From: Way Of The Ray <wayray@ix.netcom.com> Date: Wed Jun 19, 2002 02:02:14 PM US/Eastern To: celtics@igtc.com Subject: Step Up To The Plate: Who Will The Celtics Draft? So, who will it be? Make your pick. Considering the Celtics recent drafting record, you're liable to do a better job than Chris Worthless.... Here are some possible candidates for number 50. Now if they move up in the second round, all bets are off..... Foreign Players: Anderson Varajeo - 6-10 PF Brasilia - Great promise. His Euro club is limiting his minutes to keep the NBA sharks from circling. Luis Scola - 6-9 PF Argentina - Got heart, hands, and toughness. Vlatko Ilievski - 6-3 PG Macedonia - Intriguiing Euro point guard with scoring ability. Christous Tapoutos - 6-9 SF Greece - Only 20 and compared to Toni Kukoc. Lazaros Papadopoulos - 6-11 C Greece - Mixed reviews, but someone's likely to take him in the second round. Fatih Solak - 7-0 C Turkey - Big, raw, and strong. Compared to Vitaly. David Andersen - 6-10 PF Austraila - Athletic Affable Australian, but garnering mixed reviews. Goran Cakic - 6-9 SF Yugoslavia - Yet another athletic, sweet shooting Euro SF. High School or such DeAngelo Collins - 6-9 SF/PF Inglewood and JV Hall - Talented but troubled. Would go against O'Brien/Wallace character requirements to draft him, but could be a steal. Giedrius Rinkevicius - 7-2 C Bridgton Academy/Lithuania - Could he be the next Ilgauskas? Who knows, but at 50, a 7-2 young big man is worth a shot. JC (No, not Jesus Christ) Lee Benson - 6-10 or so PF Brown Mackie - A surefire second round steal. Just get him the playing time and teach him some defensive fundamentals. Kei Madison - 6-9 SF Okaloosa-Walton - Teammate of Kedrick Brown, and a possible and stupid pick by the Celtics if they're repaying a favor. But since he was booted out of Okaloosa, this Berry conspiracy idea loses merit. Not likely to be a NBA player. Division II Ronald Murray - 6-4 PG Shaw - Likely gone before fifty. Scouts like his size and quickness. Lorinza Harrington - 6-4 PG Wingate - How's this for obscure. This guy was a Division II third team All American, but has size and quickness that's appealing. Not as good a shooter as Murray. May possibly be there at fifty, though unlikely at the moment. NCAA Sam Clancy - 6-7 PF USC - Real good player. C's had great interest in him last year. Lack of size and a injury may drop him down and you can never have enough undersized PFs. J.R. Bremer - 6-2 PG/SG St. Bonaventure - Strickland like combo guard. Plays the tough D that O'Boring loves. Ryan Humphrey - 6-7 SF/PF Our Lady - Stock rose in Pre-Draft shindigs. Goes somewhere in the second. Lubos Barton - 6-8 SF Valapariso - Fine Czech small forward with good size. Vincent Yarbrough - 6-7 SF Tennessee - Good but bland. Robert Archibald - 6-11 PF/C Illinois - Hard worling bench guy in the Pros. Will play the pipes at halftime, so added bonus. I request "Green Fields of France". Chris Christoffersen - 7-2 C Oregon - Size, weight, and speed gets this improving project big man to the second round, and he will stage a memorial concert for fellow Highway Man Waylon Jennings. Jamal Sampson - 6-11 C/PF California - Real raw. Came out too early. But intriguing because of rebounding/shotblocking ability. Lonny Baxter - 6-7.5 PF Maryland - Seems like he can be a good NBA player despite the size questions. Corsley Edwards - 6-9 C/PF CC State - Big Corsley bought himself some job security with his play in the pre-draft hoedowns. Juan Dixon - 6-3 PG/SG Maryland - Unlikely to be around, but stranger things have happened. Combo guard who can score and steal. Steve Logan - 5-11 PG Cincinnati - Great leadership and toughness. A smidgeon of a chance that he'll be there at 50. Smush Parker - 6-4 PG Fordham - Intriguing but turnover proned PG. NBA loves his size and mentality. Tito Maddox - 6-4 PG Parts Unknown - Like a middle class Jason Kidd. Very interesting, but will he drift all the way to fifty? John Salmons - 6-7 PG/SG/SF - Miami - Mr. Versatility can come off the bench for an NBA team and play three positions, and they love his size. Marcus Taylor - 6-3 PG/SG Michigan State - Not ready for the pros. But at 50, everyone's worth a look. Ray