Draft thoughts

["Berry, Mark S" <berrym@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Lots of things...

1.	First, on Darius Songaila... Really like him. Legit PF/backup C
size, productive against top competition, fundamentally sound, actually
understands how to play in the low post, really intense... Great pick at 50.
Surprised me a little because Sekularac was still there and so was
Papadopolous, the big center from Europe. Not that I was pining for either
of those guys, just thought they were likely choices. Still, very pleased
with Songaila.

2.	Having said that, it sounds like Chris Wallace already has decided
the kid has no shot. I just don't understand the Celtics. Jim O'Brien didn't
even attend the draft last night. Talk about your self-fulfilling
prophecies; the braintrust keeps saying they won't get anyone at 49, so they
don't work anyone out, so the coach provides no input... why should you
expect to find anything? You're hardly looking! Still, they took a guy I
really like and who I believe will play in the NBA. Unfortunately, I'm not
convinced it will be in Boston. The Celts already say they want him to go to
Europe for a year or two. If he agrees, great. But if not, and he gets cut
(because of salary concerns or because the braintrust already has decided he
won't make the team), then this guy will go somewhere and play in the
league. So the Celtics are going to have a 12-man roster? And Forte is one
of those 12 men, so you're basically talking about an 11-man roster... For
Pete's sake, bite the bullet for one year and try to improve!

3.	Hopefully, last night was a wakeup call to Wallace. The East isn't
going to roll over next season. New York is right back in the mix with
McDyess... How do the Knicks do it? Camby, Mark Jackson and an unknown
Brazilian for Antonio McDyess??? (The Celts had two lottery picks last year
and a third first-rounder... they minimized their value; the Knicks
maximized the value of their lottery trip). The Knicks now have McDyess,
Sprewell and Houston and are on the verge of getting Van Exel. That team
will be a force to be reckoned with. McDyess is the best power forward in
the East the minute he arrives. Miami added Caron Butler, a perfect fit.
They were a force in the second half last season, and figure to be much
better. Orlando adds Grant Hill. Washington adds Jared Jeffries (who I love)
to a front line with Kwame Brown and Brendan Haywood. Milwaukee will be
better. Atlanta, Detroit, Toronto, Philadelphia and, of course, New
Jersey... The Celts better not slip even a little. By the way, I loved
Wallace's quote about the McDyess trade... "That's interesting, but can they
resign him?" Well, McDyess waived his opt-out clause, so he's not even a
free agent for two seasons. Plus, these are the frickin' Knicks. They don't
sweat the luxury tax. They're playing in the deep end.

4.	Speaking of "how do they do it?"... The Lakers ship off Lindsey
Hunter, who was absolutely terrible, and the 27th pick, for Tracy Murray,
who is at least as good as Hunter, and the 20th pick (Kareem Rush, who could
have been a lottery pick). Is this all part of the conspiracy to keep
big-market teams good and small-market teams bad?

5.	Miscellaneous draft thoughts... The Rockets hit a home run. Yao
Ming, Bostjan Nachbar and Tito Maddox. Wow... I never want to hear the Magic
complain about not having a big man again. Curtis Borchardt falls in their
laps at 18, and they deal him away for Ryan Humphrey and a second-round
pick? Didn't they learn anything from the Brendan Haywood fiasco last year?
They've traded away Ben Wallace, Brendan Haywood and Borchardt... Was Isiah
running the Pacers' draft? Freddie Jones at 14? Are you kidding me? He's too
small, doesn't handle the ball well and can't shoot, but other than that,
he's a perfect shooting guard... Am I the only one who takes pleasure in the
Cavs' floundering? Jim Paxson, that's what you get for crossing The Man...
Milwaukee gets the Jerome Moiso Award for their Marcus Haislip pick. You can
just imagine the Bucks sitting there, ready to take Melvin Ely, because
that's what they had been planning forever, when all of a sudden the
Clippers (of course) screw it up by taking Ely right in front of them. So
the Bucks, flustered, panic and take the next power forward on their list.
This is what they get for missing the playoffs? .... Ryan Humphrey at 19
(and Orlando traded Borchardt for him)? Apparently he moved up because he
dominated Carlos Boozer in a workout last week. So, one unersized power
forward dominated another undersized power forward, and that's proof that he
belongs in the top 20 picks? Great, if you can work out something with every
other team in the league so they'll play their undersized power forwards
against the Magic.

Anyway, I'm happy with the Songaila pick, but discouraged that the Celts are
so obviously small-timing it this offseason. The guy will be a nice player
somewhere.

Mark