Before I go over the who I think the Celtics should go after with their first round selection it is important to break down who is currently on their roster what their team strengths are and where their roster has potential for improvement.
Center - Assuming the Celtics let the Kandi man go, which is a certainty unless the Kandi man serves Danny up to a similar hookah treatment which landed Scalabrine a $15 million dollar contract, the Celtics go into next season short on a true Center. The Pansy Man Raef Lafrentz and his horribly overpriced contract are still on the roster but he's a straight jump shooter. In addition the Celtics will slot over the young guys Perkins and Jefferson at the center position even though they are both undersized. However, the need of an for a true center is not that important though as the center has become a diminished position in the NBA.
Power Forward - This is the Celtics position with the most potential growth. Big Al has shown flashes of a dominant post game with a flair for grabbing the Offensive Board, he simply can not stay healthy however. Kendrick Perkins has given Celtic fans glimpses of a Charles Oakley esque defender and rebounder. And Gomes came from bench relegation to have a stellar second half. The Celtics have options at the power forward position and if they draft a power forward expect one of these youthful talents to be traded soon after. Oh and you can't forget about Scalabrine the Great. I wish the NBA had a +/- statistic similar to the NHLs, I'm positive Scalabrine would be Top 10 worst in the league.
Small Forward - It's Wally's world and maybe the Celtics will be happy to be in it. We'll see, hopefully Wally can become Robin to Paul's Batman. In addition expect Gerald Green to get some more playing time. Hopefully this offseason he will learn to dribble and shoot a jump shot. But man he sure has that dunking down.
Shooting Guard - Pauly P is coming off his best season statistically, hopefully he can follow it up this coming season with similar numbers and leadership. Tony Allen after a solid rookie season where he showned signs of being a shutdown defender, disappeared last season. Hopefully Tony will be able to regain his 04/05 form and make some solid contributions to the squad.
Point Guard - Delonte improved by leaps and bounds in his second season. However, he still has moments where it appears as if he would be better suited working off the ball. And Oriene Green is not a viable solution.
Danny's Past Drafts
If there is one thing that Celtic Fans should be pleased with Danny about, its his drafting success. The Celtics have gotten both high school high potential players in Big Al, Perk and Gerald Green as well as solid late round steals with Delonte and Ryan Gomes. The Celtics draft is a far cry from the days of Ron Mercer and Joe Forte.
1st Pick Targets
1) Brandon Roy - I love college stars who have shown a combination of athleticism and leadership. Roy led a not overly talented Husky team to a last second shot away from the Elite 8. Roy would be an excellent selection if he manages to fall to the 7th pick.
2) Marcus Williams - This is who I think will be on the board and makes the most sense for the Celtics. Living in Connecticut, I get the opportunity to watch a lot of UConn games throughout the season. Williams was the glue that held that team together. Williams was their goto guy in the clutch. While everyone in the UConn lineup with the exception of Rashard Anderson shyed away from pressure, Williams thrived in it. He never missed a foul shot down the stretch and always found his way into the paint. Williams does have some weaknesses, he is not the quickest or most athletic player in the draft and he did make several dumb passes throughout the season but he is definately is the best pure point guard in this draft and the Celtics need that. Plus he'll enter the league as its all time leader in thefts.
3) Randy Foye - Foye is a warrior. At Nova forced to guard the opposing teams power forward, Foye battled every game. The only issue with Foye is how will he transition to the point, can he do it, or will he just be a smaller tougher version of Delonte.
4) Jordan Farmar - Farmar would be a reach with this pick, but in the tourny he showed the ability to hit big shots make good passes and play solid defense.
2nd Round Possibilities (The Cs currently don't have a 2nd round pick but if they did)
1) Rashard Anderson - He will be the steal of this draft. He hit the most big shots in Uconn history. He is a fearless and deadly shooter from behind the arc. His shot in the tourny agaisnt Washington was simply amazing. He was colleges version of Big Shot Rob.
2) Allen Ray - Foye's teamate suffers from a similar question mark, can he transition to the point. It may be tough but I think Foye is similar to John Starks, in that he can go out there and knock 8 3s in a row or miss 10 in a row. When he's hot he does not miss.
