As I look around the mock drafts, it is evident that they are a very inexact science. I checked out 25 different mock drafts and came up with 6 different players that the Celtics are projected to take. It isn't just the Celtics who have the mocks guessing either. The only sure thing is that Oden and Durant will go 1 and 2 but even there, 4 mocks have Durant going first while 11 say Oden goes first. Yi is projected anywhere from #3 to #10.
2 mocks have us taking Jeff Green 3 mocks have us taking Al Horford 3 mocks have us taking Joakim Noah 5 mocks have us taking Corey Brewer 5 mocks have us taking Brandon Wright 7 mocks have us taking Yi Jianlian
Last year, just before the draft I did a similar check and it was just as varied. They projected 11 different players being taken by Boston. One may have been correct had we made the pick with Brandon Roy available but then again, I have a feeling that Danny was eyeing Rondo all along, though.
3 mocks said we would take Tyrus Thomas 10 mocks said we would take Marcus Williams 1 mock said we would take LaMarcus Aldridge 5 mocks said we would take Randy Foye 1 mock said we would take Brandon Roy 1 mock said we would take Shelden Williams 1 mock said we would take Cedric Simmons 1 mock said we would take Bargnani 1 mock said we would take Ager 1 mock said we would take O'Bryant 1 mock said we would take Rudy Gay
There had been rumors before draft day of a trade and Telfair had been mentioned as a possibility for the 7th pick. Unfortunately that one came true.
Danny is a master of the smoke screen so that no one really knows what he is thinking most of the time. When he drafted Gerald Green, he hadn't even worked him out. When he drafted Al Jefferson, he only mentioned Al a couple of times and mostly to say that his workout didn't go well (Al had a cold when he worked out for the Celtics). We don't know which player Danny is really interested in. It sometimes seems that the player he mentions the least is the player he targets. Although they did bring Rondo back for a second workout last year. You can't believe what Danny says, though. He outright denied that he was looking to trade Walker just days before the trade went down. He denied that he had any trades on the table hours before the Wally trade. So, take what Danny says with a grain of salt.
All we can do is watch and wait and pray that Danny doesn't throw our pick away on a third string player or a veteran who will be a quick fix for a couple of years while we watch the player we could have picked go on to be Rookie of the year and an all star. In the meantime, I wouldn't put too much stock in the mock drafts, or in what Danny says.
The workouts continued yesterday and there are a couple of videos of note to report. NESN has video interviews of Danny, Doc, Thornton, and Brewer. WBZTV has a video of the workout between Brewer, Thornton and Wallace. Good stuff. Check it out.
In the Herald, Steve Bulpett tells us that Ainge is leaving the door open for Telfair to remain with the team. I think this has more to do with the fact that getting value for Telfair would be difficult after his poor showing last season and offseason problems along with Wyc's pronouncement that his nameplate was removed than it does with Danny actually wanting to keep Telfair. Publicly Danny is still saying that Telfair is going to have a good future. I can't help but think that this is just PR from Danny to try to get Telfair's value up a little. Once again, Bulpett ignores Noah and mentions that Horford and Wright are coming in for workouts. I am beginning to wonder if Bulpett has something against Noah. He is a legitimate candidate for the 5th pick. Several mocks have the Celtics picking him. He could come in and help us right away. But yet, in article after article, Bulpett omits him and makes it seem as though he isn't one of the 6 players being considered, even though he is coming in for a workout and is a viable pick for us. Bulpett also puts another damper on the hopes for Blatt to come here.
The Washington Times reports that Jeff Green still hasn't decided for certain if he will remain in the draft. I expect that he will be looking for a promise or some indication that he will be taken with a high pick in order to stay in the draft. Danny and Doc will be travelling to see him in DC next week and Danny has mentioned him as someone he is impressed with a couple of times.
An article on Hoopsworld discusses Golden State's desire for Yi and the possibility of trading for the 5th pick to get him in the draft. The Chicago Tribune reports that Chicago is active in trade scenarios and is offering Duhon up in trades but Hinrich is untouchable.
The Washington Times is reporting that Blatt is still weighing his options and that he has had offers from the NBA. Despite Danny's protests to the contrary, I hope the Celtics are one of the teams making offers. Danny should be fired if he isn't.
19 days until the draft and we are getting a lot of trade rumors. First there was the Atlanta rumors of Joe Johnson coming back to the Celtics and now rumors are surfacing that Phoenix is offering Marion and the 24th and 29th picks for the 5th pick, West and Ratliff. Phoenix are in a salary dump mode while still trying to stay competitive. I like Marion but wouldn't want to give up West in the deal. Telfair, maybe, but not West.
Haaretz.com has this little paragraph about David Blatt today:
Blatt turns down Dynamo Moscow David Blatt has decided not to coach Dynamo Moscow next season. Blatt, who coaches Russia?s national basketball team, said that he received a ?very generous and serious? offer about a week ago, but ?Dynamo requested that I give it an answer as soon as possible, and their time frame didn?t work out for me, especially since I am still exploring other possibilities in Europe and across the Atlantic. ? ?(Eli Shvidler?)
The Herald said that Ainge nixed talk of Blatt coming here. Maybe he just doesn't want word to get out before it is a done deal. I recall Ainge stating clearly that he was not going to trade Antoine Walker just days before he traded him to Dallas. And I was listening to Ainge on The Big Show the day of the Wally trade when he said that he had nothing serious in the works as far as a trade. Suffice it to say that I don't put much stock into what Danny says. He is the master of the smoke screen. It looks as though Blatt is narrowing his options in Europe and may still be a possibility for Boston. (Hat tip to Jeff on Celtics Blog.)
A lot of talk today about yesterday's workouts with Brewer and Thornton. The Herald details Danny's travel to see prospects all over the country. He traveled to Houston to see Sean Williams, LA to see Yi, and is back in Boston for these workouts. Then will travel to DC to see Jeff Green next week. Brewer impressed but Doc is being cautious.
“He has terrific instincts. It’s amazing,” Rivers said. “You can tell he’s been coached (at Florida by Billy Donovan). Defensively, I bet he blocked six, eight, nine shots today, some on his own man, some on the weak side. He made some nice passes. He can do about everything.”
