Danny Ainge Missed Again - Terry Rozier

[RockinRyA]

The premise that Ainge wouldnt have signed Lee (expiring, 1 year removed from being a starter on a playoff team)  and Amir (starting caliber PF available on a good contract) because we drafted an unproven rookie in Portis is very laughable.

[BitterJim]

The premise that Ainge wouldnt have signed Lee (expiring, 1 year removed from being a starter on a playoff team)  and Amir (starting caliber PF available on a good contract) because we drafted an unproven rookie in Portis is very laughable.

We didn't sign Lee, we traded dead weight (Wallace) for him, but I agree with the overall sentiment of your post.  Those deals were gonna happen whether we took Portis or not

[RockinRyA]

The premise that Ainge wouldnt have signed Lee (expiring, 1 year removed from being a starter on a playoff team)  and Amir (starting caliber PF available on a good contract) because we drafted an unproven rookie in Portis is very laughable.

We didn't sign Lee, we traded dead weight (Wallace) for him, but I agree with the overall sentiment of your post.  Those deals were gonna happen whether we took Portis or not

Yeah I know. It was a financial deal that even with the way Lee has played, still an upgrade over G Wallace. Ainge wouldve still done the deal even if Lee can't play.

[Chris22]

Nobody takes advantage of that opportunity better than the Boston Celtics, who constantly shuffle their young talent between Boston and their affiliate Maine Red Claws—something rookie guard Terry Rozier certainly can attest to.
The No. 16 overall pick from the 2015 draft has already suited up for the Red Claws on five separate occasions, averaging per-game numbers of 19.6 points, 6.2 rebounds and 9.8 assists compared to just 2.8 turnovers.
The Celtics aren’t concerned with the numbers, though, as they are already fully aware of his ability to fill up stat sheets at rapid rates.
Instead, they want to see Rozier improving on the nuances that all good NBA point guards can exploit: changing speeds, making the right reads in the pick-and-roll and creating good looks for teammates.
http://www.celticsblog.com/2016/1/1/10699648/terry-rozier-showing-positive-signs-at-the-d-league-level

[LooseCannon]

Arguing that the Celtics should have taken the best player available, regardless of position, is a hill I am willing to die on.  I'd even argue that the Celtics should go for BPA next draft even if it is another guard.  Whether Rozier was BPA is debatable.  I personally wanted Kevon Looney, who was going to miss several months with hip surgery and wouldn't contribute to the roster crunch.

[flybono]

Lets not forget Portis is playing on a very good Team that goes 8 to 9 deep. His mistakes can be covered up to an extent and still look pretty good surrounded by talent..

Outside of Thomas and Crowder, I think Portis would be exposed in Boston with the lack of talent..

[tarheelsxxiii]

Some here have argued Portis wouldn't play in Boston due to our depth, suggesting that our frontcourt depth is comparable to that of the Bulls. From a quantity standpoint, sure. Quality-wise, no way.

Others argue he benefits from being on a talented team where his mistakes are covered up. First, no doubt he's making rookie mistakes, but the good things he's doing far outshadow the blips right now. Second, if you believe he's benefiting from his teammates, you probably aren't watching him play. He makes nice plays in isolation (especially around the rim/in the post), shoots surprisingly well from behind the arc off P&R, and finishes in transition.

These abilities have little to do with who else in on the court; in contrast, we would be salivating for a guy that can score in the post, hit from 3 (without hesitation), rebound, and roam as an active defender with legit size. I'd argue it would be easier for him to score in our system, in fact, because he wouldn't have to deal with chuckers like Rose, Butler (42 pts tonight), Mirotic (endless green light), and take a back-seat behind Gasol.

Last, his usage has been high in his stretch of play this year. He's very aggressive offensively, which is boding very well for him on a team where he's fighting for PT and opportunity.

