A Sherrod is actually making sense to me

[PhoSita]

I like Buddy. I feel like his mentality as a natural scorer will translate to the next level.  Give that kid a hoop and a basketball, and he'll get buckets, wherever, against whomever.

This is a quality that can't be accounted for by wingspan, max vert, lane agility etc . . .

I'll take Bender, Murray, or Dunn, I guess, and root for them as Celtics, but Buddy is the guy I have my heart set on.

I like Buddy, too, but talent of that caliber is available in the late lottery of most drafts. He just stayed in college four years.

Sherrod is right. Celts have no choice but to gamble on the guy with the most star potential at the three spot.

[PaulAllen]

I like Buddy. I feel like his mentality as a natural scorer will translate to the next level.  Give that kid a hoop and a basketball, and he'll get buckets, wherever, against whomever.

This is a quality that can't be accounted for by wingspan, max vert, lane agility etc . . .

I'll take Bender, Murray, or Dunn, I guess, and root for them as Celtics, but Buddy is the guy I have my heart set on.

I like Buddy, too, but talent of that caliber is available in the late lottery of most drafts. He just stayed in college four years.

Sherrod is right. Celts have no choice but to gamble on the guy with the most star potential at the three spot.

He stayed in college and greatly improved year by year ... Guy can attack the rim and shoot from anywhere ... He looks like Wade or Harden coming out of college which were #3 and #5 picks... I think the sky is the limit and the Celtics should take him if they do draft... again I think they trade that pick

[Geo123]

He wants bender.  Feels we can afford to take a gamble since we are a playoff team and we don't have to give up anything to get him.  We have more picks coming.  We can take an 18 year old and afford to bring him a long and anything he brings is a plus.  Not taking Bender is like not taking a chance on something really great to me.

Same ideology Detroit used when they took Darko.

No it wasn't.  Darko had an NBA ready body and Bender doesn't.  Detroit had made the conference finals the year before and were a very good team which limited his playing time and development.  Detroit didn't have 2 other 1st round picks (they had another low 1st rounder) plus multiple seconds and didn't have cap space (because it didn't exist). 

[greece66]

So, you believe Bender is the best player available at #3?

I think he has the most potential yes.  He is a gamble though.  As far as upside he is.

Jamal Murray is the bpa right now probably but he doesn't have that kind of upside plus he's a guard.  Unless we are trading Marcus for Okafor or Paul George and trading Murray or Dunn for Butler etc......

I would just draft Bender though if things check out.

Problem is we won't really know if things check out until long after the fact.

I'm not saying he's not the best option at #3. I'm saying that I'm yet to be convinced he is.

Still room on the roster for another guard. If BPA is a guard, there's no reason not to take him.

Much depends on your definition of 'best'. Often an average big is in higher demand than a good guard: just look how many good PGs are polishing benches while Marjanovic and Tyler Zeller get playing time.

Point is that position is part of what makes a player valuable: not the need of a specific team for a specific position (this would go against the definition of BPA); but the relative scarcity/high supply or players with similar skills at the same position.

[cltc5]

Murray is a lights out shooter but needs space.  Heild can create his own shot and knock down the 3

I would say the exact opposite.  Hield is a better shooter but Murray is better off the dribble.  Murray is quite good off the dribble, it's why he plays PG at all for UK.  He is not a passer.  He was playing there because he has handle.

But Buddy did develop there over time.  I don't dislike Buddy over Murray really, can see the arguments.

Sorry he's not.  He can't create space.  Good driving the lane yes.  Good off the screen yes.  Not good off the dribble.  Further he had more turnovers than assists.

[knuckleballer]

Why not take Murry, Brown or Heild at 3 and take a flier on Thon Maker at 23 if he's still there. He has some impressive vert numbers at the columbine. Could translate into a good rim protector and sounds like he has a good motor. And if he's a bust, well you didn't use the 3rd pick on him.

Please - this is all I want out of this draft. He seems to be playing his way into the #16 pick, but that is fine, too. It's like everybody is trying to talk themselves out of Maker rather than acknowledging all of his positives. Bender and Maker are the same age, they are both skinny, can shoot, and move well, but Maker can jump a bit higher and seems to be way more intense.

I still have no idea why Bender is a blue chip prospect while Maker is an afterthought.

I agree with this.  Bender and Maker are basically the exact same height, length, and weight and are only 7 months apart in age.  Yet, Maker gets criticized for being too skinny and Bender doesn't.  Plus, Maker has nine inches on Bender in his vertical leap, so he is easily the better athlete.  Skill wise, I'm sure Bender is ahead, but Maker looked quite good shooting the ball in the short video Chad Ford released.  Also, Maker only started playing the game around the same time Bender began playing professionally.

So I agree, take Hield or Murray with number 3 and the flier on Maker at 16.

[Celtics18]

I like Buddy. I feel like his mentality as a natural scorer will translate to the next level.  Give that kid a hoop and a basketball, and he'll get buckets, wherever, against whomever.

This is a quality that can't be accounted for by wingspan, max vert, lane agility etc . . .

I'll take Bender, Murray, or Dunn, I guess, and root for them as Celtics, but Buddy is the guy I have my heart set on.

