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

It's time for our weekly look around the mock drafts. Here is what they are saying this week.

Draft Express has Noah going to Boston with the 5th pick with B Wright and Al Horford going 3 and 4. It is interesting that they don't have Yi going until the 10th pick.

SI.com says that Boston will take Corey Brewer with the 5th pick and that B. Wright and Horford will go 3 and 4. Here is what they have to say: "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."

Chad Ford says that Boston will take Yi at 5 while Atlanta takes B. Wright and Memphis takes Horford. 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."

Fox Sports has us taking Jeff Green with B Wright going to Atlanta and Horford going to Memphis. Here is their blurb: "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."

CBS Sportsline has Yi at 5 with Horford going 3rd and Brewer 4th. "More Dirk Nowitzki or Pau Gasol than Yao Ming, Jianlian is shooting up draft boards. It's possible he could be selected as high as the third overall pick."

The Sporting News puts Green in Boston, Horford in Atlanta and Wright in Memphis. "Jeff Green, SF, Georgetown. The Celtics have pooh-poohed the point guards in the draft class, so unless it was a smokescreen, they have no intention of picking Conley here. Yi Jianlian has been discussed, but the Celtics are in good shape at power forward. They could use a versatile forward. That's Green, who is a terrific passer on the wing with an improving jump shot."

Inside Hoops has us taking Noah with Atlanta taking B Wright and Memphis taking Horford.

ProBasketball News has Boston taking Yi, Memphis taking Wright and Atlanta taking Conley.

CollegeHoops.net has Yi at 5, Horford at 4 and Wright at 3.

RealGM has Boston taking B Wright with the 5th pick and Atlanta going with Conley at 3 with Horford going to Memphis at 4. "Danny Ainge can rest easy if Wright slides to the fifth slot because he fills their most pressing need and is also the third best player in the draft. Al Jefferson had a breakout season and the very long Wright will be the perfect complement down low. Life in the NBA will resemble his one year playing beside Tyler Hansbrough for North Carolina."

MSNBC has Horford sliding to 5 with the Hawks taking Wright and Memphis taking Yi. "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."

NBC Sports puts Horford in Boston, Yi in Atlanta and B Wright in Mrmphis. "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."

Fanball has Boston taking Horford at 5 and Conley and Wright going 3 and 4. "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."

Yahoo Sports puts Wright in Boston, Brewer in Memphis and Yi in Atlanta. "Brandan Wright, 6-10 forward, North Carolina. 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"

Scout.com says that Boston will take Brewer, Atlanta will take Wright and Memphis will take Yi.

Dime puts Brewer in Boston, Horford in Memphis and Conley in Atlanta. "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."

Hoopshype has Noah going to Boston, Horford going to Memphis and Wright going to Atlanta.

Ryen Russillo puts Yi in Boston, Horford in Memphis and Conley in Atlanta. "You almost feel stupid placing any name with this pick. Every team in Orlando mentions the Celtics as the team most likely to move out of the lottery. Ainge has put out the for sale sign and the bidding will heat up once the workouts get started. Yi is a possibility but you wonder if Ainge would rather take a player that is less of a risk and can contribute next year if they are stuck picking at #5. Al Horford is a possibility as well as Corey Brewer. Ainge has said that Rajon Rondo is better than any point guard in this draft so it sounds like they will pass on Conley Jr. if he was still on the board.
The Celtics and the Washington Wizards have called Seattle about the availability of Robert Swift."

Is is any wonder that Noah says he doesn't put any stock in the mock drafts. The Celtics are seen to be taking 6 different players and every mock has a good reason for the pick. The truth is that no one really knows who is going where at this point. There are rumors and speculation but they can only guess. I'm with Noah on this one. Maybe they are made by kids in their parents' basement.

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