The Vertical Mock Draft (Givony)

[Eddie20]

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/the-vertical-mock-draft-174919054.html

Top 10

1. Ingram
2. Simmons
3. Brown
4. Bender
5. Dunn
6. Poeltl
7. Murray
8. Hield
9. Ellenson
10. Labissiere


Celtics Picks

4. Boston Celtics (from Brooklyn)
Dragan Bender
PF (Maccabi Tel Aviv – Israeli league)
18.3 years old | 7'1" | 216 lbs
Salary slot: $3,563,600
Insider info: Starting Amir Johnson and Jared Sullinger most nights, the Celtics have no clear-cut power forward of the future. They will likely be attracted to Bender's blend of size, shooting prowess, basketball IQ and versatility.

15. Boston Celtics (from Dallas)
Damian Jones
PF/C (Vanderbilt – junior)
20.6 years old | 6'10" | 248 lbs
Salary slot: $1,656,200
Insider info: One thing the Boston Celtics are lacking is a legit rim-protector in their frontcourt rotation. Jones is one of the most physically gifted big men in this draft and has excellent upside alongside the team's existing young core.

23. Boston Celtics
Isaia Cordinier
SG (Denain – French 2 league)
19.2 years old | 6’5” | 190 lbs
Salary slot: $1,151,900
Insider info: With their third first-round pick, the Celtics will likely be looking for a player they can stash in Europe for another year or two to continue to develop. Cordinier offers them a talented wing player with intangibles who would benefit from more experience and growing physically stronger overseas.

[alldaboston]

Bender screams bust to me. I want Hield or Murray.

[Eddie20]

Bender screams bust to me. I want Hield or Murray.

Bender has one of the highest upsides in the draft. He's 7-1, just turned 18, and when you combine that with his mobility and skillset it's a no-brainer pick over Murray and Hield. I worry about Murray's lack of quickness on the next level. Is he going to be able to penetrate against quickness and length (he's just 6-4) or will he be relegated to being a player that plays off of teammates? Hield is pretty old, so you worry if he is a finished product taking advantage of inferior/younger competition at the college level.

[Future Celtics Owner]

Bender screams bust to me. I want Hield or Murray.

Bender has one of the highest upsides in the draft. He's 7-1, just turned 18, and when you combine that with his mobility and skillset it's a no-brainer pick over Murray and Hield. I worry about Murray's lack of quickness on the next level. Is he going to be able to penetrate against quickness and length (he's just 6-4) or will he be relegated to being a player that plays off of teammates? Hield is pretty old, so you worry if he is a finished product taking advantage of inferior/younger competition at the college level.

Bender is hard for me to put my name on because he is not showing me anything that a bunch of guys in 2017 already have shown. bc he is younger than Ingram and not in America, so its harder to watch his games etc, but as a top pick he does not physically posses anything elite to me...yet.

Ya he's 7 ft but not as long as KP, which a few ppl compare him to.

[TheSundanceKid]

Bender screams bust to me. I want Hield or Murray.

Bender has one of the highest upsides in the draft. He's 7-1, just turned 18, and when you combine that with his mobility and skillset it's a no-brainer pick over Murray and Hield. I worry about Murray's lack of quickness on the next level. Is he going to be able to penetrate against quickness and length (he's just 6-4) or will he be relegated to being a player that plays off of teammates? Hield is pretty old, so you worry if he is a finished product taking advantage of inferior/younger competition at the college level.

Bender is hard for me to put my name on because he is not showing me anything that a bunch of guys in 2017 already have shown. bc he is younger than Ingram and not in America, so its harder to watch his games etc, but as a top pick he does not physically posses anything elite to me...yet.

Ya he's 7 ft but not as long as KP, which a few ppl compare him to.

I think people label him bust too easily. It's harder to see him play so it's easy to brush him off. He's long been identified as a guy with a bright future at all levels. In terms of elite abilities I don't think he has shown strong scoring or rebounding or the like yet. But he has shown a great versatility on defence and he runs the floor very well.

The comparisons to KP are valid but it's kind if like comparing a rookie Durant with Ingram. Sure there are similarities, but there are big differences in their game as well. Bender likes to get out and run whereas KP is a half court player just to list an example

[Eddie20]

Bender screams bust to me. I want Hield or Murray.

Bender has one of the highest upsides in the draft. He's 7-1, just turned 18, and when you combine that with his mobility and skillset it's a no-brainer pick over Murray and Hield. I worry about Murray's lack of quickness on the next level. Is he going to be able to penetrate against quickness and length (he's just 6-4) or will he be relegated to being a player that plays off of teammates? Hield is pretty old, so you worry if he is a finished product taking advantage of inferior/younger competition at the college level.

Bender is hard for me to put my name on because he is not showing me anything that a bunch of guys in 2017 already have shown. bc he is younger than Ingram and not in America, so its harder to watch his games etc, but as a top pick he does not physically posses anything elite to me...yet.

Ya he's 7 ft but not as long as KP, which a few ppl compare him to.

I think people many on Celtics blog label him bust too easily.

I edited it for accuracy. Nowhere else, especially as it relates to people in the know, is that opinion floated around. It's almost as Bender = Bust has become the catch phrase of the 2016 draft with very little evidence to support it.

[Evantime34]

4. I'd be fine with the Bender pick. The C's need guys with star potential. They currently have good depth and with all their draft picks I expect things to stay that way. Better to take a chance on a guy with a high ceiling even if his bust potential is higher than other players.

That being said, I'm not sure if his potential is that great because I haven't seen him play. If Ainge picks him, then I will trust in his upside and be happy with the pick. If we aren't going with Bender then I'd be fine with Murray or Poeltl.