I wasn't high on Portis pre-draft. I assumed he would be our selection, and I was fine with that, but prematurely decided we weren't going to find anyone of significant value at 16. I was not at all happy with Rozier, though. It made no sense to me then, unless Ainge had already decided Smart was not a part of our future. It makes even less sense now, as Rozier seems incredibly hesitant on the court, unsure where he wants to go or what he wants to do (all stop-and-go), is undersized, and far too similar to others on the roster (esp given our crop of bigs).

Hopefully Ainge has a plan with the roster and Rozier proves me wrong. For those that want to designate Portis to Maine as a Celtic, though, I can assure you that's a silly presumption and encourage you to actually watch him play before making bold statements. Maybe that's just a pet-peeve of mine, and I'm guilty of dumb posts too... but the kid can flat out play.

[Rondo9]

Rozier's undersized?

[Future Celtics Owner]

final point, it is generally agreed that nba teams should draft the bpa, not based upon immediate need. what maybe a team need at the time of the draft can change in a year or two. meaning drafting upon need leaves the team with a lesser player and no pressing need in his position. the preferred strategy is to pick the bpa. sorting out any log jams becomes a good problem to have.

This is fine and good, but you still need to develop guys.  Developing them means at some point putting them into your NBA rotation. 

It's one thing to draft the BPA even though there's an incumbent starter you like at that spot. 

It's another to draft the BPA even though there's no spot in the rotation for them, period, and there are at least three guys in the rotation now who figure to be here for at least a couple more seasons.

I think this is a perfect example to the posters who are ok winning with depth and no star/go-to guy(IT is not PP but he is our go to guy at this point...which is sad). Many teams could decide to have depth but they know that they would also be:
1)unable to develop young players that have potential and are ready to play 20plus min a game
2) you pad your wins and end up with a less favorable pick
3) When you make the playoffs other teams turn it up and usually you get to a 8 or 9 person rotation.....which means your regular season play and winning method is out the window.

[TheSundanceKid]

this thread is revisiting a debate that has been hashed over many times. while i understand the key points, previously, other posters have made the following points in response:

first, ainge is an above average drafter. his record shows that again and again. but no one, not even san antonio, bats close to .1000.

second, let's please be patient before deciding a player is a "bust." this rush to judgement smacks of the same impatience shown about bradley's first year as a celtic. it is too early to judge on rozier, by far.

third, since only one half of the players taken in the mid range of the draft ever become nba players, labeling someone a bust is an overreaction. the most common player from that range who makes it becomes a role or bench player. which is fine.

fourth, to say ainge should have picked player X misses the point that we all have 20/20 hindsight. portis went at #22 in the draft for a number of reasons.

many GMs had questions about portis based upon scouting reports. he was seen as a bench player with a limited ceiling. too weak to fight under the boards and not a shot blocker or defensive rebounder. that is, a nice player but not someone you draft in the top 12 spots or so.

final point, it is generally agreed that nba teams should draft the bpa, not based upon immediate need. what maybe a team need at the time of the draft can change in a year or two. meaning drafting upon need leaves the team with a lesser player and no pressing need in his position. the preferred strategy is to pick the bpa. sorting out any log jams becomes a good problem to have.

Well said, TP

[KG Living Legend]

 Yeah that's great draft the BPA. I'm I'll for it.
 
 Except the BPA was Bobby Freaking Portis!!!

[KG Living Legend]

 Portis was #10 on my board. I liked him over Hezonja who went fifth, Booker, Trey Lyle's, Payne, Frank Kaminsky.

[oldtype]

If you're going to draft a guy 10-15 spots ahead of his projected position then he's naturally going to have to prove pretty quickly that there was a reason for that.

Rozier hasnt, and it's hard to see how he'll have the chance to for the rest of this season at the very least.

[Celtics4ever]

I think the fact he choose Rozier may mean he plans on dealing Smart or does not completely trust him.

[YoungOne87]

he is mostly an insurance in case we trade smart or bradley, just like we signed mickey so he would be available if we trade some bigs...

I would have liked anyone out of winslow/stanley johnson/oubre but unfortunately we couldnt trade up on bit.