As for plugging Brewer into a defensive role with the Celts, Rivers said, “You’ve got to be careful there, too. They’re stopping college players, and guys get caught up into that. They’ve been fooled many times with that.”
The Globe also reports on the workouts with Brewer and Thornton. Danny also discusses the workout that they saw with Yi whose agent has him doing drills against a chair and not against other players. Ainge is confident he saw enough of Yi in games to make a decision on him.
The MetroWest Daily also discusses the workouts and tells us that Danny doesn't put all that much stock in them since he has evaluated them several times in game situations already.
While many who closely follow the draft hang on every rumor of a good workout here or a disappointing measurement there, Celtics executive director of basketball operations Danny Ainge said yesterday he already has a list of six potential picks for the No. 5 spot in his mind - and that list is not likely to change between now and June 28.
``I am not saying that it doesn't happen,'' Ainge said, ``but I think it's rare that somebody really, really blows you away in a workout and it's rare that somebody really disappoints you. So I don't put a lot of stock into them.
``I go back to the Delonte West and Tony Allen draft (of 2004),'' he continued. ``They didn't play particularly well in Chicago (the pre-draft camp) that year and I was happy. I was like: `Good - maybe they will be there when we want to draft them.' I put a lot more stock in what they've been in their careers.''
Ainge said that the workouts - which began in Waltham yesterday with Florida guard Corey Brewer and Florida State forward Al Thornton as the main attractions - are more for the coaches to get a sense of each player.
Doc was impressed with what he saw from Yi in his workout with a chair, but has reservations.
``That is one where I tell Danny that I am impressed with all his athletic skills, and that he can shoot,'' the coach said, ``but then I turn to him and ask: `But can he play with nine other guys on the floor?'°'’
AZCentral reports that there is a 50-50 chance that they will try to deal Sean Marion.
But soon, the sticky decisions begin, most notably how to handle Shawn Marion. If they can trade him and get great value in return (ie: a high draft pick), the Suns will solve the long-term financial puzzle in one maneuver. One team source said it's about 50-50 that Marion gets jettisoned, but if he stays, something or someone has to give.
If I am Danny Ainge, this is the guy I would try to bring in with that 5th pick. I know that there are a lot of financial dealings that have to work out here since the Suns are trying to dump salary and the Celtics are nearing the luxury tax threshold, but it would be worth trying to work out. They also have this little dig in the article:
Unlike many former star players who have failed in talent evaluation - Kevin McHale, Elgin Baylor, Danny Ainge, Larry Bird, etc. - Kerr always has been a back-of-the-room, cerebral type, the lesser player who had to get by on his acumen
OUCH! It seems as though the former Celtics have become the laughing stock of the league as GM's. I don't think Danny has done that badly as far as evaluating talent. His trades and free agents leave much to be desired, but he has had very good drafts and some of those trades he has admitted were purely financial. Sometimes you make financial dealings to set you up for something bigger later. I think the judge is still out on Danny until we see the complete result of his dealings and picks.
Celtics Blog tries to determine if Danny is a good judge of talent. I have had a hard time trying to balance Danny's drafting with his trading. He seems to be such a good judge of talent in the draft, but then his trades and free agent signings seem to be so bad.
On CelticsStuff Live, JB makes a case for Koponen with the 32nd pick. I have to be honest, JB has won me over and I think this guy would be a good pick. In the meantime, Hoopsworld tells us how Brewer and Thornton could help the Celtics.
20 days until the draft. Danny is going ahead as if he is going to make the pick, working out players. I have to believe that he is looking at a few players with the thought of possibly moving down as well as players he would take with the 5th pick. But there are trades that would improve the Celtics more than the draft pick would. A trade with Atlanta for the 11th pick and Joe Johnson and a trade with Phoenix for Marion are two that readily come to mind. I was glad to see that Danny is bringing in Noah for a workout. I really think he could come in and help the team. He has that drive that players need to succeed along with skills that this team needs. He could have been the top pick last year and only his willingness to fit into the role that his team needed this past season has lowered his value. If we keep the pick, I still say he would make a good choice.
There are new reports on workouts scheduled in both the Herald and the Globe. In the Herald, Bulpett confirms that Noah and Brandon Wright will be coming in for a workout on Monday. Al Horford and Glenn Davis are scheduled for later in the week. Danny is planning a midweek trip to DC to watch Jeff Green's workout. Bulpett still seems to be leaving Noah out of the top 6 players being considered for the 5th pick. I am not sure why because I think Noah would be a good fit for our team. Brewer, Thornton, Wallace and Shabalkin will work out for the Celtics again tomorrow.
In the Globe, Shira tells us that the Celtics are doing things first class.
Players wore practice jerseys with their names printed on the back, a switch from the standard issue workout shirts worn in the past. When asked why the change, coach Doc Rivers said, “I’m a big believer in trying to do everything as first class as possible. We have the fifth pick and there’s going to be a lot of players who come through this gym and that doesn’t mean we’re going to draft them and they’re going to be here this time. They may be free agents some day and like the way we do things and want to come back. It’s just all of our ideas.”
Celtics.com is reporting on the first day of workouts with Florida's Corey Brewer, Florida State's Al Thornton, Russian prospect Nikita Shabalkin and South Carolina's Brandon Wallace. Brewer, Thornton and Wallace will work out for the Celtics again tomorrow.
Ainge said he's focusing on six players for the #5 pick, and while he didn't provide an official list of names, Thornton and Brewer are likely two of the six given that they will stay for two days in Boston. Ainge also mentions that Yi is one of the 6 players he is looking at. Neither this article or the one in the Herald mentioned Noah, but I am thinking he has to be in the mix.
Ainge and Rivers spent Wednesday in Los Angeles watching Yi Jianlian workout. Yi didn't face any live competition, and Ainge joked that the workout was "Yi versus a chair." But given that several other players in the draft are opting not to work out against other prospects, the Celtics will take what they can get, and Ainge says he doesn't put much stock into individual workouts anyway. He's more concerned with the body of work he's been studying on Yi and other players.
The article also reports that Danny is still getting calls for the pick but nothing firm as yet.