Center - Assuming the Celtics let the Kandi man go, which is a certainty unless the Kandi man serves Danny up to a similar hookah treatment which landed Scalabrine a $15 million dollar contract, the Celtics go into next season short on a true Center. The Pansy Man Raef Lafrentz and his horribly overpriced contract are still on the roster but he's a straight jump shooter. In addition the Celtics will slot over the young guys Perkins and Jefferson at the center position even though they are both undersized. However, the need of an for a true center is not that important though as the center has become a diminished position in the NBA.
Power Forward - This is the Celtics position with the most potential growth. Big Al has shown flashes of a dominant post game with a flair for grabbing the Offensive Board, he simply can not stay healthy however. Kendrick Perkins has given Celtic fans glimpses of a Charles Oakley esque defender and rebounder. And Gomes came from bench relegation to have a stellar second half. The Celtics have options at the power forward position and if they draft a power forward expect one of these youthful talents to be traded soon after. Oh and you can't forget about Scalabrine the Great. I wish the NBA had a +/- statistic similar to the NHLs, I'm positive Scalabrine would be Top 10 worst in the league.
Small Forward - It's Wally's world and maybe the Celtics will be happy to be in it. We'll see, hopefully Wally can become Robin to Paul's Batman. In addition expect Gerald Green to get some more playing time. Hopefully this offseason he will learn to dribble and shoot a jump shot. But man he sure has that dunking down.
Shooting Guard - Pauly P is coming off his best season statistically, hopefully he can follow it up this coming season with similar numbers and leadership. Tony Allen after a solid rookie season where he showned signs of being a shutdown defender, disappeared last season. Hopefully Tony will be able to regain his 04/05 form and make some solid contributions to the squad.
Point Guard - Delonte improved by leaps and bounds in his second season. However, he still has moments where it appears as if he would be better suited working off the ball. And Oriene Green is not a viable solution.
Danny's Past Drafts
If there is one thing that Celtic Fans should be pleased with Danny about, its his drafting success. The Celtics have gotten both high school high potential players in Big Al, Perk and Gerald Green as well as solid late round steals with Delonte and Ryan Gomes. The Celtics draft is a far cry from the days of Ron Mercer and Joe Forte.1st Pick Targets
1) Brandon Roy - I love college stars who have shown a combination of athleticism and leadership. Roy led a not overly talented Husky team to a last second shot away from the Elite 8. Roy would be an excellent selection if he manages to fall to the 7th pick.
2) Marcus Williams - This is who I think will be on the board and makes the most sense for the Celtics. Living in Connecticut, I get the opportunity to watch a lot of UConn games throughout the season. Williams was the glue that held that team together. Williams was their goto guy in the clutch. While everyone in the UConn lineup with the exception of Rashard Anderson shyed away from pressure, Williams thrived in it. He never missed a foul shot down the stretch and always found his way into the paint. Williams does have some weaknesses, he is not the quickest or most athletic player in the draft and he did make several dumb passes throughout the season but he is definately is the best pure point guard in this draft and the Celtics need that. Plus he'll enter the league as its all time leader in thefts.3) Randy Foye - Foye is a warrior. At Nova forced to guard the opposing teams power forward, Foye battled every game. The only issue with Foye is how will he transition to the point, can he do it, or will he just be a smaller tougher version of Delonte.
4) Jordan Farmar - Farmar would be a reach with this pick, but in the tourny he showed the ability to hit big shots make good passes and play solid defense.
2nd Round Possibilities (The Cs currently don't have a 2nd round pick but if they did)
1) Rashard Anderson - He will be the steal of this draft. He hit the most big shots in Uconn history. He is a fearless and deadly shooter from behind the arc. His shot in the tourny agaisnt Washington was simply amazing. He was colleges version of Big Shot Rob.
2) Allen Ray - Foye's teamate suffers from a similar question mark, can he transition to the point. It may be tough but I think Foye is similar to John Starks, in that he can go out there and knock 8 3s in a row or miss 10 in a row. When he's hot he does not miss.
Comments