Re: Walllace's drafting...

[Kestas <kkv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 05:36 PM 5/1/2003 -0400, you wrote:
> But somehow I don't expect apologies out of you folks when Kedrick is scoring
> 15+ a night with 8+ rebounds for the Denver Nuggets in 2005. Its interesting
> that folks like you think you have more insight then both Paul Pierce (who
> rated Kedrick #3 best defender against him) and Walker. These guys play with
> him every day..in practice. I will take the word of Paul Pierce. If he says
> he is tremendously talented and wants him to play, I believe him. Sorry if I
> don't favour the opinion of the Boston Globe hacks..who clamor for bad news
> and love to pin blame.
It has nothing to do with the opinion of Boston sportswriters. They, 
especially the major dailies, have barely questioned any moves by the front 
office, including the draft picks. I believe people on this list are going 
by what they've seen from Kedrick, which isn't very much. I know I do. I 
really wish what you're saying about Kedrick were true, but I don't quite 
see it.


> Actually I don't blame you 100% I thought the same thing of McCarty for
> years..
> A great athlete who can't "play". But it turns out he can play...pretty well
> in fact.
> Tommy was right.
Yes, but he *couldn't* play! His emergence is completely out of the blue, 
and only came when he was danger of not having a job in the NBA. Is that 
what it's gonna take for Kedrick? And we got McCarty for a pair of socks. 
He's making less money than Kedrick right now.

> Its common in the NBA for young players to develop in a few years.
>
> You don't have to look far to see examples of players written off doing well.
>  El Busto  is now a valued member of our team. He turns a so so defensive
> team into a seriously underrated defensive force. Outside of your star
> players the league is actually chock full of players who were pretty mediocre
> at first and then later blossomed.
Battie's problem early on was that he didn't bring it in every game. 
Kedrick doesn't bring it in ANY game, except for one or two - in two years.

> The thing about is this:
> 1) Confidence is EARNED at the NBA level. J.R. Bremer just looked awful
> during his mini preview.. But the coaches were raving about how he could
> start at the point. With more playing time he got comfortable and now is very
> good for an undrafted guy.
Not so. He barely got any time initially. Then, with the slide of Shammond, 
he got his first chance on the western trip. And he SEIZED it. Conversely, 
the coaching staff were practically begging Kedrick to show them something. 
They'd put him in the game, I'd get all excited (there is no player I 
wanted to see more in the past two seasons than Kedrick) and .... nothing. 
He was pretty good on the defensive end, but would completely disappear on 
offense.

> 2) Players develop their game - even at the NBA level.
> Kedrick is a two year junior college player with some holes in his game..
> I.E. he can't hit the spot up jumper yet.. He needs to improve his outside
> shooting.
> Like Bruce Bowen he is a "jumpshot" away from being a good NBA contributor.
> Since scores of other athletic players have improved their shooting Kedrick
> stands a good chance as well.
Let's hope he does, and is still with the Celtics if he does. But let me 
get this straight - now we're hoping that Kedrick develops into.... a Bruce 
Bowen? When we could've had Jefferson, Parker, Randoph and scores of others 
, some of whom are already becoming NBA stars in their second season, and 
all of whom are contributing a helluva lot more than Kedrick?

> It's easy to second guess Wallace..but when you see an athlete like Kedrick
> with some basketball skills its hard to fault his decision to take him. I
> would have done the same thing. Thats why I defend him.
Fine, but not with the 11th pick! He thought he was so clever, he was the 
second coming of Jerry West with his Kobe pick/trade. Except Kobe had a 
competitve drive nearly matching that of Jordan, he was bright, he'd seen 
the world because of his dad, and West most likely knew it, and that's why 
he got him. Kobe wasn't some kid who'd never been outside of Lousiana and 
couldn't make a college program despite his astounding athleticism. What 
did Wallace know about Kedrick, except his vertical? You need a little more 
than athleticism to make it in the NBA - you need a desire to succeed and 
beat out hundreds of others already in the NBA, and tens of thousands 
clamoring to get in.

> He has more upside then most of the players who are currently "better" then
> him. There hasn't been an NBA superstar that's a mediocre athlete since Larry
> Bird. Wallace drafted what he thought was one 'safe' player and took a flyer
> on a risky player like Kedrick. When O'Neal, Garnett, and Kobe were drafted
> other GM's did exactly the same thing. They took unproved athletic players
> over 'safe' college stars.
>
> That is the kind of risk taking we need out of a GM. Troy Murphy wouldn't
> have made this a great team..he would have gotten 5 minutes a game backing up
> Walker. <g>
Upside is nice, but you actually have to start delivering on that upside 
some time.   Murphy is averaging a double-double *right now* and shooting 
45% for a pretty decent team loaded with big men. Need I point out what 
Kedrick's numbers are?


> We have two picks this year..
> I suspect Wallace will do the same kind of thing. He will pick some safe fan
> favorite college star point guard like Hinrich, and take a flyer on some
> unknown foreign kid/junior college guy/High Schooler with some upside...
If the owners are so stupid as to allow Wallace to screw up another draft 
for them, they deserve it.
Kestas