Boston could pick from several or deal selection

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Boston could pick from several or deal selection
 
 
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By Andy  Katz
ESPN.com

 
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WALTHAM, Mass. -- If you wanted a taste of what the 2006  NBA draft has 
become, then you needed to be here Monday with the four  likely finalists for the 
Boston Celtics' No. 7 overall pick. 
That's if they even keep the pick, with a flurry of trade  possibilities 
being discussed. 
You see, the Celtics are like most teams in this draft.  They like these 
players, but they don't love anyone in particular and  they're quite open to 
trading the pick if the offer is tantalizing  enough. 
Celtics director of basketball operations Danny Ainge said  as much after he 
witnessed Villanova senior guard _Randy Foye_ 
(http://insider.espn.go.com/nbadraft/draft/tracker/player?draftyear=2006&playerId=18945) , Kentucky  sophomore 
guard _Rajon Rondo_ 
(http://insider.espn.go.com/nbadraft/draft/tracker/player?draftyear=2006&playerId=18834) , NC State  sophomore center _Cedric Simmons_ 
(http://insider.espn.go.com/nbadraft/draft/tracker/player?draftyear=2006&player
Id=18956)  and  Connecticut junior guard _Marcus Williams_ 
(http://insider.espn.go.com/nbadraft/draft/tracker/player?draftyear=2006&playerId=18941)  
headline a  seven-player workout at the team's practice facility in suburban Boston  
just two days before the draft. 
Most NBA teams are feeling the same way about the '06  draft. There are 
plenty of choices at nearly every spot in the first  round. The players all know 
that they aren't on any kind of ladder but  rather will be slotted by each team 
as the picks unfold. In fact, this  should be termed the "fit draft," because 
this year a team is far more  likely to take a player that fits it, not a 
player who is too good to pass  up. 
"There's no player that sticks out as someone they have to  have," Rondo 
said. 
"When LeBron [James] was in the draft, even if they had a  dominant forward, 
they were still taking LeBron," Williams said. "This  year, teams are only 
going to take what they need. A better fit is more  important than going high." 
Williams cited Darko Milicic as the prime example. He  didn't fit Detroit, 
yet went No. 2 overall in that James-led draft in  2003. 
"He didn't play for two years and his contract was coming  up [in the third 
year of the then-three-year rookie guaranteed deals] and  he had to show what 
he could do," Williams said. 
Milicic was shipped off to Orlando last season, where at  least he was able 
to get more significant minutes. 
The idea of a fit draft isn't a unique concept. But it has  put players in 
certain spots, more this year than any other in the recent  past. Williams is a 
perfect example of a player who fits only with a few  teams. 
He worked out for Boston and Toronto twice each, and also  for Minnesota, 
Houston and Atlanta. But if Williams is going to be a  lottery selection, he's 
likely going to go at either No. 7 to Boston or  No. 13 to Philadelphia (he has 
an interview with the Sixers scheduled  Tuesday). Even though he said he fits 
with the Celtics, Hawks and Raptors,  he understands the latter two aren't 
likely to pick a point guard at No. 5  or No. 1 (barring trades).  
Williams and his representation, Bill Duffy, understand he  could fall.  
"It's stressful," Williams said. 
Rondo essentially is in the same  situation. He worked out for 11 teams 
(Boston, Atlanta, Houston, Phoenix,  Sacramento, Indiana, Washington, Minnesota, 
Toronto, New Jersey and  Seattle); his range is a bit wider than Williams'.
"I'm all over the board, anywhere from seven to 25," Rondo  said.  
"But you know teams that drafted point guards last year --  Charlotte 
[Raymond Felton], Utah [Deron Williams] and Oklahoma City [Chris  Paul] -- aren't 
going to this year," he added. 
So, cross those three teams -- at No. 3 (Charlotte), Nos.  12 and 15 
(Hornets), and No. 14 (Utah) -- off Rondo's list. For that  matter, Williams' and 
Foye's lists, too. 
Simmons is another classic example of what this draft is  all about. He could 
go as high as Boston at No. 7 or as low as No. 20 to  New York. 
Simmons worked out for the Celtics twice, and for New  York, Philadelphia, 
Chicago (for its No. 16 pick, not No. 2), Seattle,  Minnesota (not likely for 
the No. 6, but maybe in a trade scenario), New  Orleans/Oklahoma City and 
Washington. 
"I don't have a clue of where I'm going," Simmons said.  "I'm just trying to 
leave a lasting impression." 
Foye actually could be the lone exception to this trend.  He is looming as 
the ultimate climber in the draft after being originally  pegged as a combo 
guard; but he's making a strong case that he should be  considered a point more 
than a shooting guard. If that's the case, his  candidacy has been strengthened. 
Foye said he was the one who controlled the Villanova  offense in the final 
eight minutes of the game. He said it may have  appeared that _Kyle Lowry_ 
(http://insider.espn.go.com/nbadraft/draft/tracker/player?draftyear=2006&playerId=1
8888)  and Mike Nardi  were the point guards, but if you look deeper into how 
he ran the  Wildcats, you'll see that he was the playmaker. He still averaged 
20  points per game, which is why he says there is the appearance that he was 
 a shooting guard. 
Foye worked out for every team in the top 14 except for  Chicago, Charlotte 
and Portland. He definitely is alive for Atlanta at No.  5 and Minnesota at No. 
6 if either team decides to go with a point guard.   
During Monday's workout, Foye and Rondo went against each  other -- the third 
time this has occurred on the spring workout tour --  while Williams went 
earlier in the day. Williams and Rondo are represented  by the same agent 
(Duffy), so it didn't make sense for them to go against  each other -- although they 
are competing for similar draft  spots. 
Like Williams, this was Foye's second stop in Boston.   
"I had a good workout before and was  dominant -- got to the rim, shot the 
ball well -- but maybe they wanted to  see if I could do it again," Foye said. 
"I went against one of the best  defenders and showed what I could do."
If you must get a read on the actual workout (often these  are overrated), it 
probably was a draw, with each guard taking the other  to the hole with quick 
moves to get into space. Each player made his share  of shots. Still, this 
was just two-on-two, and being a point means running  an entire team, not doing 
a drill or playing in special  situations. 
The Celtics spent quality time with each one of the four  players Monday. 
Still, at the end of the day, they were discussing the  pick in a potential trade 
with Portland (possibly for point Sebastian  Telfair), among others. So, as 
much as the Celtics are weighing a decision  on one of these four, they may 
scrap the whole thing and make a trade for  a veteran or a projected 
up-and-coming player. 
The same thing is going on in Seattle, where the Sonics  worked out a host of 
players in the past few weeks but aren't so enamored  with anyone that 
they've ruled out trading their No. 10 pick (possibly to  the Suns, who could select 
_Rodney Carney_ 
(http://insider.espn.go.com/nbadraft/draft/tracker/player?draftyear=2006&playerId=18849) ). Other teams  could do the same thing -- mull 
over a prospect and then just trade down  or out of the draft. 
So, as the draft draws near, even the top prospects get  more anxious, 
knowing that many NBA teams aren't enthralled enough with  them to keep their 
first-round picks. Unlike some actor hoping to land on  Broadway, though, someone 
will give them a role -- and a guaranteed  two-year contract. They just won't 
know who until Wednesday night.  
Andy Katz is a senior writer for  ESPN.com.