I like Buddy, too, but talent of that caliber is available in the late lottery of most drafts. He just stayed in college four years.

Sherrod is right. Celts have no choice but to gamble on the guy with the most star potential at the three spot.

Nope.  I disagree.  My opinion is that Buddy Hield is a very rare talent.  I believe that his nose for getting buckets will translate to the NBA.

Unfortunately, his best qualities--things like swagger and supreme self-confidence--aren't easily described by "draft measurables."

I'll embrace Dragan Bender if that's who Danny chooses, but, honestly, he scares the day lights out of me.  He could well end up being a marginal NBA player at best.

[PhoSita]

I agree Bender comes with risk.

If we really believe in Brad as this great coach of young guys, let's trust him to do well with a raw talent. Just make sure he profiles as a guy who will work hard, ie not James Young.

[dreamgreen]

Don't be fooled Sherrod is a moron, one of those people should almost always to the opposite of what they say.

[Snakehead]

Murray is a lights out shooter but needs space.  Heild can create his own shot and knock down the 3

I would say the exact opposite.  Hield is a better shooter but Murray is better off the dribble.  Murray is quite good off the dribble, it's why he plays PG at all for UK.  He is not a passer.  He was playing there because he has handle.

Overall I would say really they are pretty similar but Murray is two years younger.

But Buddy did develop there over time.  I don't dislike Buddy over Murray really, can see the arguments.

Sorry he's not.  He can't create space.  Good driving the lane yes.  Good off the screen yes.  Not good off the dribble.  Further he had more turnovers than assists.

That's why I said he is a SG.

I think he has better moves and has things like a euro-step and a floater that are really impressive for a player of his age.  He has work to do but he can go to the rim.

Overall I find them pretty similar but Murray is two years younger.

[mmmmm]

I'm starting to warm up to Bender, but something about this situation is eerily similar to.. dare I say it...Darko?

The Darko comparisons really don't work.  Bender is a completely different player with a completely different head on his shoulders.

Look, after seeing Porzingis, I think all of us would love a franchise player of his caliber, especially if these reports are true that Bender is an even better shooter, but I'm not buying the "we have more picks, can risk BLOWING this pick" logic.

There is no guarantee that the Brooklyn picks will be lottery bound next year, or the following year, and it's most likey that this #3 will be the highest pick we get. So basically don't screw it up!

Do your research Danny. You said that if you got a look at Poryzingis, you would have known of his potential. Please puck the best player for our future. If it's Bender, so be it. Just DON'T screw it up!

I'm not sure I understand this remark.  Danny DID get a look at Porzingis.  Danny travelled to Europe and scouted him out during the season prior to the 2014 draft.  The rumors were that he intended to try take him _that_ season (with the #16 pick), but Porzingis withdrew from that draft and came out the following year.    I'm pretty sure Danny knew of his potential.

[PaulP34]

Danny is not drafting Bender. Let's put that to rest. Like one poster said, why gamble on a big when there's 3 or 4 coming out next year that have more upside ? Danny wants proven talent now, not projects.

[mmmmm]

Why not take Murry, Brown or Heild at 3 and take a flier on Thon Maker at 23 if he's still there. He has some impressive vert numbers at the columbine. Could translate into a good rim protector and sounds like he has a good motor. And if he's a bust, well you didn't use the 3rd pick on him.

Please - this is all I want out of this draft. He seems to be playing his way into the #16 pick, but that is fine, too. It's like everybody is trying to talk themselves out of Maker rather than acknowledging all of his positives. Bender and Maker are the same age, they are both skinny, can shoot, and move well, but Maker can jump a bit higher and seems to be way more intense.

I still have no idea why Bender is a blue chip prospect while Maker is an afterthought.

That's a fair question, and it's hard to say other than probably because Bender has been playing pro ball and thus available for scouting by pro scouts.  Pro scouts aren't normally allowed to scout prep school games.

Bender is an unknown to most US fans and sports media, but he is a very thoroughly scouted player by pro scouts since he's been on their radar since he was 15.

Maker has also been on folk's radar for a while, and has almost identical physicals (possibly even better, given his vertical leap numbers), youth and similar 'plus' skills (long, mobile, plays defense intensely and can shoot from the outside).  But he simply hasn't been as easy to see play in games this last year.  He has been fairly high on college recruiting boards, until he took his name off to turn pro.

I think ultimately, both players' fates will be decided by the team workouts they do down the stretch leading up to the draft.  Maker will probably climb draft boards the way Rozier & Porzingis did last year, though perhaps not as high as Porzingis did.   Bender could also end up moving up or down on team boards.   In either case, we outsiders will not really be privy to that.  So be prepared for some surprising draft picks on draft day.

I just kind of hope we get _one_ of the several 7 footers in this draft.  I find both Bender and Maker intriguing because they both are mobile switch defenders who can shoot from deep.  But I also would be interested in Skal or one of the other true bigs in this draft.

[max215]

Danny is not drafting Bender. Let's put that to rest. Like one poster said, why gamble on a big when there's 3 or 4 coming out next year that have more upside ? Danny wants proven talent now, not projects.

Except he said the exact opposite.

https://youtu.be/aTp5JFpavRs

[PaulP34]

I'd take Skal Labisierre over both. U guys r nuts lol