1. Where is our alpha dog in this draft? Ainge's major criticism is that we lacked another "go to" scorer besides IT. Is there another guy like that in this draft, besides Simmons? Dunn, probably, is the only guy you could see take over a game. This is why, for the first time this morning, I could see Danny seriously thinking of drafting Dunn, and making moves (trading guys like Rozier and/or Smart) to accomodate. Even Isiah, I suppose, if you could get good value.
2. How would Butler and IT work together, chemistry-wise? Honestly I am not a student of Butler's game. To the extent that he is at all ball-dominant, we will have a problem. Because we know that IT is very ball dominant. Chicago would not take IT back in a trade (would they?) And IT would not agree to return to the bench, nor should he, after the season he just had. So putting aside what it would take to get him in chips, before pulling the trigger, ask if a backcourt of Butler and IT would work. The beauty of the Pierce, Allen and Garnett moves was that they were complementary pieces.
3. Let's acknowledge this about Bender: You can love him (that would be me) or hate him, but he is no alpha dog. He will not lead this team in scoring. He is going to be a side-kick, complementary piece. And the more I acknowledge this, the more I tend to think Danny will shy away from drafting him.
4. Who is Buddy? An alpha dog in college, but I doubt in the NBA. Still, I think his shooting prowess will make Ainge think of a way to grab him at the right price. The 3 pick is too high. But if MN is enamored with Bender (as has been reported), Why not swap picks with them, and work Dieng into the trade, understanding we would have to give up another pick or two in the process. Which given the next point, is actually a good thing. I love Hield's work ethic. I could see him in the gym for hours working on increasing his 3 point shooting range to that of a Splash Brother. His upside is Michael Redd or even Ray Allen. Of all the guys in the draft, his proven work ethic combined with his natural athleticism and length give him the greatest shot at achieving his upside.
5. Steve Bullpet in today's Herald reminds us of the pressure on Danny to make trades/consolidate picks, due to the abundance of assets. There are two avenues to accomplishing this: Trades, and Draft and Stash. Or some combination of the two. I hope he has a computer to sort out all the permutations of options, because it is quite daunting. Will his need to do this de-value his currency? Yeah, probably a little bit. But fortunately if he feels he is getting under cut with trade offers, he can fall back to draft and stash. Which is not a bad thing. In fact, the foreign leagues is really just another development league for the NBA when you think about it.
6. Jaylen Brown: I love his upside, but question the odds of him achieving it. He talks a good game, saying he is getting up at 5 AM just like Kobe. How long will that last? I also think people confuse having a high IQ (which no one would argue with regarding Brown) vs. having a high basketball IQ (which, frankly, I have not seen in his game). Some of poorest guys in the classroom (Larry Bird, e.g.) have the highest basketball IQ's. There is absolutely no correlation. Some would say there is an adverse correlation (I'm not that cynical).
7. Jamal Murray: I feel his is the classic case of a kid who will really struggle in the NBA. I just don't see him having the speed to overcome his lack of length at his position. I really hope he proves me wrong, and he may very well will. But not as a Celtic.
8. Chriss: I would not touch him with a 10 foot pole. Exhibit A of upside shining through in team workouts. I was a huge proponent of Tyrus Thomas back in the day (2006? Ten years ago? Man, time flies). Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me twice...Well, no, you can't fool me this time. Thomas at least showed an incredible motor in college. He was more of a head case tweener. Chriss' poor rebounding numbers are a huge red flag: Rebounding today is mostly about effort, since technique is so poor. His poor numbers here are an indication of major lack of effort. And Lebron James without effort is, well, not worth drafting. You can't teach effort. Ever.
9. Kevin Love: I would not remotely consider trading for him. He sucks up salary cap space. He can't defend. If Ainge gave up the 3 pick for him would sicken me. I don't think he will.
10. Okafor: Not a fan of his game either. I just don't think he fits in the spread offenses that are emerging with the stretch of 3 point shooting that is going to occur in the next 5 years (GS is just the start of this. More teams will follow). Would not want to even give up the 3 pick for him.
Let the rumors keep flying for the next week!!
Topic: Final Notes Before the Draft (Read 1212 times)