Help make me feel better about passing on PJ3...

[Kwhit10]

PJ3 is Rashard Lewis 2.0 version.

We got players who can readily help us - even help us in getting KG to come back for a season or 2. And, we just got stronger in the middle defensively.

If it's Seattle Rashard then that would have been a good pick up in the 20's

[Chris]

PJ3 is Rashard Lewis 2.0 version.

We got players who can readily help us - even help us in getting KG to come back for a season or 2. And, we just got stronger in the middle defensively.

That is WAY too generous.  I think he is probably closer to Earl Clark.

Height and athleticism are great...but he just isn't a basketball player.

[Snakehead]

Heres how you feel better:  the Heat didn't pick him.  Nor did any other eastern conf team.  Teams passed on him because he is the type of guy IF he becomes a star it will likely be for his second team after his first team put in all the work for him.  Boston is trying to win now and we needed guys who may contribute this year.  He wasn't that guy. 

How is Melo going to contribute next season? Doc doesn't play rookies. Especially a rookie who won't be ready with a low bb iq and a questionably attitude. We will be sorry for this pick for a long time.

This is my big issue with the Melo pick.

Is he really going to be better than Hollins or Steimsma?

I liked the Sully pick but worth the gamble on PJ III IMO.

[KevinConnor]

Heres how you feel better:  the Heat didn't pick him.  Nor did any other eastern conf team.  Teams passed on him because he is the type of guy IF he becomes a star it will likely be for his second team after his first team put in all the work for him.  Boston is trying to win now and we needed guys who may contribute this year.  He wasn't that guy.  

How is Melo going to contribute next season? Doc doesn't play rookies. Especially a rookie who won't be ready with a low bb iq and a questionably attitude. We will be sorry for this pick for a long time.

Because, the 22nd pick generally determines the fate of the franchise...

If Perry Jones becomes an all star then great, good for him. If drafting Fab brings KG back for another year or two then Danny made the right pick. I don't care if people hate this pick, I would scared of everyone here loved Sullinger and Melo.

How many Centers has Danny Ainge drafted in Boston??

Zo Melo will bring back KG? Don't make me laugh. Melo won't play next season so explain why this will influence KG's decision. With the 22nd pick you go for BPA and not for a player with no talent who isn't even a legit 7 footer.

[Evantime34]

I also wanted Pj3. However, if Melo pans out he has the upside to be the best center the Celtics have had in a very long time.

[BleedGreen1989]

I'm not a Melo hater, I'm really not. I feel he can be a very serviceable center in this league. However we already have a very similar player in Steimsa..who in all likelihood is going to steal any minutes Fab gets

[RyNye]

I am really sick of people saying things like "PJ3 IS A FUTURE ALL-STAR HALL OF FAMER BEST PLAYER EVER!!!!1111"

We DON'T know how good he will be in the NBA, so stop pretending like it is a sure thing. Talent does not transfer laterally to the NBA from college. In fact, the skills that most reliably DO transfer are rebounding and defense, neither of which were PJ3 strong suits. Yes, he has POTENTIAL to be a pretty good player, but it is FAR from a sure thing. There is a good reason he slipped as far down the draft as he did.

(In fact, you can make the argument that he never deserved to be as high as he was in the first place. A lot of advanced metrics rank him very LOW, and there are serious red flags about him in general.)

So, yes, I understand some people wanted to take him, but stop hyperventilating and pretending like we passed on Kevin Durant, here.

[Roy H.]

However, if Melo pans out he has the upside to be the best center the Celtics have had in a very long time.

I don't think he'll ever have as good a season as Perk in 2010.

In terms of Perry Jones, he arguably regressed from his freshman to sophomore seasons, he never lived up to his talent, and he's got work ethic issues.  Plus, we'd be asking him to play SF, and he doesn't have the outside shot to play there effectively.  Best case, he's Thad Young without the outside shot.  Plus, he's already got meniscus problems, which could eventually lead to bone-on-bone / no cartilage issues.

All that said, I wanted Jones, too.  He's not without risk, though.

[mcshane41]

Hollingers draft rater had PJ3 pegged as a bust. Aside from measureables he has never been an effective basketball player, he has more hype than actual ability. Now his teammate Quincy Miller would have been a better choice, he can actually play and will be good.