Meanwhile, Ainge's phone is still running with teams interested in acquiring the #5 pick.
"People are kind of posturing and feeling it out. People who are interested in the fifth pick are probably interested in the fourth pick and the third pick too," Ainge said. "It really isn't solid offers, but there's been a lot of discussion."
The draft watch heats up today as the first prospects come to Boston today for a workout. Danny has already seen Yi in LA and plans to fly to DC next week to see Jeff Green. Horford is scheduled for 6/23. Other than that, none others have been announced. Noah has said that he plans to workout for Boston, but his name hasn't been mentioned among the prospects coming in. The Herald reports on today's workouts and identifies 6 prospects that the Celtics are interested in at 5: Brandan Wright, Jeff Green, Yi Jianlian, Al Horford, Brewer and Thronton. I can't even imagine not working out Noah or considering him.
On Russillo's Big Board, he identifies Yi as the Celtics pick but feels that the pick will more than likely be moved. He adds this little tidbit:
The Celtics and the Washington Wizards have called Seattle about the availability of Robert Swift.
It is amazing that Danny is still chasing Swift, even after the knee injury and the fact that he really hasn't distinguished himself so far in his career. CelticsBlog is wondering if Brandon Wright will be a slider in the draft. Latest reports out of Atlanta indicate that they probably will be taking Wright with the 3rd pick.
JB is hyping up Yi in his latest post over on CelticsStuff Live complete with videos. JB's other hot topic, Petri Koponen, has his stock rising according to Draft Express.
HoopsAddict has an interesting article with Caliper CEO, Dr. Herb Greenburg. I found a couple of things very interesting in this interview.
The talent’s gotta be there. But there are many pro teams and several college teams where the line has been: “You’re five great players, but there aren’t enough basketballs for all five.” They’re great individuals, but not the team, not the heart, not the winning fire. So, going back to that first round, they all have the talent, but not many of them can make the NBA. Talent alone can’t carry it. There’s got to be that heart and that head.
I think it is these qualities that sets a player like Noah or Delonte apart. They have that fire and that heart that can make up for other things they may lack. And with that fire and heart, they have the desire and work ethic to improve in areas that they may be weak. The other thing that caught my attention is this:
A player was about to be cut from a team a few years ago. We liked him a lot. We interviewed the coach, talked to him about what was the matter. We said, “Try not to cut him. Why don’t you trade him to this other team, see what you can get for him. We think he can succeed. There’s a problem between you and this kid.” They did trade him, and he became Sixth Man of the Year a couple years in a row. We knew he had that in him.
A coach's system and personality has so much to do with whether a player can succeed or not. Doc's system is not friendly to bigs and so they don't develop as quickly as they could. Also, for some reason, in spite of having been a point guard, he just can't seem to get the most out of his point guards. I can see players who have been struggling under Doc going to another team and blossoming. That is why I don't want to trade any of our core young players until they have a chance to play under a decent coach.
The Bleacher Report has an interesting mock draft. They look at the draft from the viewpoint of what it would look like if the GM's had courage to pull off some big trades. The Celtics would pick 2nd after trading Pierce to Seattle. I rather like it.
Inside the Bay Area has more of Leon Powe's work in the community. I really, really like this kid. I hope he sticks with the Celtics.
On FSN, Donny Marshall has posted his draft blog. He looks at some prospects and looks at the pick from past drafts to show that all stars do get picked 5th. KG, D Wade, and Vince Carter are among them.
21 days, 3 long weeks until the draft. Rumors and trade scenarios are coming hot and heavy these days. One of the latest is that True Hoop feels that there may be a 3 way trade coming between Boston, Portland and Chicago. It is going to be an interesting draft to be sure. [Discuss this topic on the Celtics Green Forums!]
According to reports, the Celtics will begin private workouts today with Corey Brewer and Al Thornton. So far, these are the only workouts that have been announced. I thought it would be good to give a profile of each of these players since they are the first ones coming in.
Al Thornton
Senior, Florida State Current position: SF/PF Projected NBA position: SF/PF
Height without shoes 6' 6.75" Height with shoes 6' 7" Weight 221 lbs Wingspan 7' 1" Standing Reach 8' 8" Body Fat 5.8 No step vertical leap 35 Max vertical leap 41 Bench press 9 Lane agility 11.96 3/4 court sprint 3.16 Class Rank 17
Strengths: Big time scorer – averaged just under 20 a game his senior year. Very strong and athletic. Inside/outside threat - can post up smaller men or take bigger guys out on the perimeter. Long arms. Good face up jumper. Shooting range extends to behind the three-point line. Great leaping ability – very explosive. Good free throw shooter.
Weaknesses: A year older than other seniors due to a redshirt season. Turns the ball over too much. Can be foul prone – takes some foolish fouls. Late developer – didn’t make a huge impact his freshman or sophomore years. Game is still raw – can be a little clumsy, drops passes, forces up shots.
NBA Consensus pick for Philadelphia with the 12th pick.
Best Case: Corey Maggette Worst Case: Trevor Ariza
Corey Brewer
Junior Florida Currentposition: SF Projected NBA position: SF
Height without shoes 6' 6.75" Height with shoes 6' 7.75" Weight 185 Wingspan 6' 8.25" Standing reach 8'7" Body fat 4.2 No step vertical leap 30.5 Max vertical leap 36.5 Bench press 11 Lane agility 11.69 3/4 court sprint 3.22 Class rank 29
Strengths: Lock down defender – Brewer can guard multiple positions and do a great job at it. Long arms gets him lots of steals. Decent scorer – can get out on the fast break and finish well. Good range on his jump shot. Proved that he can take his game to a higher level in big games. Decent rebounder for a wing player.
Weaknesses: Needs to get much stronger physically for the NBA game – 185lbs won’t get the job done on the wing. May have trouble adding extra weight/muscle due to long wingspan. Outside shot needs work – has three-point range but doesn’t shoot it for a very good percentage. Needs to cut down on turnovers and take better care of the ball.
NBA Consensus pick for Minnesota with the 7th pick.
