misc

[Joe Hironaka <j.hironaka@unesco.org>]

    A few years ago, when the Celtics (as usual) lost the coin flip for
the 9th pick, the draft consensus was that it was only nine players deep
(the ninth player being either Nowitzki or Tractor Traylor) before the
big dropoff.

    That's why it seemed so sure we'd settle on Keon Clark instead of
Nowitzki.  Fortunately, Sacramento pulled a shocker and drafted Jason
Williams, even though he had been widely predicted by draftniks to go
13th at the very earliest to Orlando.

    This year's Jason Williams-equivalent could be any number of players
including Stevenson, Moiso, QRichardson, maybe even Dooling or Speedy
Claxton etc. Similarly certain guys could fall from a higher perch
(Miller, Fizer).

    Courtney Alexander seems to be winning people over in interviews and
is a great talent, but I'm worried that Antoine or Pierce's continued
development as unselfish, pass-first players would revert to business as
usual if we add another shoot-first, think-later reputed gunner like
Alexander. To the extent that he is an early ROY candidate, it's because
everyone knows he's going to jack up a lot of shots and score a high
number of points.

    But when Tark the Shark says Coutney Alexander is the best player he
ever coached (Rider, LJ etc.) that's still quite an endorsement. I doubt
he will be there at eleven. It could as easily be Tsak.

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