The Draft: Who are you high on? Who don't you like?

[perks-a-beast]

My Top 5 guys i am high on the will most likely be around when the Celtics draft:

1. Royce White. Love love love his game. I only got the chance to watch him a few times this past season but each time i was thoroughly impressed. The Iowa St. offense pretty much ran through him. He kept them competitive in a tough conference all season and that's pretty impressive for a first year college player. He's the definition of a point forward. Imagine how fluid the Celtics ball movement would be with he and Rondo on the floor together. He has the body of an NBA veteran already and can contribute right away. A very poor mans LeBron James. That's still very high praise. I think if White came back for another year at Iowa State he's a top ten pick in 2013. At 6 foot 8 he rebounds better than guys like Andrew Nicholson (6'9) and Fab Melo (7"0) and that would really help the C's, who were one of the worst ebounding teams in the NBA last season.

2. Jeffery Taylor. There is alot of concern about Taylors T-Rex wing span. He stands 6'7 but his wing span is only 6'6 which is really rare for a player of his stature. I think concerns about his wing span are alleviated by his quick lateral movement and and athletic ability. Is one of the best athletes in the draft. He improved every year at Vanderbilt and if it werent for John Jenkins hucking up a majority of the shots i think Taylor is a 20+ a night scorer. Good defender and great 3 point shooter. I pray he doesnt fall to the Heat at 27 because he would be a great fit there. I only wached Vandy in big games and Taylor came to play in all those games. Even shut down Kidd-Gilchrist against Kentucky.

3. Jared Sullinger. Sullinger would have been a top 5 pick last year had he declared. A lot of GM's view him as damaged goods since there are concerns about his back which are legitimate but he's one of those high risk/high reward players that Danny Ainge doesnt mind taking a chance on. I have him going 15th to the sixers in my mock draft but if he slides past them i think chances are high he's there when the Celtics pick. Sullingers a rich mans Glen Davis and i think KG can really thrive playing alongside him, ecspecially since KG doesnt want to play center and Sullinger wants to. If DeJuan Blair can play center in the NBA i don't see why Sullinger can't. Wherever Sullinger goes in the NBA i look for him to over achieve.

4. Terrence Jones. Like White, Jones already has the body of an NBA veteran. IMO is one of the most under rated players in terms of offensive ability in this draft. Draws comparisons to the likes of Al Harrington and for good reason. If he played on a team in college where he got more shots up i think you see him go in the top 15 in this draft. Can play either forward spot. I also recall the Celtics getting another sophomore from Kentucky with the 21st pick a few years ago..what was his name again 

5. Draymond Green. One of the first players the Celtics worked out if i recall correctly. High character guy with a good motor. Could be a potential replacement if the Celts let Brandon Bass walk in free agency. Although he's not as big as Terrence Jones i think that Green can play both forward positions effectively in the NBA. Probable over achiever in my opinion. I wouldnt mind seeing the Greens (Jeff and Draymond) coming off the bench to give KG and PP some rest. Also an under rated passer. I'm not as high on him as i am White, Taylor, Sullinger and Jones but i wouldnt mind one bit if he was one of the Celtics picks.

Top 5 guys i dont want any part of:

1. Fab Melo. I don't see him working out in the NBA and if he does he's going to be a LONG term project for any team that scoops him up. I'm an advocate for the Celtics picking up a center this off season but this guy isn't the way to go. Only average something like 6 rebounds in Syracuse zone defense which is pretty atrocious for a seven footer in the college game. This guy has a long way to go from what i see.

2. Andrew Nicholson. I'm hearing Big Al comparisons but i just don't see it. The only thing comparable is that the two are pretty medicore defenders. Nicholson played for St. Bonnies for 4 years and still couldnt manage to put up numbers that would warrant him to be a top 20 pick. From what i understand he impressed in work outs but i just hope the Celtics stay away from this guy. He's pretty much JaJuan Johnson except shorter and a worse defender, rebounder and less effective in transition. Stay way please, Danny.

3. Festus Ezeli. Like i said, i wached a fair amount of Vandy games last year and nothing about Ezeli showed me that he can contribute at the next level. Why he is projected to go in the first round is beyond me. Just like Melo he is a long term project.

4. Tony Wroten. People rave about his passing and potential as a point guard but the guy only put up 4 assists a game on a fairly talented Washington team. I know the game isnt all about statistics but I would think that if you're a point guard and you have someone like Terrence Ross to pass to you're going to put up at least 7 assists a night. Was more worried about his own offense than getting his team mates involved at times. I think that Wroten could develope into a solid NBA player in time but i just don't see what use the Celtics would have for him when they already have Rondo and Bradley. Not high on Wroten at all.

5. Quincy Miller. Honestly i don't know too much about Quincy Miller other than he under achieved at Baylor because he was coming off a serious injury. Also his jump shot is very strange and slow. People rave about and his upside but i'd be dissapointed if the Celts took him at 21 or 22 if guys like White, Jones and Green are still on the board.

Who are you guys high on/don't like so much?