Melo is a solid pick, 7 footers with a skill will always be useful. He is Steimsma-like in his shot blocking ability but also has the frame to be a dominant post defender (98th percentile in NCAA post D) which Greg isn't. Melo has the potential to become a player similar to Perkins with better shot blocking.

When in doubt go for size, smart picks by Danny.

[CoachBo]

However, if Melo pans out he has the upside to be the best center the Celtics have had in a very long time.

I don't think he'll ever have as good a season as Perk in 2010.

In terms of Perry Jones, he arguably regressed from his freshman to sophomore seasons, he never lived up to his talent, and he's got work ethic issues.  Plus, we'd be asking him to play SF, and he doesn't have the outside shot to play there effectively.  Best case, he's Thad Young without the outside shot.  Plus, he's already got meniscus problems, which could eventually lead to bone-on-bone / no cartilage issues.

All that said, I wanted Jones, too.  He's not without risk, though.

Pretty good assessment of a guy with unlimited upside ... if he ever decides to play.

I could live with passing on him easier, I think, if we hadn't drafted a guy in Melo with a similar set of character issues.

[Snakehead]

However, if Melo pans out he has the upside to be the best center the Celtics have had in a very long time.

I don't think he'll ever have as good a season as Perk in 2010.

In terms of Perry Jones, he arguably regressed from his freshman to sophomore seasons, he never lived up to his talent, and he's got work ethic issues.  Plus, we'd be asking him to play SF, and he doesn't have the outside shot to play there effectively.  Best case, he's Thad Young without the outside shot.  Plus, he's already got meniscus problems, which could eventually lead to bone-on-bone / no cartilage issues.

All that said, I wanted Jones, too.  He's not without risk, though.

Pretty good assessment of a guy with unlimited upside ... if he ever decides to play.

I could live with passing on him easier, I think, if we hadn't drafted a guy in Melo with a similar set of character issues.

Don't agree they are similar.  On the court at least, Melo has improved year 1 to 2.  Perry Jones got worse.

And say what you want about Melo but he does what he is capable of doing out there.  PJ III is an enigma to me because he could do so much more.  He wants to be Durant when he should be trying to be Chris Bosh.

[cdif911]

Heres how you feel better:  the Heat didn't pick him.  Nor did any other eastern conf team.  Teams passed on him because he is the type of guy IF he becomes a star it will likely be for his second team after his first team put in all the work for him.  Boston is trying to win now and we needed guys who may contribute this year.  He wasn't that guy. 

How is Melo going to contribute next season? Doc doesn't play rookies. Especially a rookie who won't be ready with a low bb iq and a questionably attitude. We will be sorry for this pick for a long time.

except for Stiemsma...

[Yogi]

What exactly has Melo done wrong?  He's one of the biggest guys in the draft.  His athleticism is not off the charts, but above average for a guy his size.  He worked incredibly hard, changed his body and improved his play by leaps and bounds from his freshman year to his sophomore year.  His weakness is that he hasn't played basketball for a long time, but that is not necessarily a bad thing.  He doesn't come with bad habits or a broken shot.  He's proven himself to be very coachable by his tremendous improvement from one year to another.  He's a fantastic shot blocker.  Second to only Anthony Davis per minute I believe.  He didn't do well in college, but so what? You don't have to be a college student to be an NBA player.
Why would anyone want Perry Jones III.  He has done NOTHING to show that he belongs on the NBA floor.  There have been hundreds of athletic guys in the NBA who amount to NOTHING.  He had 2 years in college to show what he can do, and he showed every one he can't play basketball.  OKC with the 29th pick felt they can take a chance.  There is a reason why so many teams passed on him.  

[cdif911]

the knock on Fab is he's not motivated, makes bad choices, etc.  What I hope is he simply is a kid who shouldn't have gone to college, and being around a group like the Celtics will straighten him out

[Change]

Because C's have a logjam position he plays. Grabbing another power forward would've been a waste. It was either Sullinger or Jones, Ainge went with Sully. 5 teams behind the Celtics also passed on him. 27 players in total drafted ahead of Jones.