Comparisons: Best Case: Josh Smith Worst Case: Trevor Ariza
YouTube didn't have a mix of Brewer. For more video of his play, go to this site and click on the video in front of Brewer's name.
It seems as though the Celtics are behind the other teams scheduling workouts. Almost every team has announced multiple workouts. Draft Express shows one other workout besides tomorrow's with Brewer and Thornton and that is Al Horford on 6/23. Reports are that Danny flew out to LA to watch Yi workout. He will be flying to DC to watch Jeff Green workout. Since Green hasn't hired an agent, he would be paying his own expenses to workout in different cities, he has planned a workout in DC and will be inviting teams there. We will keep you up to date as soon as we get more information on the workouts.
While he wasn't projected to be running until July, he started running on the treadmill (with mechanical assistance) a few weeks into May and should be running it on his own in the coming weeks. And while his body's response has been a huge factor in his success to this point, Allen's positive attitude and commitment to the program is not lost on the Celtics' staff. "Tony's got a great attitude, he comes in ready to work, and he knows it's a big year for him," Doo said. "He's got to prove to everybody that he can come back, and he's got to prove it to himself that he can come back. Watching these guys playing while he's not playing, that's a big motivation for him."
All Allen has to do is look out the window onto the practice court, where Jefferson and Kendrick Perkins are working on post-up drills with Assistant Coach Dave Wohl.
"I get jealous, because if I wasn't hurt I'd be attacking [basketball] the way they are," Allen said. "Unfortunately, I'm attacking an injury and trying to over come that. I know as soon as I get back it's going to be twice as hard in the gym as I normally go to prepare for the season."
Allen is expected to be ready to go in time for training camp in October. For the rest of the summer, the climb continues.
I remember how long it took him to get back to his pre-injury form after his surgery last off season. This injury was worse, but it is possible that he will be able to get back quicker since he has been through it once already. I hope the projections are true because Tony was playing excellent basketball when he went down with the injury and if he can get back to that level early in the season, it would be very, very good for the Celtics.
Tomorrow workouts start in Boston with Corey Brewer and Al Thornton. Ron Lewis is also scheduled for a workout. Beyond that, we don't haven any information on who is coming in and when. We did hear the Sean Williams turned down a workout in Boston and will be holding one in Houston that Danny plans to attend. Danny better get busy lining up workouts before all the good ones are all booked up. That is unless he plans on taking one of the 3 he already has lined up and doesn't need to do any more.
The Herald had a very good story on Al Jefferson's stock in the league. It seems that his stock is up all over the league. The consensus among execs is that if Al had gone to school and come out this year as a junior, he would be given some serious consideration with the 2nd pick and no lower than 3rd.
The Globe tells us that Donovan is out in Orlando and Stan Van Gundy is in. Sometimes I feel like I am playing 6 degrees of Rick Pitino. Almost every article these days has to pull some reference to Pitino. In this one, we learn that Stan's brother Jeff was on Pitino's staff in Providence. I would just as soon forget about Pitino. His days in Boston are very painful memories. Speaking of Pitino, The Mighty Q imagines what Pitino's advice to Donovan may have been.
There are various reports of Tony Brown's return to the Bucks as an assistant coach. Here is one from the Green Bay Press Gazette. Now we need to get the Grizzlies to take Chris Wallace so we can lure David Blatt over here.
The Grand Haven Tribune encourages the Pistons to try to make a trade for Paul Pierce. They suggest Wallace, Carlos Delfino or Flip Murray, the Pistons' No. 15 draft pick this season and a No. 1 next year for Pierce. What do you think?
The Shamrock Headband takes a look at the point guard question. I for one am firmly on the Rondo bandwagon. This kid has what it takes to be a star in the league. If Doc just gives him a chance, I expect a coming out party for him this season.
As I read message boards, I still see a lot of negativism and gloom and doom because we missed out on the first 2 picks. I know that sometimes I sound like a broken record, but there are reasons for optimism in this draft and for the Celtics in general.
1. Paul Pierce. Paul Pierce was selected with the 10th pick in the 1998 draft and he has been a perennial All-Star who is averaging 23.6 points and 6.5 rebounds per game for his career. He is still in his prime and wants to win. Yesterday's Herald reported that Al is going out to LA to work out with Pierce. Pierce is ready to do whatever it takes to win this next season. This will bode well for next season as Pierce and Al develop even better chemistry and get into the best shape of their respective careers.
2. Al Jefferson. This brings me to Al Jefferson who was selected with the 15th pick in the 2004 draft. His first 2 seasons were derailed by injuries but last season he emerged as a reliable double-double threat. He finished the year averaging 16 points and 11 rebounds per game. This morning's Herald confirms that if he had gone to college and came out for this year's draft, he would be challenging Durant for the #2 spot in the draft. Al has been working hard already this season and will come back even better for training camp. We can only imagine how good Al is going to be. I expect him to be an All Star either this season or next.
3. Rajon Rondo. Rajon Rondo proved at the end of last season that he is a legitimate NBA point guard. He was able to find the open man, penetrate to the basket almost at will, and in spite of everyone saying he couldn't shoot, he was shooting over 50% for his last 20+ games. Rondo has great court vision and ran the team with poise over the last part of the season when Doc finally gave him a chance to start. This season I expect him to be even better. He is one of the players who has been in the gym working hard on his weaknesses and working to be the best player he can be.
4. Tony Allen. Tony's first 2 seasons were plagued with injury and legal problems, but we could see a glimmer of hope when he was able to play. In Pierce's absence last season, Allen had a coming out party that was similar to Jefferson's He was scoring 20+ points per game and at the same time showing the lock down defense that makes him so valuable to this team. Then, injury hit once again when he tore his ACL. His rehab is ahead of schedule and I expect Tony to come back this season ready get back to where he left off last season. I think the encouragement of Leon Powe who had been through the same thing not once, not twice, but 3 times will help Tony to come back with confidence so that he can get to the level he was at before.
5. Wally Szczerbiak. Wally has been injured since he came here. His first season it was his knee and last season, he had one ankle injury after another. He is due for a healthy season this year. He is a former All Star and has averaged 15.6 points per game for his career. When healthy, he is a pure shooter and can give us an offensive threat and a veteran presence. He wants to win and plays hard and will make a big difference if healthy this season.