15. Another high variance guy in Jones. He's really athletic with true center size that we have been missing. The problem is he reportedly has low basketball IQ and plays stiff. More importantly I think the C's are crazy if they pass on Valentine with the Mavs pick

23. I'm all for a draft and stash pick here. With all our youth, I don't want us adding more than 2 or 3 rookies to the team. So going with the best foreign player available makes a load of sense to me.

[CFAN38]

I just wrote a nice little essay on how much I like the Bender pick but lost it....

Long and shot of it, he is a unique talent who most scouts/draft prognosticators have liked for a while. If the Cs are going to strike out on a potential unknown it should be a 7'1 18year old with a perimeter skill set who has shown very well in international tournaments. 

Damian Jones pick, I really do not like this one. Given who is on the board at this point I take Valentine with out any doubt. If the goal is a big man I take Stone or Unuaku before Jones. Stone has more skill and I think Unuaku has the better motor.

With the Mavs pick I admittedly know nothing about Cordinier but to continue to beat my drum about my favorite late 1st player I would take Nigel Hayes. I really think he is going to be a valuable bench player in the NBA given his ability to defend multiple positions and score on miss matches. Looking at the Cs right now with Crowder hurt I would have to think that Nigel Hayes could contribute alot. 

 

[mef730]

I just wrote a nice little essay on how much I like the Bender pick but lost it....

Long and shot of it, he is a unique talent who most scouts/draft prognosticators have liked for a while. If the Cs are going to strike out on a potential unknown it should be a 7'1 18year old with a perimeter skill set who has shown very well in international tournaments. 

Damian Jones pick, I really do not like this one. Given who is on the board at this point I take Valentine with out any doubt. If the goal is a big man I take Stone or Unuaku before Jones. Stone has more skill and I think Unuaku has the better motor.

With the Mavs pick I admittedly know nothing about Cordinier but to continue to beat my drum about my favorite late 1st player I would take Nigel Hayes. I really think he is going to be a valuable bench player in the NBA given his ability to defend multiple positions and score on miss matches. Looking at the Cs right now with Crowder hurt I would have to think that Nigel Hayes could contribute alot.

I agree with not using the Dallas pick for Jones, but I would take him with the Celtics pick. By the time you are in the mid-20s in the draft, you have two choices: a player who is going to be solid off the bench or a guy that is either huge upside or huge downside. We have a lot of the bench players already. I'll take the chance on the huge upside and, if I'm wrong, so be it.

Mike

[CFAN38]

I just wrote a nice little essay on how much I like the Bender pick but lost it....

Long and shot of it, he is a unique talent who most scouts/draft prognosticators have liked for a while. If the Cs are going to strike out on a potential unknown it should be a 7'1 18year old with a perimeter skill set who has shown very well in international tournaments. 

Damian Jones pick, I really do not like this one. Given who is on the board at this point I take Valentine with out any doubt. If the goal is a big man I take Stone or Unuaku before Jones. Stone has more skill and I think Unuaku has the better motor.

With the Mavs pick I admittedly know nothing about Cordinier but to continue to beat my drum about my favorite late 1st player I would take Nigel Hayes. I really think he is going to be a valuable bench player in the NBA given his ability to defend multiple positions and score on miss matches. Looking at the Cs right now with Crowder hurt I would have to think that Nigel Hayes could contribute alot.

I agree with not using the Dallas pick for Jones, but I would take him with the Celtics pick. By the time you are in the mid-20s in the draft, you have two choices: a player who is going to be solid off the bench or a guy that is either huge upside or huge downside. We have a lot of the bench players already. I'll take the chance on the huge upside and, if I'm wrong, so be it.

Mike

I agree with your logic and this is what DA did when he drafted Melo. These types of picks typically bust but every once and a while they become Perk of D Jordan. Others bigs who I would place in this late first project category would be Unuaku from Louisville and Egbunu from Florida. There is also what looks to be a nice group of draft and stash Euro bigs available. I personally wouldnt pass up on Nigel Hayes for any of these guys

[PhoSita]

Would Damion Jones ever end up playing for the Celts?  Seems like he'd be right there with Mickey hanging out on the bench / D-League.

[ThePoeticWolf]

Bender screams bust to me. I want Hield or Murray.

Bender has one of the highest upsides in the draft. He's 7-1, just turned 18, and when you combine that with his mobility and skillset it's a no-brainer pick over Murray and Hield. I worry about Murray's lack of quickness on the next level. Is he going to be able to penetrate against quickness and length (he's just 6-4) or will he be relegated to being a player that plays off of teammates? Hield is pretty old, so you worry if he is a finished product taking advantage of inferior/younger competition at the college level.

"Hield is pretty old, so you worry if he is a finished product taking advantage of inferior/younger competition at the college level."

How the hell is a 22 year old?  He's a senior in college an a polished player.  Hield is one of maybe 3 to 4 players that could be an instant starter and make an impact on a team.  Plus with the way the NBA is going needing to be a scorer and pure shooter he's probably the #1 prospect. 

[ThePoeticWolf]

Would Damion Jones ever end up playing for the Celts?  Seems like he'd be right there with Mickey hanging out on the bench / D-League.

Personally I think Damion Jones would be able to make the Celtics.  I'd take the young college kid over Zeller an Amir Johnson next year.  Plus with Mickey coming up to play Power Forward those two in the second unit would be a good combo of big guys.  I've watched few of Jones's games an been impressed enough, I've liked him for the start of this year.

[PhoSita]

I really can't help feeling Bender is Jan Vesely 2.0.  Best case scenario he's Danilo.

[Denis998]

I see they have us drafting Andrea Bargnani 2.0. when will this end.