So excited for the draft 

[rondohondo]

High on: Early lottery = Barnes, MKG

     Mid - Late Lottery= Rivers, Ross, Leonard

     15-25             = White, PJ3,Kendall Marshall


I think will be bust:
Early Lottery= Drummond
mid - late lottery = Zellar, Waiters
15-25              = Terrence Jones, Melo

[ChampKind]

If you watched Ezeli this year, you saw him at about 75% thanks to knee injuries. He got rushed back to the court thanks to Vandy's craptastic 6-4 start. I know that a lot of people are concerned about his rebounding, but that's getting overblown because of the system that he was in. His defensive rebounding % was low because Vandy used him as an eraser, sending him out to challenge shots in the paint. Vandy also had to deal with more drives and had to swing their help defense over because the backcourt of Tinsley/Jenkins was pretty poor when it came to lateral movement.

So, playing in a league with lots of athletic guards, SEC teams got into the paint relatively often, pulling Ezeli out to block shots and giving up position. He was very effective in changing/altering shots, and his absence in the paint afterwards helped Lance Goulbourne emerge as a big-time rebounder. However, pulling him out of position negatively affected his DReb #s.

He was better on the offensive end, and he's still a developing prospect. Throw in high-level athleticism and a 6'11" frame that is mostly bulk/muscle, and you can understand why he's a first round player. He's a strong defender who can patrol the paint and who has a still developing offensive game. He won't be an All-Star, but turning into a Kendrick Perkins type presence is definitely a possibility.

[boscel33]

Please, I beg Danny to stay away from Austin Rivers!

[SHAQATTACK]

Please, I beg Danny to stay away from Austin Rivers!

I don't think he 'll stay away....I'm betting "IF" AUSTIN is available when its picking time ,  DA drafts him.

You know he will..That would sort of a SLAP in Doc's face not to.  

We need a pair of Centers .  PERIOD.   Not 6'5" Swingmen to play hero and get your own shot ballhogs.   I don't see anybody other than the number #1 pic that is a TRUE franchise player.  The rest are role players . 

Danny is going to HAVE to address the CENTER situation, KG won't play it (I'm betting) , the guys we have suck (Streamer &Hollins) they are a joke.  So if he doean't want to spent HUGE money for a Roy Hibbert , Lopez , Gasol proven 5 , then he is going to have to draft them in bunch and keep the best one and train em. 

Maybe Taking RIVERS high in the lottery and trade him for PAU GAsol or a GOOD BIG. 


Just not comfortable with Austin Rivers at all...he has plenty of money , he should have stayed and got his degree from Duke.

I hope he is taken before DA has to pick , so we can GET somebody we really need.

[mctyson]

I am high on Austin Rivers.  I don't buy this primadonna, egomaniac, uncoachable, ball-hog crap that Chad Ford is selling.

I see him as Chauncey Billups with better ball skills and shot creating abilities.  Chauncey was never much of a distributor at PG, but his size versus other PGs gave him such an advantage in the block.  Plus he could get his shot off against almost any PG.

Austin is a legit 6'5".  We don't see many PGs with his size and his kind of offensive game that often.  John Wall and Derrick Rose were score-first guards in college but they were #1 overall PG selections.  I don't think having a scorer's mentality at PG is a bad thing at all, especially in today's NBA.  I mean, if Jeremy Lin is going to set the NBA on fire, Austin Rivers can't???

If he slips below 12 he will be the steal of the draft.

I am low on Bradley Beal.  Something about SGs that I didn't really hear much about during the college season going in the top 3 just doesn't seem right to me.

[The Walker Wiggle]

Please, I beg Danny to stay away from Austin Rivers!

I'd be fine with Rivers, even though his college #s make me nervous - just too good of a story.

I'd be thrilled to land a sliding Sullinger. I'd also love Will Barton or Crowder, while letting other teams at the back end of the first roll the dice on Wroten and Teague. And I have no interest in trading up if it's to draft either Drummond or Meyers Leonard.

Also, TP to Champ for the Ezeli breakdown - now I know.

[SHAQATTACK]

If you watched Ezeli this year, you saw him at about 75% thanks to knee injuries. He got rushed back to the court thanks to Vandy's craptastic 6-4 start. I know that a lot of people are concerned about his rebounding, but that's getting overblown because of the system that he was in. His defensive rebounding % was low because Vandy used him as an eraser, sending him out to challenge shots in the paint. Vandy also had to deal with more drives and had to swing their help defense over because the backcourt of Tinsley/Jenkins was pretty poor when it came to lateral movement.

So, playing in a league with lots of athletic guards, SEC teams got into the paint relatively often, pulling Ezeli out to block shots and giving up position. He was very effective in changing/altering shots, and his absence in the paint afterwards helped Lance Goulbourne emerge as a big-time rebounder. However, pulling him out of position negatively affected his DReb #s.

He was better on the offensive end, and he's still a developing prospect. Throw in high-level athleticism and a 6'11" frame that is mostly bulk/muscle, and you can understand why he's a first round player. He's a strong defender who can patrol the paint and who has a still developing offensive game. He won't be an All-Star, but turning into a Kendrick Perkins type presence is definitely a possibility.

I'm for drafting Ezeli ,  we need couple 7 footers to play center ,other than the junk we got.  Celtics are embrassing on the boards ,  like to see us get ,Royce WHite or another BIG that is active to pound the glass.  

I just don't know that Danny can get a pick high enough into the lottery to get a player that will be that much better than ( or worth the value) than the guys like Ezeli that will be available around the 20 pick.  If Danny ios trading up , it must be for someone more spectactular than I would have though possible to land.  

[celts55]

Please, I beg Danny to stay away from Austin Rivers!

Well if nothing else at least they might finally draft a rookie that Doc will give some minutes.