6. Ryan Gomes. Gomes expanded his shooting range last season to include three-pointers and emerged as a defensive presence on the team, often being given the task of guarding the other team's better players. He is another hard worker who will come back even better next season.
7. Delonte West. Delonte is the heart of this team. He plays hard and his desire to win is infectious. He can play both guard positions and can shoot, dish, defend, and rebound. Delonte's goal was to work on his right hand so he could go left or right and that will make him even harder to defend.
8. Kendrick Perkins. Perk is one of the hardest workers on the team. Yesterday's Herald had this to say about Perk.
There isn’t a more maniacal worker on this team than Perkins. “We had the last game of the season on a Wednesday, a team meeting that Thursday, he took off that Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and was back in the gym that Monday,” said Walter Norton, one of the Celtics’ two strength and conditioning coaches.
His first season, he got all of 19 minutes playing time all season. His second season he didn't get much more playing time and then he was hampered by the shoulder injury. Last season he played in pain all season and the plantar fasciitis limited his mobility and ability to play. The best news I have heard is that he is no longer in pain and working hard on his conditioning and on his game. I expect a summer with Clifford Ray is going to pay dividends next season. Perk is going to break out next season, just as Al did this past season.
9. Gerald Green has great potential but as yet has only been able to touch the very tip of all that he is capable of. The question that has to be answered is whether he can harness all that potential and become a consistent contributor. Green may end up as a trade chip or he may continue his learning curve this next season.
10. We have the #5 draft pick. Danny has been able to find talent with the 15th, 18th, 21st, 24th, 25th, 49th, and 50th picks. Danny should be able to find an impact player in a deep draft with the 5th pick. Brewer, Noah, Jianlin, Horford, Hawes, Green, Wright, and Conley are all possibilities and all have positives that will allow them to come in and help right away. Ainge has proved that he is a very good talent evaluator in the draft and I expect a very, very good player coming back to the team from this draft. This is a very deep draft and similar to the draft where LeBron James was the star, Chris Bosh went fourth and Dwayne Wade went fifth. This is a deep draft and there are several strong players who will become All Star level players. I trust that Danny will pick one of them who will fit our system and make an impact on the team right away.
11. We have a core of very talented players and we also have trade chips that could bring back a veteran all star player. There are many trade opportunities from the possibility of trading down in the draft such as the rumor of bringing Joe Johnson back with the 11th pick for the 5th pick. Or there is a possibility of a trade with several other teams interested in the 5th pick where we could trade down and still get a solid player along with a good veteran. The possibilities are many and this is going to be a very exciting off season.
12. The Eastern Conference is still weak. We didn't get Oden or Durant, but then again neither did any other Eastern Conference team. With Miami and Detroit aging, the conference will be wide open for the younger teams coming up, including the Celtics, Bulls, Raptors, and Cavs. What's more, the Atlantic Division is still a very weak division, giving us a good chance to win our division.
13. The David Blatt rumors. Rumors have surfaced in Italian and Israeli papers, on the internet, and in the Boston papers that David Blatt is considering a move to the Celtics. Along with that, we get the news that Doc's extension is far from the $5 million vote of confidence we first thought. He only gets between $1million and $2 million and the rest is in incentives. With David Blatt in place on the team, it would be a lot easier to let Doc go if we faulter out of the blocks and let Blatt take over the reins. I know it is all rumor at this point, but it does give hope.
14. Celtics Fans. Celtics fans have to be the greatest fans in the world. There are more Celtics blogs and message boards than for any other team in the NBA. Celtics fans are passionate, knowledgeable and loyal. Some have been fans of the team since the Russell years, others have been fans since the Bird years, and still others are recent additions. But, all are good people. I am proud to be a member of this great group of fans. We have suffered together and we will rejoice together again. I am sure of it.
So, fellow Celtics fans, all is not lost. Pull up a chair and grab a glass of koolaid and watch the fun this off season. I have a very good feeling about this team and next season the Celtics will surprise a lot of people. Jump on the bandwagon while there is still room.
More information is surfacing on David Blatt and the possibility of coming to Boston. First, Scott Souza has an article on the MetroWest Daily News on the subject. They start with a very tantalizing question. If Doc gets off to a lousy start next season, who will replace him? And they answer with "How about David Blatt?" This is what most Celtics fans have been fantasizing about since they first heard his name mentioned. The article goes on to say that if Wallace goes to Memphis the Celtics could very well replace him with Blatt. A GM salary would certainly be enough to lure him to the NBA. And I have a feeling that he would move to a head coach salary soon enough.
Blatt was less enthusiastic about becoming an assistant, although the fact that the Celtics are the team he grew up with might change his mind. "The status and financial rewards (in Europe) are too much for me to just get up and leave (to be an NBA assistant)," he said in the alumni magazine.
If the Celtics replace both Brown and Wallace with Blatt they could offer him enough to lure him here, along with the promise of moving into the head coaching job when Doc is canned.
JB posted another article on CelicsBlog that further elaborates on the situation. He adds these comments from a poster on CSL:
Interesting that I just read Meniola(?)in the Metro West paper. Blatt also might be a consideration for Wallace's job? I do know that Blatt will not be returning to Maccabi Tel Aviv. He hAs till Thursday to decide on a few European coaching positions for excellent money. Wallace should know by Tuesday, and Blatt is reticent to decide too quickly and taciturn to speak too much about his situation. He could very well be being groomed as the next head coach, or maybe hired as an assistant period without a clear definition of a role.
Here's what Blatt told the italian press yesterday (I will translate for you): Q: Where are you going next year? Russia? Tel Aviv? Boston Celtics? Blatt: I could stay in Italy, I'd like to stay and go on, It's not a problem. Anyway I have options, I can't tell you, let's say that some options are in Europe (...)You will know in 3/4 days".
We now need to hope that Wallace gets the Grizzlies job. This could be the biggest move this offseason if we can bring this guy into the organization.
