Festus Ezeli

[ScoobyDoo]

What do you guys think of this cat? I watched a little video on him and read a couple Bio's.

I am "not" saying he is another Olajuwan - but his physique and something about his energy around the basket reminds me of Olajuwan. His Bio also says he is tough as nails - a great quality for a guy manning the paint - and can run the floor.

The kid has a long way to go but could he be a sleeper pick at the center position? Gets passed over a bit but 3-4 years down the line he's leap frogged guys taken ahead of him.

Has anyone seen him play multiple times - any comments on him? Could he become a good defensive, rebounding center?

If so, if you pair him with a guy like JJJ who can sprint the floor from the PF spot - this guy could be a great fit for a Rondo lead, fast break team team.

Thoughts?     

[ScoobyDoo]

Does he have the potential to be a Perkins type enforcer with a more athleticism than Perk...

[Lucky17]

Not knowing a thing about this guy, I assumed with his name he was from Eastern Europe or the Balkans. LOL.

[Quetzalcoatl]

I'm guessing he will be better than his draft position, but we'd have to pass on someone like Arnett Moultrie in order to grab him in the first round, which I don't think is justified.  If he is there with our second round pick then it would be amazing, I just don't see it happening

[ianboyextreme]

Not a very good rebounder for his size. Has decent post offense. Im not sure about his defense. In this draft, Im looking at rebounders- tony mitchell, arnett moultrie- since thats where we need the most help.

[arambone]

Perk wasn't a great rebounder but he was a valuable player. If Steamer goes down, our playoff run is shot.

[clover]

I'm guessing he will be better than his draft position, but we'd have to pass on someone like Arnett Moultrie in order to grab him in the first round, which I don't think is justified.  If he is there with our second round pick then it would be amazing, I just don't see it happening

I think Danny'll have to move up in order to land Moultrie.

[paintitgreen]

I'm a fan of taking Moultrie, too, but I think he'll be long gone by the time the Cs picks roll around. Right now, they'd be 23 and 24 ([dang] Clippers keep winning games). I don't see Moultrie dropping past 20.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/blog/_/name/nba_draft/id/7823302/2012-nba-draft-dion-waiters-arnett-moultrie-stocks-rising

Ford notes that "A sizable group of scouts and execs think we have two players ranked too low on our Big Board: Syracuse's Dion Waiters and Mississippi State's Arnett Moultrie." As a result, he moved Moultrie up from 19 to 16 (jumping over Meyers Leonard, Kendall Marshall, Tony Wroten and Terrence Ross), and Waiters from 21 to 15 (jumping the same guys, Royce White and Moultrie).

If the picks are down at 23 and 24, I wouldn't mind Danny moving up to get the right guy, if he thought Moultrie or Leonard was a top 10 player available around 15-18. But I don't know if Danny would give up two picks to do it.

Basically, bringing it back to the topic, Festus Ezeli is not a guy the Celtics are gonna pass up somebody like Moultrie for. It's more looking at prospects in the 21 to 35 range and deciding whether you'd take Ezeli's size. On Ford's "Big Board", that means Fab Melo, White, Jeff Taylor, Moe Harkless, Marquis Teague, Andrew Nicholson, Draymond Green, CJ Leslie, Doron Lamb, Evan Fournier, John Jenkins, Ezeli, Tyshaun Taylor, Scott Machado and Will Barton. I'd prefer White, Nicholson, Green, and Leslie at least. And I think Machado will be a decent backup point guard in the NBA for what it's worth, and I'm more confident Lamb will have a career than Ezeli (or Melo). I think Ezeli's a guy you take at the very end of the first round or early in the second. Even though 24 isn't that great a pick, I think they can do better there.

[Celtics4ever]

NBA body already.  I know his stock has increased recently some boards had him in the second round now have him in the late first.  He is a banger who does not shy from contact.  His play was all over the place this year.   Struggled against Elite talent like Davis in the games I saw but who didn't struggle against Davis?  I think he is a work in progress still who has potential but takes off some plays.  He is foul prone.  Athletic and can play above the rim.

I don't think he could hold Hakeem's jockstrap.    Ojulawon had elite footwork this kid does not.  Elite post players have good foodwork.

[arambone]

Big men usually see their stock rise as the draft approaches.