Re: two more going pro

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

Something tells me the Boston Celtics will be in the rather awkward position of
either drafting or passing up on Tyson "Chicken" Chandler with their lotto pick.

As was the case with Moiso, his evaluation will be based on what he does in an
empty gym or going one-on-one, since he backed out of the McDonald's game with
what many scouts called a phony injury.

I wonder who is advising this kid? Big question marks. Remember this guy is only
220 pounds at 7-1, and has eschewed post play for perimeter shooting much like
the kid that Bird drafted a few years back (who at least he was a McD game MVP).
Every highschooler wants to be the next Kevin Garnett, but a lot of 'em are
closer in talent to Walter McCarty.

The Bob Gibbons All Star Report currently rates Tyson Chandler as just the sixth
best senior prep prospect, but a spot higher than the Florida-bound Kwame Brown
in a famously deep class. Stephen Wacaser of The Sporting News rates Tyson
Chandler as only the eighth best senior prep player, with Kwame at number three.
Chandler just hasn't played up to his hype this year.

With another inconsistent stringbean in Loren Woods reportedly also dropping
like a rock at the moment, I'm kinda convinced that Boston will again end up
with another Moiso/McCarty body-type to add to our collection of skinny/athletic
power forwards who (so far) can't win even 5 minutes of playing time.

Given a choice, I guess I'd take Chandler for his boom-or-bust upside (last time
we picked someone from the LA area, he turned out pretty good).

I think a lot of good players are going to declare in the coming months. It is
still so early.

BTW if the Celts miss the playoffs and win the draft lotto, I think Dubya should
just apologize and even give our damn propellor spy plane to the Chinese in
return for letting Yao Ming leave the Chinese army and declare for the NBA
draft. This kind of thing is always such a "win-win" for improving understanding
between two countries. Because of the great warmth US fans showed Nomo when he
first crossed over to play baseball, a lot of Japanese began to realize the US
wasn't filled with a  bunch of Japan-bashers, which is the impression you might
get if all you read about were trade disputes and congressional transcripts. It
would be wonderful if Yao Ming could develop his game in the US. I once lived in
Beijing for a year, and man they really play basketball over there. I remember
being told that something like 60 million players were involved in organized
basketball leagues of some kind, by far (BY FAR) the most in the world. Outside
my university dorm there were four full-courts and they were always packed.
There were 10 outdoor full courts on this one college campus. And sometimes we'd
play six-on-six fullcourt as if there was nothing odd about it. That's something
I doubt I'll ever see anywhere else in the world.

Joe

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