Re: The case for Quentin

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

    FWIW, I think Q will help next year much more than Crawford will.
Either could be a bust for different reasons, but it seems to me that
Crawford is probably a long way from contributing as much as we would
hope from a typical lotto rookie, at least from the point guard position
(unless you call a 1.5-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio and 33% from college
3-point land an NBA "sure thing").

    Boston is his best opportunity to break in slowly but surely, with a
fair bundle of minutes at both point and shooting guard.A Brian Shaw or
Dee Brown type rookie season might be a best-case-scenario, regardless of
how much more eventual upside you may feel he may have.

    Similarly, I actually think Q may also have a second position to fall
back on if he doesn't work out defensively at guard. Even though he is
too short (like Adrian Dantley or Sir Charles), this guy is a really
special offensive rebounder (the best in college in years?) and a good
wing shooter who could surprise people and start 82 games as a
20-year-old.

    If you've seen him play, Q looks like a shorter version of the
second-year Antoine Walker but playing with Adrian Griffin-like judgement
and common sense.

    Adrian Griffin shocked us all by averaging 8 boards until the break
and leading the team. Q wouldn't shock me one bit if he averaged more
than that over the first half season. He was a very productive and smart
college player.  If he were sufficiently taller, he'd have NBA Hall of
Fame caliber potential, IMO.

    But if you are looking for a natural shooting guard who's played
there all his life, this guy is not what you are looking for. He probably
played center in high school.

Joe

p.s.    Regarding "Big Jake" Tsakalidis being some kind of no-brainer at
11, I say that--although we should leave it up to those who have actually
worked him out to decide--you are still talking about someone who
averaged 9.1 points and 6.6 boards in Greece, may already be as old as
Antoine, could barely hit half his freethrows, and didn't put up decent
shot-blocking numbers despite the hype about his size.

    My guess is that this guy is also either foul prone or lacks stamina,
because he barely got starter minutes despite being one. I don't care
what his nationality is, Tsak is by no means a sure thing any more than a
7-footer like Frederick "Edel" Weis was last year for the Knicks.

****

Gene Kirkpatrick wrote:

> Why would the Celts draft Quentin Richardson, the SG from Depaul?
>
>  l.  Maturity.  While he has come out after two years, he shows
> maturity in his game and in his person.  That is a question mark with
> all of the young phenoms.
>
> 2.  Solid game.  Q could contribute instantly, playing two guard or
> as instant offense off the bench.  Both are great needs (allowing
> Pierce to return to #3, his more natural position).  As a rebounder
> and shooter, he looks to be a solid pro.
>
> 3.  Predictability.  A combination of the above two points.  He will
> be an excellent two guard for years.  Crawford, Moiso, Johnson,
> Dooling, even Pryzbilla, all are question marks.
>
> 4.  It's no shame to take someone whom others may disregard until the
> middle of the first round.  We need solid, immediate help or the team
> will dawdle and we will have lost the opportunity with Walker/Pierce.
>
> Q.  A solid value player.  No surprises.  Never as good as Miles may
> be, but 15 and 5 every night.  That's the winner we need.
>
> (And, having said all that, I'm not sure I would take him over
> Johnson or Pryzbilla--but over Dooling, Crawford, Moiso, yes.)
>
> Respectfully submitted,
>
> Gene