2011 CelticsBlog Draft Board

[Who]

I'm now taking nominations for an unofficial "best player to go undrafted" award.

Willie Green?

I nominate Linas Kleiza.

[Roy H.]

I'm now taking nominations for an unofficial "best player to go undrafted" award.

Willie Green?

I nominate Linas Kleiza.

Good one.  I prefer him to Willie Green, certainly.

[Kane3387]

I agree with IP, that Suns team without Nash, Jrich, or Hedo would have won like 10 games.  Look at the defenders Lopez had to work with Vince Carter, Channing Frye, Aaron Brooks, Nash, and Hakim Warrick.

Except he posted the team's worst adjusted plus/minus. The already poor Suns' defense was worse when Lopez was on the floor versus even fringe starters Marcin Gortat or Channing Frye - and Frye isn't lauded for his defense.

Advanced metrics aren't the only measure, but if you can't judge Lopez by his team's defense, and you can't judge him by his individual performance broken down play by play, or by his performance relative to his teammates, how can you judge him? How about the fact that by season's end his coach had given most of his minutes to other players?

Lopez had one good half season stint (the Suns got to the Western Conference Finals without him) in a three year career and has otherwise been a poor defender.

That said, he is Portland's third big man behind Stoudemire and Bogut, he just happens to be one of the poorer third bigs.

And I do like Gerald Henderson's prospects.

Good analysis and argument. Well done.

[indeedproceed]

I agree with IP, that Suns team without Nash, Jrich, or Hedo would have won like 10 games.  Look at the defenders Lopez had to work with Vince Carter, Channing Frye, Aaron Brooks, Nash, and Hakim Warrick.

Except he posted the team's worst adjusted plus/minus. The already poor Suns' defense was worse when Lopez was on the floor versus even fringe starters Marcin Gortat or Channing Frye - and Frye isn't lauded for his defense.

Advanced metrics aren't the only measure, but if you can't judge Lopez by his team's defense, and you can't judge him by his individual performance broken down play by play, or by his performance relative to his teammates, how can you judge him? How about the fact that by season's end his coach had given most of his minutes to other players?

Lopez had one good half season stint (the Suns got to the Western Conference Finals without him) in a three year career and has otherwise been a poor defender.

That said, he is Portland's third big man behind Stoudemire and Bogut, he just happens to be one of the poorer third bigs.

And I do like Gerald Henderson's prospects.

Good analysis and argument. Well done.

Its a good explanation that Lopez was a poor defender last season. Its not a good explanation that Lopez won't be a good defender next season in a reserve role, or why he was a poor defender last season.

Nor does it explain why the guy noted by Alvin Gentry as the Suns' "second most important player" played so terribly this past season.

The popular theory is that he tried too hard to get back too soon, and had confidence issues.

Reminds me a lot of a guy like Aaron Brooks, or Rajon Rondo. Was the Rondo we saw at the end of the season this year the player we're going to get going forward?

Probably not. Was he healthy? He said so, Doc said he said so, the only people who admitted during the season that Rondo was hurting were his teammates.

Does that mean Rondo's not going to bounce back next season? Of course not. Rondo's young.

Lopez is only 23, he's 7ft tall, and he proved he could play as a legitimate defensive center in the NBA. But then, he got hurt, his entire team was overhauled (twice), and he played like crap in the 60 games he soldiered through. There is however, no reason to think that the kid can't recapture that form. Unless of course you're in my division and want to discredit my big man depth.

[Bahku]

I just checked the Northwest Division thread and got an instant acute hemiplegic migraine from IP's press conference. If I have to leave work I'm suing for lost pay.

[indeedproceed]

Blah blah blah my press conference hurt peoples' eyes...

lol, I know. I changed it now.

Its those darn tables. They're super annoying to write out and keep organized, so I just didn't.

Also, I know its crazy but after thinking about this for 2 weeks, I'm finding it hard to write about my team. Weird, right?

[Bahku]

Blah blah blah my press conference hurt peoples' eyes...

lol, I know. I changed it now.

Its those darn tables. They're super annoying to write out and keep organized, so I just didn't.

Also, I know its crazy but after thinking about this for 2 weeks, I'm finding it hard to write about my team. Weird, right?

I was just kidding, IP.

And when I'm done with my presentation, (for the most part), I'll see if I can't knock you out a team table using my own template. Tough to find one online that measures up when it's transferred here.

[mgent]

I'm now taking nominations for an unofficial "best player to go undrafted" award.

Willie Green?

I'd say Yi or Nate.

Edit:  Oh, Nate was drafted.  Maybe Boykins then.

[indeedproceed]

Blah blah blah my press conference hurt peoples' eyes...

lol, I know. I changed it now.

Its those darn tables. They're super annoying to write out and keep organized, so I just didn't.

Also, I know its crazy but after thinking about this for 2 weeks, I'm finding it hard to write about my team. Weird, right?

