CELTICS GREEN BLOG by and for boston celtics fans: Around the Mock Drafts

It is time to go around the Mocks again and see who they expect the Celtics (as well as the Hawks and Grizzlies) to take.

Draft Express still has the Celtics taking Noah with the 5th pick and B Wright going 3rd and Horford 4th. Noah measured out at 7' in shoes with an 8'7.5" standing reach. He has impressed in workouts.

SI.com has the Celtics taking Corey Brewer at 5 with the Hawks taking B Wright and Memphis taking Horford. Here is the blurb that accompanies their pick: "Celtics director of basketball operations Danny Ainge understands offense, and he's unlikely to pass up a player with Brewer's expansive offensive repertoire and vast potential. Brewer is a quick, rangy player who should be able to contribute right away on both ends of the court. The potential is there for Brewer to become a major offensive force one day." Brewer measured 6'7.75" in shoes with an 8'7" standing reach.

Chad Ford has Yi going 5th with B Wright and Horford going 3 and 4. Yi is still the mystery man as he did not even show up to be measured. He is reported to be working out for only a few choice teams and is being sheltered somewhat by his agent. He also is expected to play for the Chinese National Team in Summer League rather than the team that picks him. Here is what Chad has to say, "The skinny: This is a tough call since the future of the Celtics is so murky. Yi has the most upside at this point but also carries a significant risk that Celts boss Danny Ainge might not want to bear. And with Paul Pierce stumping for immediate help, it might be an unpopular pick.
I wouldn't be surprised if the Celtics traded the pick -- the Warriors and Bulls would like to move up here and grab Yi.
If the Celtics go with Corey Brewer instead, it might mean the end of the Paul Pierce era in Boston."

CBS Sportsline has Yi going to Boston with the 5th pick and Horford to Atlanta and B Wright going to Memphis. Here is their take: "Danny Ainge might not be as tight with Yi's folks as he is with Durant's mom, but he has been overseas to visit and came away impressed. Yi isn't the centerpiece Celtics fans were envisioning, but if he falls here, he'll have to do."

Inside Hoops has Brandon Wright falling to the Celtics at 5 and Atlanta taking Conley and Horford going to Memphis. Wright's performance in the Combine was not very impressive and this could cause him to fall somewhat.

ProBasketball News puts Yi in Boston, Conley in Atlanta and B Wright in Memphis. Wright measured 6'10 in shoes with a standing reach of 9'0".

Collegehoops.net has Boston taking Jeff Green with the 5th pick with Atlanta taking B. Wright and Grizzlies taking Horford. Green measured 6'9.5" in shoes with an 8'7" standing reach.

On the Hoopsworld mocks 2 writers pick Noah, 2 pick Yi, and one picks Brewer. All pick Horford going to Memphis, and 4 pick B Wright going to Atlanta while one picks Conley.

RealGM puts Yi in Boston with Conley going to Atlanta and B Wright going to Memphis. Here is the accompanying text: "With Al Jefferson entrenched in the low block, the need for a big man with a more versatile offensive game is necessary for the Celtics."

Hoopshype puts Noah in Boston, Horford in Memphis and B Wright in Atlanta. Here is what they have to say about Noah: "This tall, athletic, charismatic and super long stat stuffer has most of the attributes NBA scouts look for in power forwards including rebounding skills, shot blocking ability, basketball IQ, ball handling, low post scoring ability, passing, heart, and probably the best motor in college basketball. Still growing into his skinny frame. His jumper is not pretty but he shot an extremely high percentage from the field. Didn't really dominate his opponents playing for a stacked team of future pros.

MSNBC has the Celtics taking Horford at 5 with the Hawks picking B Wright and Memphis picking Yi. Here is what they say about Horford: "Did you see the nice runner down the lane in the title game? He can also hit a fadeaway jumper and he gives the effort on defense. Character counts for something, too. The Celtics have a lot of good young players, but none of this caliber." Horford measured 8' 9.75" in shoes and had an 8'11" standing reach.

Scout.com has the Celtics picking Brewer and B Wright and Yi going 3 and 4.

Fanball.com has the Celtics picking Horford with Conley going to Atlanta and B Wright going to Memphis. Here is what they have to say about the pick: "Although the Celtics front office staffers will likely still have tears in their eyes while making this pick, there is still talent to be had at No. 5. The Celtics are pretty much full to the brim from point guard to small forward, meaning help in the frontcourt must be on its way. Jianlian and Spencer Hawes are both 7-foot options the team could consider, and with Al Jefferson and Kendrick Perkins both undersized centers at 6-foot-10, neither Jianlian nor Hawes would be a surprise. But Horford's strength and athleticism would be the strongest complement to Al-Jeff and Perkins, so I expect the Celtcis to go that route."

Dime has Boston taking Brewer. Here is what they have to say: "Gerald Green can jump, but he’s not an NBA starting wing yet. Wally Szczerbiak makes starter money, but he’s probably better coming off the bench. Brewer is a do-it-all type who already might be better than any of the current C’s defensively, and doesn’t demand shots, so he won’t butt heads with Paul Pierce."

Inside Hoops has B Wright slipping to Boston at 5 and Conley and Horford going 3 and 4.

Yahoo puts B Wright in Boston with Yi going to Atlanta and Brewer to Memphis. This one is different. Here are their comments: "Doc Rivers will be gone by the All-Star break, but Wright, with those condor arms, is a long, fluid offensive talent who will block shots and score around the basket. He isn't Durant, but he'll be a major scorer in the pros."

Fox Sports is the second mock putting Green in Boston. B Wright goes to Atlanta and Horford to Memphis. "The Celtics were hoping for Oden or Durant. Instead, Danny Ainge will add the versatile Hoyas forward — who is multi-dimensional. We're going with Jeff Green with the slight nod over Al Thornton."

NBC Sports has the Celtics taking Horford with Yi going to Atlanta and B Wright to the Grizzlies. "The bad news just keeps building up for the Celtics. After missing out on their shot at Oden, the draft's next best center, Roy Hibbert, pulls out. Horford, though, could still be a good fit in Boston. He and Al Jefferson would make for a very strong 1-2 punch inside, much like the one Horford and Joakim Noah formed at Florida. Given Danny Ainge's apparent affection for Durant, another Florida product, Corey Brewer, could also be an option to add to the athletic core Ainge has built. Either way, the sting of losing the lottery will likely last a while in Beantown."

One thing is clear from these mocks, no one really knows what is going to happen. Even the top two picks are flip flopped in many of the drafts with some putting Oden first and som putting Durant first. With the workouts starting this week, there may be more chatter and things may begin to firm up somewhat in the mocks.

[Discuss this topic on the Celtics Green Forums!]

Post a Comment