Players In The Draft Who Could Help The Celtics - Part I

[Way Of The Ray <wayray@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Via Ending-Up-and-Winning-The-Lottery (i.e. the just keep losing
and get lucky scenario):

1. Lebron James - Who will redefine the shooting guard position,
much as Magic Johnson did for point guards, a generation earlier.
James is built like an undersized PF: 6-8, 240, but has the quickness of
a
two guard and the passing ability and ball handling skills of a point.
He will
present matchup problems galore for the rest of the NBA's shooting
guards.


- Via Trading Paul Pierce (which would possibly allow the C's to have
any pick in
the lottery except the first):

1. Darko Milicic - The second pick in the draft and a Garnett like
player,
only bigger and beefier.  Great ball handling and passing skills, fine
rebounder and shotblocker,  a 7-footer who can play all three frontcourt

positions and possessed of a very high basketball IQ.

2. Ha Seung-Jin - He'll be the mystery Big Man of this draft, if he's
eligible. Will this 7-3, 300-pound high school junior  from Korea
be the next Ming?  NBA clubs are intrigued to find out.


Via Trading Antoine Walker (Depending on whom is drafting where,
and what you include with him in the trade, you might
be able to able to get as high as the third pick in the draft for
Walker):

1. Emeka Okafor - Phenomenal shotblocker and rebounder. Been compared to

Mourning; Russell even. Needs some work on his offense, but is like Ben
Wallace with talent, so a big defensive impact.

2. Carmello Anthony - Another terrific, almost franchise like Big SG in
the draft.
Great rebounder, good basketball smarts, fine inside/outside scorer.

3. Chris Kaman - Central Michigan's Kaman scores, rebounds, and blocks
shots in profusion, and has been called a "quicker Ilgauskas". Major
weakness
is passing, and is turnover prone (he'd fit right in with the Celtics).



Via a Kedrick Brown, two draft choices, trading exception, and cash deal
(which
might interest the Clippers or perhaps another team drafting in the 5 -
9 range):

1. TJ Ford - A possible franchise PG, though he's not the ideal fit in
O'Brien's
system and would entail some major changes. Ford is undersized, and not
a consistent outside shooter, but a clutch shooter. What he does is get
to the hoop
quicker than any other PG and can really pass and run an offense.

2. Anderson Varejao -  6-10 high motor guy with a "Sideshow Bob"
hairstyle.
Very intense and athletic, just needs some development and outside
shooting
improvement.

3. Tiago Splitter - NBA types love this oversized Brazilian small
forward with
Kukoc like skills.

4. Kosta Perovic - The second best Serbian prospect after Milicic.
Perovic is 7-2,
uber talented, and well schooled like most Euro big men.

5. Maciej Lempe - 6-10 Polish combo forward thought of as one of the
best young
prospects in Europe.

6. Jarvis Hayes - 6-7 sweet shooting small forward and athlete who can
be a fine defender.
Ball-handling skills need strong improvement and may cause slippage, as
Pros
look at him as a SG.

More to come............
Ray