Mark Murphy has a very good piece in the Herald with news on our current players. Al is very positive and sees us as a playoff team regardless of what Danny does with the pick. He says something I have been saying all along:
“From my point of view, everyone just has to be healthy, and we’ll end up being a more veteran team. (Kendrick Perkins [stats]) is going into his fifth year. It’s going to be my fourth, and the fourth for Delonte (West) and (Tony Allen) too. We’re becoming veterans ourselves.”
Al has been working out with Perk and the others in Boston, but will be going out to LA to work out with Pierce and that bodes well for both players. There is more good news in this same article about Perk.
There isn’t a more maniacal worker on this team than Perkins. “We had the last game of the season on a Wednesday, a team meeting that Thursday, he took off that Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and was back in the gym that Monday,” said Walter Norton, one of the Celtics’ two strength and conditioning coaches. The most encouraging development thus far? The debilitating pain in Perkins’ right foot from plantar fasciitis is gone.
I just love this kid. Mark my words. Perk is going to break out this season and silence a lot of people who are declaring that he is nothing more than a back up center. Perk is going to surprise a lot of people. When he is considered one of the top centers in the east by the end of the season, I will be able to say I told you so.
Along with discussions of Donovan's situation, Lebron's emergence,and Saunders staying in Detroit, the Globe reports this little tidbit:
Al Thornton of Florida State and Corey Brewer of Florida are confirmed for pre-draft workouts with the Celtics Thursday. Other players may come in that day or Friday as schedules are worked out. The Celtics have the fifth pick in the June 28 draft.
There hasn't been much information about the workouts. The Herald article had a little info at the end.
In addition to Corey Brewer and Al Thornton, who will work out for the team in Waltham Thursday, the Celtics are busy lining up workouts next week with Joakim Noah, Brandan Wright and Al Horford. Mike Conley Jr., the Ohio State point guard slotted as high as the third pick with Atlanta, may also receive an invitation. Team boss Danny Ainge said, “We’re evaluating Conley.” . . . Sean Williams, the expelled BC forward who chose not to show up in Orlando, is also on today’s list but is not expected to attend. His agent, Charles Grantham, and fitness guru John Lucas instead have scheduled workouts for teams on June 11 and 18 in Houston. “We most likely will go watch him,” Ainge said.
A couple things stand out. The Celtics are evaluating Conley. Didn't Danny just say last week that he wasn't interested in a point guard in this draft? Danny must be interested in Williams with the 32nd pick to travel to Houston to watch his workouts.
Finally, True Hoop asks if the Lottery was rigged. They make the case that if it was they wouldn't choose Portland or Seattle for their top picks to go. But the lottery may have been rigged so that certain teams didn't win, not so that certain ones would win. He further cites a precedent for rigging a lottery.
A comment on Michael McCann's post on this topic on the Sports Law Blog points out a 1999 article about a 1980 Pennsylvania Lottery that was rigged. According to a 1999 Jason Togyer article on Tube City Online, you can manipulate certain balls to be too heavy to get picked up by the air-driven mechanism:
I have been saying this all along. It happened here locally and would have been very easy to do since the balls come in a locked case and no one handles them except the person putting them into the machine. If Stern wants to put this to rest, he will offer the video of the lottery itself to be scrutinized. I don't expect it happening, though.
23 days until the lottery. We should be getting reports out of the workouts soon. The most encouraging reports, though, are of the hard work that our current players are putting in and that Perk's foot is healthy. Whoever we draft will be added to a very solid core of players.
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.
Chad Ford has the measurements that have been released from the Orlando camp. HEIGHT AND WEIGHT MEASUREMENTS PLAYER HEIGHT (w/o shoes) HEIGHT (w/shoes) WEIGHT WINGSPAN STANDING REACH Corey Brewer6-6¾ ....6-7¾ .....185.... 6-8¾ .....8-7 Mike Conley 5-11¾ ...6-0¾ .....175 .....6-5¾ ....7-10½ Daequan Cook 6-3¾ ...6-5¾ ......203 ....6-8¼... 8-5½ J Crittenton 6-3 ....6-4¾ ....194 ....6-5½..... 8-2 Kevin Durant 6-9.... 6-10¼ ...215 ....7-4¾ ....9-2 Jeff Green 6-7¾ .....6-9½ ....228 ....7-1¼ .....8-7 S Hawes ...6-10½ ....7-0¾ ....244 ....7-0½ .....9-2 Al Horford 6-8¾ .....6-9¾ ....244 ....7-0¾.... 8-11 Acie Law... 6-2..... 6-3½ ....186.... 6-6½ .....8-2 J McRoberts 6-8¾ ....6-10 ....240.... 7-1 ......8-10½ Greg Oden 6-11 ......7-0 .....257..... 7-4¼ ......9-4 Joakim Noah 6-10½ ....7-0 ....223 .....7-1¾ .....8-10½ Jason Smith 6-10¾ ....6-11½.. 233..... 6-10¾..... 8-10 R Stuckey 6-3¾ ......6-4½ ....207 .....6-7½ .....8-4½ Al Thornton 6-5¾ .....6-7.... 221..... 7-1..... 8-8 B Wright 6-8¾ ........6-10 ...200 ....7-3¾ .....9-0 JWright 6-6½......... 6-8½ ...211.... 7-2¼.... 9-0 Nick Young 6-5 .......6-6¾ ...206 ....7-0 .....8-4½ T Young 6-5¾ .........6-7½ ...210 ....6-11½ ....8-10
COMBINE RESULTS PLAYER NO STEP VERTICAL MAX VERTICAL BENCH PRESS LANE AGILITY 3/4 COURT SPRINT Corey Brewer 30.5 .........36.5 .........11 .........11.69 .......3.22 Mike Conley 35.5 ...........40.5........ 13 .........11.63 .......3.09 Daequan Cook 30 .............34.5 ......4 ...........11.12........3.22 J Crittenton 32.5 ...........38 ........11.......... 11.6 ........3.32 Kevin Durant 26 .............33 .........0 .........12.33 ........3.45 Jeff Green 33.5 ............38 ..........17 ........12.0 ........3.34 Spencer Hawes 26 ...........29 .........9 ..........11.88 .......3.51 Al Horford 31 .............35.5 ........20 .........12.15....... 3.37 Acie Law 29 .......... 34...........8 ..........11.0.........3.22 Josh McRoberts 27.5 .......31.5 ......12 ...........11.7 ........3.47 Greg Oden 32.............. 34 .........0 ..........11.67 ........3.27 Joakim Noah 32.5 ..........37.5 .......12.......... 11.79 .......3.47 Jason Smith 33.5 ..........37.5 .......15 ..........10.96 ......3.29 Rodney Stuckey 30.5...... 35 ...........14 ........11.34 ........3.11 Al Thornton 35 ..........41.5 .........9 ........11.96 ..........3.16 Brandan Wright 30.5 .....35.5 ........2 ..........11.48 .........3.36 Julian Wright 28.5 ......33.5 ........2 .........11.48 ..........3.36 Nick Young 39.5 .........40.5 ........6 ........11.0 ...........3.25 Thaddeus Young 34.5 ......37 ........13 ........11.06.......... 3.19
Maryland guard D.J. Strawberry ranked as the draft's best athlete followed by Notre Dame's Russell Carter and Marquette's Dominic James. Ohio State's Mike Conley ranked fourth, Purdue's Carl Landry ranked fifth, Temple's Dustin Salisbery was sixth, Georgia Tech's Thaddeus Young was seventh, Colorado State's Jason Smith was eighth, Ohio State's Ron Lewis was ninth and Eastern Washington's Rodney Stuckey ranked 10th.
