draft preview WAS: Walker and Pics..

[OzerskyJA <OzerskyJA@cmog.org>]

my feeling about the draft is that we will be picking in the 10-14 with 
both our picks.  If a lot of the high schoolers and other top prospects
come out, that should put us in a very good position to get top-flight
backcourt talents.  One of top centers, like Loren Woods, might 
conceivably drop to us, or we might be able to trade up to a 4-7
type position to get him; but really, guards are the guys in this draft
who will impact next year.  Now, if we can trade our picks for a player
of the caliber of Mike Bibby, that would be all to the good, since we don't
have time to develop young players over the long haul.  But a guy like 
Omar Cook or Jaamal Tinsley or Frank Williams would help us a lot.  Milt
is a terrific backup, but he doesn't have much in the way of PG skills, and
PG
skills are what this team desperately needs.  We are beating better teams
with
defense and hard shots.  Add 5-7 easy shots a game, and we are on a level
with philadelphia.  And you only get those easy shots through the addition
of 
a talented point guard.  Kenny could conceivably give us something next year
and help to take some of the pressure off of a rookie point; but I would
really
like to see us get a pure passer who doesn't have to learn not to shoot too
much.
(That's one of the things everyone loves about Bibby -- his economy.)

The way I figure it, the top end of the draft will go something like this:
1.  Yao Ming (looking like he's coming out)
2.  Eddie Griffin/Eddie Curry (one of these two will surely come out)
3.  Jason Richardson (next Vince)
4.  Tyson Chandler/Dasagna Diop (shotblockers deluxe)
5.  Kwame Brown (KG clone)

Now, assuming that there is the one guy that comes out of nowhere, and that
Jason Williams
of Duke stays in school (a big maybe) that leaves the following group of
guys to round out
the lottery

6. tinsley
7. gerald wallace (or somebody like him who wows scouts at prederaft camps)
8. Dasagna Diop/Tyson Chandler
9. Loren Woods
10. Shane Battier
11. Chris Marcus
12. Rod Grizzard
13. Joe Forte

So if we make the playoffs, a group of guys something like that will be
unavailable to us.
Of course, with three picks, we might be able to move up slightly, but there
will be several
talented players (Frank Williams, Kevin Tolbert, Troy Murphy, Mike Bradley)
available.
How would this team look with a Williams/Forte backcourt?  Better than with
a Milt Palacio/
Adrian Griffin backcourt, that's for sure.  (Although both would make fine
backups.)
If we want a legit low-post threat, we ought to look for a trade now...but I
would prefer
a point guard.

Josh Ozersky	
Marketing Communications Specialist 
Corning Museum of Glass

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	GuyClinch@AOL.com [SMTP:GuyClinch@AOL.com]
> Sent:	Thursday, March 15, 2001 12:57 AM
> To:	Celtics@igtc.com
> Subject:	Walker and Pics..
> 
> Hello all, 
> 
> From what I have seen Walker plays a pretty decent power forward. 
> He beats folks off the dribble and can get alot of open shots, but he
> still 
> has the size to defend alot of them. 
> 
> If he played small forward guys like Shawn Marion would defintely give him
> 
> fits. 
> A good player can play either position though, and so could Walker. Seeing
> 
> we don't have a great power forward he plays that postion. 
> 
> Its like Jordan...he could play either off guard, point guard or small 
> forward. 
> He would do fine at any of those positions.  I don't think its worth worry
> 
> about 
> what position he plays. Switching him to a different postion isnt going to
> 
> make 
> a huge difference. It's the talent, not the position. This isn't chess. 
> 
> Instead, what's important is the talent around Walker and Pierce. 
> I think folks are crazy to discount the draft pics. Walker and Pierce
> weren;t 
> exactly 
> picked high. We could easily have two picks that good.  We have pics from
> the 
> nuggets and our own... 
> 
> Both of those picks could be lottery material. For the Celtics it will
> take a 
> little 
> luck to bring em a championship. They can't pay the most to free agents,
> and 
> they 
> don't have the most attractive city to play in. I think holding on to the 
> picks the right thing to do. 
> 
> I would like to see them trade up, but if they can't another pick like
> Pierce 
> or Walker 
> would suit them. The Celts should pick the most talented players they 
> can...and then use trades and free agents to fill needs. Never draft to
> fill 
> needs. 
> 
> As a side note..I wish O'Brien would play Herren a bit. 
> 
> Pete 
>