And, as not to slam Ford and then not accept criticism myself, here are the players I thought the Celts should look at with their 2 first-round picks:
a) Terrence Jones (Kentucky, Soph., SF, 6’9” 240lbs.) – Watching Jones, you can see the unbelievable talent beneath the surface that has yet to be tapped. He seemingly skates the surface of his talent, and in college he gets away with it. The NBA will be a different story if he doesn’t start playing hard and smart consistently. This is actually an issue with a lot of Wildcats, dating back to before Coach Calipari. Cousins, Rondo, Magloire, Mercer, Anderson, Walker, Delk, McCarty… Everything comes so easy for them in college that they expect it to be the same in the NBA. It isn’t, and they’re slow learners. Some eventually learn and become All Star-level contributors. Some don’t learn and become busts with untapped potential. Some, like Walker, skate by their entire career, living in the grey between All Star and bust – they may make a few All Star teams, but they’re always considered a letdown based on their high potential. Jones has the potential to be an All Star and the inconsistency to be a bust. Under Doc, with three HOF-ers around him, you hope for the former…much like Rondo. Jones will be hard to pass up if he drops to #17, which, due to his inconsistency, many analysts believe will happen.
*Jones may have (somehow) played himself into a top-15 pick.
b) James McAdoo (UNC, Fresh., SF, 6’9” 225lbs.) – He is a frosh with huge potential and unrealized athleticism. His game is fluid and he’s able to work inside and out. He’s not big enough to man the post often, but he should be able to score at and defend the SF position. He’s probably not ready for an immediate impact in the NBA – not on a team like the Celts – but he’d be a great piece to match with Rondo, Bradley, JaJuan, and Moore, when looking toward the future. He has the potential to become the best player to come out of this draft, and therefore may be gone before the Celtics select. *He may not declare for the draft, so this is moot if he stays in school (which I hope he does; they all should).
*Went back to UNC for his sophomore season. Hope the Celts can trade up to grab him next season! He could be a perennial All Star.
c) John Henson (UNC, Jun., PF, 6’10” 220lbs.) – He’s skinny, but he is an unbelievable athlete with tremendous upside. I like that he stayed in school through his junior season to improve his overall game (and learn something too, I’m sure). He needs to add weight to his frame, so maybe he and JaJuan can spend the summer working out together.
d) Terrence Ross (Washington, Soph., SG, 6’6” 195lbs.) – He’s a prototypical shooter/scorer who lacks experience. He’s not yet a solid dribbler or iso player, but he can come off screens and hit open shots. I’ve watched him play a few games and he has a bit of an IT factor when it comes to offense, but is less talented on the defensive side. A team like the Celts (with KG around) will beat defense into him, but it will take time. He’s a bigger, more talented E’Twaun Moore, and could be a good backup to Allen, but he won’t be ready to start as a rookie. If Ross is drafted and Allen unsigned, the Celts will need to sign a free agent SG (Gordon?). Ross is a couple of seasons away from being an everyday contributor.
e) Arnett Moultrie (MSU, Jun., PF, 6’10” 230lbs.) – Great size and build for a power forward. Can step right in and bang with the big boys. Not overly skilled offensively or defensively, but he has tremendous potential to be a solid NBA contributor, albeit probably not a game-changer. Shoots 55% from the field, which is very efficient for a college player. I like that he’s a junior with NBA-ready size. Analysts are split on where he will land, with some projecting top-10 and others late-first.
f) Tyler Zeller (UNC, Sen., C, 6’11” 240lbs.) – My only concern with Zeller is that he has likely already reached his potential. He’s a senior who plays in a pro system, which is a good thing; however, he likely won’t improve much when he enters the NBA. He’s big, but can still be pushed around by college players, so true centers in the NBA may destroy him. He’s quick, but not exceptionally quick, so NBA power forwards will likely go around him. With this Zeller (and not his younger bro Cody), you’ll likely get what you see, which makes him a rather safe bet for a pick in the 20s. But, when have we seen Danny play it safe?
g) Tony Mitchell (North Texas, Fresh., PF, 6’9” 220lbs.) – Reminds me quite a bit of Perkins. He’s not as big and won’t be able to thrive at C, but he has the build and tenacity to really bring it every night in the post, especially on the defensive end. Scouts say he’s one of the best defenders in the draft. He’s also a terrific rebounder and shot blocker for his size. He brings almost nothing on the offensive end unless it’s within three feet of the basket, but he will make himself a presence on defense. Danny and Doc may take a flier on this 19-year-old, giving him an opportunity to learn from KG, much like Perkins was able to.