In individual stats, Carter bench pressed 185 pounds the most times with 25 reps. Thaddeus Young had the highest maximum vertical with 41.5 inches. Syracuse forward Demetris Nichols had the fastest lane agility drill at 10.39 seconds. And Conley finished with the fastest sprint time of 3.09 seconds.
Not too much going on today. The Herald reports that Danny is still in Orlando for the workouts after the predraft camp. Brewer and Thornton will be in Waltham working out for the team on Thursday. Danny is encouraged that we will get a good player with the 32nd pick. Chris Wallace gets a second interview for the Grizzlies job and Leo Papile is planning on staying in Boston.
Chad Ford reports that the crop of international players in the draft just got weaker with the withdrawal from the draft of Ante Tomic.
BlackAthlete.net has a list of the real top 10 players in the league. Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant, and Steve Nash lead the way as the top 3. Surprisingly, Paul Pierce is listed at #8 in front of Elton Brand and Shaquille O'Neal who are listed at 9 and 10. Here is their reasoning for their selecton of Pierce. As part of their reasoning, they say that Pierce is the only player in the league to lead their team in points, rebounds, assists and steals. That may be more of an indictment of the rest of the team than Pierce's prowess. They expect Pierce to be in the running for MVP in the next couple of years if the Celtics start winning again.
Quinielabox has started his own blog, The Mighty Q, that will include Red Sox, Patriots, Big 12, Rensselear College Hockey, as well as the Celtics. He has a good piece to start with Q's version of the History of the Celtics in a Nutshell. Be sure to check it out.
CelticsStuff Live will have a good show tonight with Jessica Camerato as their guest. She has been in Orlando covering the predraft camp and had a chance to interview Doc while there. Should be a good show with great information, as always.
Celtics Blog discusses trading Pierce as an option. Draft Express wraps up the predraft camp with their 1st, 2nd and 3rd team choices as well as MVP.
The Contra Costa Times has an article on Leon Powe today. They discuss his first season in the NBA and the differences between the college game and the NBA game.
Along the way, Powe found out what it's like to be a professional athlete. He said the differences between college and the NBA are not that dramatic on the court. It's off the court where the adjustment lies. "You have to watch who and what is around you," Powe said. "Some people might not have the right intentions or might try to sell you something that isn't legit. It's happened to me a couple of times." Powe is perpetually upbeat, so he welcomed the challenge of the pro game. His explanation is simple: "I like to play basketball."
In case you aren't aware of all that Powe has gone through in his life to get to where he is at, here is a little background. This kid has had a rough life and has come through it a strong person and a gritty basketball player. His dad left the family when he was only 2. At seven, Powe's younger brother, Timothy, accidentally burned down the family's duplex while playing with matches. His mother struggled with the burdens of raising the family and was arrested for theft, fraud and drug possession. Leon missed almost his entire fifth grade year...caring for his siblings. Shortly after the fire his mother, Connie Landry, lost custody of her five kids, who were put into foster care.
“The best part,” Powe said, “was it taught me to cherish anything you have, always work hard and don’t take anything for granted. The worst part was every day having to see my mom struggle a little bit. That wasn’t easy for me, and I couldn’t do nothing about it.”
During his junior year in high school, Powe’s mother died unexpectedly of a heart attack at the age of 41, just days before he was to play for the state title. Despite the family’s troubles, he remained close with her and the loss weighed heavily upon his performance. With his mother's death less than a week behind him, Powe poured in nineteen points and grabbed ten rebounds against No. 1-ranked Westchester High School of Los Angeles. To make things worse, only weeks later, he ripped the ACL in his left knee while playing in an AAU tournament in Houston. This is an injury that might have stopped a lot of people, but Powe worked hard on rehab and went on to Cal.
Bouncing back after the surgery, Powe had a great freshmen season. After averaging over 15 points and a conference-leading nine rebounds, he was named Pac-10 Freshman of the Year and earned all-conference honors. In his freshman year, his gpa dipped below 2.0 and he was forced to sit out several games. Showing just what kind of determination he has, he improved his gpa to a 3.5 by his junior year.
Unfortunately, Powe’s good fortune did not last long. After the season, he had not one, but two surgeries. The first was a bone graft intended to relieve the pain that still existed from his ACL tear, and the second was another reconstruction when the knee failed to respond. It was three major surgeries on the same knee in the span of about two years.
After the knee surgeries, he returned to Cal and became a dominant force, averaging 20.5 point per game and 10.1 rebounds per game, becoming only the 6th player ever to lead the conference in both categories and was named a second team All American.
A stress fracture in his right foot sidelined him for the first two weeks his last season at Cal, but he refused to get discouraged. He recovered to average 20.5 points and 10.1 rebounds in 2005-06, becoming only the sixth player to lead the Pac-10 in both categories. He was also one of just three players in the nation to average a double-double.
