played like how you hyped him last year?

Nope.  Now that he's headlining Detroit, he's a washed-up, team-killing punk.

[The Walker Wiggle]

How so?  The reds and grays are pretty impressive.  Most big men don't have that sort of range.

Of course, I'd show you Big Al's chart, but the site only seems to have the results for guys who played on playoff teams. 

But, let's try this:

Jermaine:  eFG% on jump shots:  .414

Big Al:  eFG% on jump shots: .375

Two interesting thing about that .375?  1) It's a pretty terrible number, and 2) it's the exact same mark as your starting PG's.  But hey, at least *one* starting point guard in the league had a lower number.  That's something, I guess.

Great use of deflection? I have to give the nod to IP here. Jermaine O'Neal is going to be a difference maker on the defensive end, making heady plays there and blocking shots. But he's never been a reliable shooter. Even in his '02-'05 prime. And he's especially struggled in the playoffs as the level of competition, the pressure, and the defense intensity ratchet up.

He'll still put together the occasional 20+ point performance; he's versatile. But he'll be kept to single digits just as often. Though I'm not sure Portland needs O'Neal to score much.

[indeedproceed]

Sigh.

Okay, lets talk about Darko once and for all.

I took him in the mid 7th round to be my primary backup center.

In 2006/2007 with Orlando he averaged almost 3.7 blocks per 48 mins. That was good for 8th in the league.

He also got 11 rebounds per 48 (about Rasheed Wallace/Kendrick Perkins(at the time) territory.

He also got 8 pts per 20 mins over that time.

Since going to Memphis he's failed to reach the same marks he had when he was 21.

Why? To be honest, I don't know. Because coaches made him play a game he wasn't comfortable with (no, not basketball, I mean a style of basketball). He was a 7ft guy coming into his body who still felt he could hit 18fters and 3 pters. That is my honest to goodness best guess.

He is now 24 years old. He just got pursued by a team coached by the same guy for got Boris Diaw to play the game he wanted to instead of being forced to be a banger power forward.

What do I expect? I expect to have to find another backup center to avoid constant ridicule.

However, between the new setting, the possible derth of post players in NY if David Lee doesn't resign, and the current personell there (Eddy Curry, Courtney Sims, Jared Jeffries, Jordan Hill, Al Harrington), coupled with the INCREDIBLE amount of people that have written him off, it is not completely unrealistic to think that Darko Milicic, who just turned 24, couldn't get 2 blocks, 8 rebounds, and 8 points for me as a backup center taken in the mid 7th round.

I feel I've drafted well so far this draft, if Darko is my swing and a miss, so be it. But if my gamble plays out...oh baby if it plays out...y'all better eat your laptops.

BTW don't pretend he would've lasted past the early 8th round. The other big men I could've taken, Kurt Thomas and MAYBE Tyler Hansborough are the only guys I think I would take in his place. At that point there is only 1 trick ponies and maybies left. I will take the guy who has A) Stayed out of legal trouble, B) Just been labeled a bust despite some promising numbers which are within his skill set early in his career, and C) going to a bad team with a spot in the rotation he can fill.

Last time he went to a bad team with a spot he was riding high. Now, he's riding low, on his last chance. Never trust a fighter who knows he's only got one shot left. He could very well surprise you.

[Roy Hobbs]

He'll still put together the occasional 20+ point performance; he's versatile. But he'll be kept to single digits just as often. Though I'm not sure Portland needs O'Neal to score much.

Nope.  His job is to play defense, and to keep teams honest when they go to double Shaq.  He's more than capable of that, and he still has the ability to score in the post.

He's not Mehmet Okur as a shooter, but he's not horrible, either.

EDIT:  Also, I wasn't meant necessarily as a deflection.  However, if my big men are getting criticized for only having a .41 eFG%, then I think opposing guards have to be held accountable when they shoot lower than that.

[indeedproceed]

How so?  The reds and grays are pretty impressive.  Most big men don't have that sort of range.

Of course, I'd show you Big Al's chart, but the site only seems to have the results for guys who played on playoff teams. 

But, let's try this:

Jermaine:  eFG% on jump shots:  .414

Big Al:  eFG% on jump shots: .375

Two interesting thing about that .375?  1) It's a pretty terrible number, and 2) it's the exact same mark as your starting PG's.  But hey, at least *one* starting point guard in the league had a lower number.  That's something, I guess.

Great use of deflection? I have to give the nod to IP here. Jermaine O'Neal is going to be a difference maker on the defensive end, making heady plays there and blocking shots. But he's never been a reliable shooter. Even in his '02-'05 prime. And he's especially struggled in the playoffs as the level of competition, the pressure, and the defense intensity ratchet up.

He'll still put together the occasional 20+ point performance; he's versatile. But he'll be kept to single digits just as often. Though I'm not sure Portland needs O'Neal to score much.

UGH! I fell for the deflection! rehearse: Just answer the question, Senator! Just answer the question Senator! Just answer the question Senator!

[Roy Hobbs]

Never trust a fighter who knows he's only got one shot left. He could very well surprise you.

If Darko was any sort of fighter at all, he wouldn't be on his last shot.  We look forward to matching him up against Brad Miller.

[indeedproceed]

Never trust a fighter who knows he's only got one shot left. He could very well surprise you.

If Darko was any sort of fighter at all, he wouldn't be on his last shot.  We look forward to matching him up against Brad Miller.

Brad Miller is out back with Josh Howard. They're trading headbands and chasing dragons.

Edit: and come on. You can do better than a one liner. At least my answer had a logical defense. You're just a big quitter, Roy.

[indeedproceed]

and numbers and pathos, I mean where is the passion, Hobbs?

[The Walker Wiggle]

As the third guy in the room. I'm willing to give you credit. Completely unexpected about face by the usually hilarious Indeed Proceed in an impassioned defense of the Darko Milicic pick.

I find myself wanting to get on board.

[Edgar]

and numbers and pathos, I mean where is the passion, Hobbs?

If u were ofered JO, TuriaforGomes and Jrue for AJ do u consider it

[indeedproceed]

As the third guy in the room. I'm willing to give you credit. Completely unexpected about face by the usually hilarious Indeed Proceed in an impassioned defense of the Darko Milicic pick.

I find myself wanting to get on board.

There is room on the Darko bus...the seats are a lil dusty and Joe Dumars peed in the back in a statement of uncharacteristic rebellion, but there is room. "Full of potential", that Darko bus.

See? There is your humor. That serious stuff is for the birds.

[Roy Hobbs]

Never trust a fighter who knows he's only got one shot left. He could very well surprise you.

If Darko was any sort of fighter at all, he wouldn't be on his last shot.  We look forward to matching him up against Brad Miller.

Brad Miller is out back with Josh Howard. They're trading headbands and chasing dragons.

Edit: and come on. You can do better than a one liner. At least my answer had a logical defense. You're just a big quitter, Roy.

Darko is a guy who was never as good as his hype, and who wilted under the pressure.  He has needed to be coddled constantly.  He's mentally weak, has poor fundamentals, and is a poor shooter.

Memphis put in a "European system", under which Darko was supposed to thrive.  He couldn't.  Any team that relies upon him is doomed to failure.

Honestly, though, I think backup C is the least of your worries, against not only Portland but any number of teams in the West.  Your offense is fundamentally flawed, with two lane-clogging bigs and Rajon Rondo. 

Also, look at Outlaw's playoff numbers, and tell me he's ready for primetime.