h) Perry Jones III (Baylor, Soph., PF, 6’11 235lbs.) – First of all, I love his length. However, he’s not a C and is barely considered a PF. Many consider him to be a long SF. That’s fine because the Celts need depth at SF and increased team length. His numbers across the board have dipped in his sophomore season, and despite an increase in shot attempts he is averaging fewer points (at an obviously lower FG%). However, it is nice to see a sophomore average 13ppg and 8rpb, and you hope that under Doc he learns to assert himself and attack the basket. One final caution: How does a near-7-footer average only 3 free throw attempts per game in college? All Jones has to do is catch the ball on the block and attack the basket. His attempts should be between 4-5 per game, minimum. Not a good sign. But, length is impossible to teach and his potential is sky high.
i) Doron Lamb (Kentucky, Soph., SG, 6’4” 200lbs.) – He’s a bulk scorer with a terrific jumper and confidence out his wazoo. He’s a bit slight for a SG and doesn’t have the handle to be a PG, so he’s stuck between positions, but the Celts need scorers and this kid can score. However, if he doesn’t up his tenacity on defense, he’ll never see the court under Doc.
j) Thomas Robinson (Kansas, Jun., PF, 6’8” 240lbs.) – If I were a GM in need of a PF, I would absolutely draft this kid. He’s talented and intelligent. He scores efficiently (17ppg, 52% FG) and rebounds (11rpg). He’s a terrific team defender and a capable one-on-one defender. He’s a bit undersized at PF, but makes up for it with instinct and a knack for being in the right place on offense and defense. He’s a gamer. He’d be better off going to a good team with a well-run organization because he’s not the type of player that can ‘save’ a Wizards or Hornets team, but he can be an excellent contributor to a competing team. Though Ainge does tend to draft the best talent available, he is unlikely to draft Robinson if he retains KG, Bass, and JaJuan (big ifs all around).
*I think he played his way during March Madness into being a top-5 pick.
k) Draymond Green (Mich. St., Sen., PF, 6’6” 235lbs.) – Every team is going to overlook this guy and he is going to be NBA gold. I screamed out DeJuan Blair’s name three years ago and every team until San Antonio at #37 abandoned logic and drafted someone else. He was the steal of the draft. Green could very well be the steal of this draft. Green is tenacious on offense and defense, and has the ability to play inside and out. His heart and desire to win surpass his size and speed limitations. Though he’ll probably never develop into a star, he’s the kind of leader you want on your team. With two picks in the first round, Ainge may be able to take a flier on a guy who may never develop into a top-3 scoring option for the Celts, but will undeniably win games with his hustle, intelligence, and grit.
l) Jeffery Taylor (Vanderbilt, Sen., SF, 6’7” 225lbs.) – Not the sexiest pick, but the kid did average double figures on 50% FG all four years at Vanderbilt. He’s the type of player who likely already reached his ceiling, but could easily come in and begin contributing immediately. He belongs on a team like the Celts, Spurs, Bulls, or Thunder; teams who know who they are and who they’re looking for. Most years, he’d probably be a late-first, early-second round pick, but this year he’s being slotted in the late-teens. It remains to be seen if Danny will select a solid contributor who doesn’t show much potential for game-changing growth. He’d be a good choice with the Celtics’ second first-round pick, depending on who is available.
m) Festus Ezeli (Vanderbilt, Sen., C, 6’11” 255lbs.) – I watched Ezeli in the tourney and placed him on the list because I liked his hustle and tough play. He’s not an exceptional athlete and will never be a force on offense, but he has traits the Celts can refine and utilize; size being one.
Wildcard) Austin Rivers – I don’t think he’ll drop to #21 because of the hype surrounding him, but I’m also hesitant to say the Celts should draft him if he did. First, I think it would be extraordinarily awkward for Doc to coach his own son (on a professional level). It is illogical to believe that family and the NBA would co-exist tranquilly for a long period of time. I also think he’s overrated, being only a freshman and scoring at an inefficient rate. A talented scorer? Absolutely. A well-rounded player? Absolutely not. IT factor? Yes, but at what cost? He is raw and needs to learn, and I fear the success of him learning under his Dad. He supposedly has a brash, arrogant attitude, and the Celts already have a ‘supposedly’ brash, arrogant young player in the back court. The combination of Rondo, Austin, and Doc may make for good headlines (and exciting highlights), but I don’t think it translates to consistently good basketball. *I wrote this prior to the recent national debate on this subject, including the Boston Globe video with Ryan and Finn. **I’ve seen a number of writers on this site saying that Ainge should consider trading one or two picks to move up and draft this kid. All I can say is, “Are you all insane?” Would anyone revere this kid if he wasn’t Doc’s son? He’s not the top-rated SG on any draft scouts’ list, so why would the team trade a pick or two to get him? I believe fans are currently obsessed with him because they believe a father-son duo would somehow breed magic, while it’s much more likely to breed failure.
Topic: Chad Ford Mock Draft 4.0 - Celtics Picks (Read 41477 times)