After being drafted by the Celtics in the second round of last season's draft, Powe had several options with that first paycheck he received from the Celtics. He could have spent it on a car or a house, or maybe he could have saved it for the future. Whatever the option, it would have been easy for Powe to justify doing something for himself.
Instead, Powe decided to host the inaugural Team Powe Basketball Camp last summer at Merritt College. The all-day camp was free to kids' ages 7 through 18 and attracted well over 100 participants.
Powe still doesn't splurge on much for himself. With the help of his unofficial guardian, Bernard Ward, Powe met with a financial advisor to set up a monthly spending allowance. He still tries to help his siblings out and makes sure that they have what they need. Powe is very loyal to his simple roots and lives very simply. Ward had to encourage Powe to buy a watch because he didn't own one.
Powe also believes he should use his position to get involved in the community. As a Cal student, he talked to children about the importance of education. He's doing the same thing in Boston. Cook (Leon's girlfriend) is as well, working in an after-school program for underprivileged kids.
Powe is going to spend most of this month in the Bay Area, and he is planning more charitable work while he is here.
"He feels like it's his job to give back to the community," Ward said. "He wants to talk to kids because he knows he can teach them. He feels like it's a big responsibility. Leon is the same guy he always was -- so humble, so down to earth."
The article also says that Powe is certain that he is a big part of the Celtics future and is determined to come back next season even better and more prepared. I hope so because I think it would be a huge mistake to let this kid go. His contract was guaranteed only for one season. The second year ($687,456) would have become guaranteed if he appeared in 41 games and if his average of points + rebounds + assists totals at least 14 per game. In his first season, Powe appeared in 63 games and he averaged 4.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, and .2 assists in 11 minutes per game. The total of points, rebounds and assists for his first year was only 7.8, well short of the required 14. But, it wasn't for lack of effort that he didn't reach the required totals. Powe played hard and gave his all every minute he was on the court. Doc played him in 3-4 minute stints for the most part and it was amazing that he produced what he did with the way he got his minutes in spurts and the way Doc used him in games. When he actually got playing time, he produced every time. In games where he got at least 25 minutes playing time he averaged almost a double double. The Celtics have to pick up his option before July 1 in order to keep him. If they don't, he will be placed on waivers just as Orien Greene was last season and another team can claim him. The Herald said that they expect Powe to play in the summer league and that bodes well as they would have to pick up his option for that to happen since the Summer League is in July.
His nickname in high school and college was "The Show." That is a great nickname, but the players on last season's Celtics' Summer League team gave him a new nickname: "The Grown Man" because he is built like a Mack truck and is very mature for his age. I guess going through all the adversity has made him wise beyond his years as well as a very strong and gritty player. You have to pull for a kid who has gone through so much and yet has seemed to rise above it all. He is determined to make teams pay for passing on him in the draft.... Somehow I believe he will. I just hope he will do it while playing for the Celtics.
According to Fox Sports, Billy Donovan is having second thoughts and wants out of the Magic deal to return to Gainesville. According to sources, he was forced to make a quick decision and regretted it after signing the contract.
Speculation centered on VCU coach and former Gators assistant Anthony Grant replacing Donovan quickly. In fact, Grant was slated to meet with Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley on Saturday morning.
However, shortly after landing in Virginia, Foley had to return due to an emergency. One source confirmed that the emergency was that Donovan contacted Foley about returning.
Definitely an interesting turn of events. We'll keep you informed.
Aside from all the rumors listed in the article below, there are a few other things to be noted today. The Herald has an all purpose article that discusses O'Brien's hiring in Indy, Sean Williams and his willingness to discuss the behavior that led to his dismissal from BC, and the fact that Pierce is probably every bit as frustrated as Kobe. The Globe also has a rambling article from Peter May that covers O'Brien, Kobe, the Finals, Donovan, Yi, Wallace, Jazz, Draft, and Brown. May does make the first mention of the David Blatt as a replacement for Tony Brown, so that is interesting.
The MetroWest Daily reports that Brandon Wright could be a steal with the 5th pick, but this contradicts all the other reports coming out of Orlando including one from NBADraft.net that his shot only extends to 8 ft with 57% FT shooting, Chad Ford's report that Wright struggled with the drills and looked a little lost at times, and this from Draft Express's report on Day 4 in Orlando:
Brandan Wright did not do much to quell most of the fears about him, even if there was only so much you could take away from this setting. He doesn’t appear to have added any weight to his frame since the season ended, and his jump-shot and ball-handling skills were virtually non-existent as we’ve been mentioning all season long. The fact that he was working out in the 3rd gear didn’t really help him out.
The Fayetteville Observer reports that diet may be key to Wright's success at the next level. The Journal Sentinel reports that they expect to land an impact player with the 6th pick. If they find an impact player with the 6th pick, we certainly should be able to find one with the 5th pick. I believe that we can find a player who will make an impact right away so hopefully Danny will not just give the pick away as he did last season and will make a wise choice.
The Orlando Sentinel has a good article on Brewer. I wouldn't mind picking Brewer. He knows how to win, is intense and a hard worker and best of all, he loves defense.
The Commercial Appeal has an interesting article discussing the search for a GM and in the process calls Danny incompetent and enumerates all of Chris Wallace's miscues in Boston. In spite of them all, Wallace is still in the running for their GM job in Memphis.
On the other side of the court Spencer Hawes seemed to be taking things quite seriously, looking absolutely phenomenal in the post drills with his gorgeous jump-hook shot and incredibly soft touch off the glass. He’s clearly one of the most fundamentally sound players in the draft. He told us he’d help himself here a few weeks ago when we interviewed him, and if this is any indication of how the drills portions of his NBA private workouts are going to go, he is absolutely right.
I hope Danny is planning on giving this kid a look. He is a legit 7 footer and seems to have what it takes to make an impact for an NBA team.
25 days until the draft and the Celtics will begin workouts next week. It will be interesting to see who they bring in and the reports on those workouts. I am still suspect of Yi's defense and hope that reports of Danny's desire for him are just smoke screens. Hawes has emerged as a favorite for me along with Noah and Brewer.