I was just kidding, IP.

And when I'm done with my presentation, (for the most part), I'll see if I can't knock you out a team table using my own template. Tough to find one online that measures up when it's transferred here.

Haha, I knew you were kidding

And I appreciate the offer for tables made, but it takes a darn long time, and I think the images will do well enough. I coded them so people can just click on them for the bigger image, and for most monitors they should be able to read now.

[Bahku]

Blah blah blah my press conference hurt peoples' eyes...

lol, I know. I changed it now.

Its those darn tables. They're super annoying to write out and keep organized, so I just didn't.

Also, I know its crazy but after thinking about this for 2 weeks, I'm finding it hard to write about my team. Weird, right?

I was just kidding, IP.

And when I'm done with my presentation, (for the most part), I'll see if I can't knock you out a team table using my own template. Tough to find one online that measures up when it's transferred here.

Haha, I knew you were kidding

And I appreciate the offer for tables made, but it takes a darn long time, and I think the images will do well enough. I coded them so people can just click on them for the bigger image, and for most monitors they should be able to read now.

[The Walker Wiggle]

I also said/implied later that specifically with Nick Young I thought that's what was happening. This also by definition means that we disagree to some degree on the evaluation of Young.

Belated Nick Young bashing by yours truly. So Young tore up the Drew League but got passed up for tourny MVP, stopped answering their calls, and has now been replaced by 2011 2nd round pick Derrick Williams.

Drew League commissioner Dino Smiley, though, was not optimistic about having Wizards guard Nick Young for the game. Smiley said that he hasn’t been able to reach Young, who was upset that he lost out on the Drew League MVP trophy to Long Beach State guard Casper Ware Jr. Young did not participate in Tuesday’s scrimmage, which Smiley said was the last straw. Williams will replace Young.

“We’re going to waive him. He was kind of so-so on it,” Smiley said, before joking, “He may end up playing with Goodman. We may put him over there. He’s got a little attitude.”

In other news - and to get IP's attention - Kobe sonned James Harden.

[indeedproceed]

I also said/implied later that specifically with Nick Young I thought that's what was happening. This also by definition means that we disagree to some degree on the evaluation of Young.

Belated Nick Young bashing by yours truly. So Young tore up the Drew League but got passed up for tourny MVP, stopped answering their calls, and has now been replaced by 2011 2nd round pick Derrick Williams.

Drew League commissioner Dino Smiley, though, was not optimistic about having Wizards guard Nick Young for the game. Smiley said that he hasn’t been able to reach Young, who was upset that he lost out on the Drew League MVP trophy to Long Beach State guard Casper Ware Jr. Young did not participate in Tuesday’s scrimmage, which Smiley said was the last straw. Williams will replace Young.

“We’re going to waive him. He was kind of so-so on it,” Smiley said, before joking, “He may end up playing with Goodman. We may put him over there. He’s got a little attitude.”

In other news - and to get IP's attention - Kobe sonned James Harden.

Kobe hitting a game winner on Harden doesn't shock me in the least.

I wonder how Harden did in the game though, being guarded by Kobe.

And Derrick WIlliams, first the Pro-Am's, next THE WORLD!

[The Walker Wiggle]

I personally had Durant Ranked 3rd, but I thought there was a big gap between the top two and the third.

Yeah I had him tied for 3rd with another player, but the other two were ahead of him by a decent margin. Overall though you still can build a winner if you do well with the rest of the draft.

Who checked True Hoop today? Thought I'd excerpt this for Riah.

Durant’s unforgiving abuse of the Melo League side, specifically LeBron James, was incredible. James, who is widely regarded as one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA, had a hard time staying close to Kevin Durant last night -- the two forwards dueled for the duration of the contest in a full court one-on-one assertion of basketball supremacy. Durant knocked down the long jumper we're all accustomed to seeing, creating space with his patented step-back move.

But where Durant really raised eyebrows was with his dizzying display of crossovers -- executed with more precision and purpose than his Melo League counterparts, Chris Paul included -- and a deceivingly quick burst to the hoop. Possession after possession, Durant left defenders off balance, outwitted and out of the picture before scoring with his choice of clever kisses off the backboard or inimitable two-handed jams over traffic.

The Goodman league superstar emerged triumphant -- his unmistakable victory betrayed only by the final score, with his team trailing by eight points at the final whistle. After 48 minutes of a back-and-forth affair, Durant left little doubt that he was the best player on the floor, which was no small feat considering he shared the spotlight with wunderkinds Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony and the man once hailed as “The Chosen One,” King James.

[mgent]

This year is mostly likely the year Durant passes Melo as the best pure scorer.

[indeedproceed]

I've watched the highlights from the Drew Vs Melo game, and Durant looked sick.

But remember, dude is still average defensively, and a poor passer. Room to grow for sure, but he's not gonna jump LBJ next season. Maybe the best scorer in the league though.