CBW draft opinion

[Snoopy the Celtics Beagle]

 From the CBW today:

After wearing headphones to drown out the chorus of "waah!"s 
(including my own) over the rotten, stinking, idiotic lottery system 
that allows not only the possibility but the likelihood that the two 
worst teams end up drafting 4 and 5, I looked over the people likely 
to be around when the Celtics make their pick on Draft Night.

But first, I say categorically, I am opposed to any trade for Kevin 
Garnett.  Losing Al Jefferson would be a major mistake.  I also think 
that there are easier ways to move Sebastian Telfair.  Garnett is 
already playing in a cold-weather climate for a team fighting to be 
in the playoffs again, and there's no earthly reason for him to make 
what amounts to a lateral move, when it would be far easier for him 
to move to Phoenix, where he obviously wants to go, anyway.  I know 
there's considerable temptation to do a trade, but I don't think 
Garnett will be around long enough to do anything but give C's fans 
stomach aches when he leaves next year.

So, Trader Dan should just sit back and do the draft.

Because he has a chance to turn rotten luck into a huge positive 
deal.  When you lose out on Oden/Durant, anyone you pick is "the best 
you can do".  But ther recent emergence of Yi Jianlian may be a 
lifesaver for C's ownership, players, and fans.  I believe he can 
become exactly what the C's need--a big man under the basket, not in 
the sense of Shaq, or Bill Russell, but someone to give the Celtics 
some presence under the hoop against the majority of other team's big 
guys.  If he can rebound decently and make the correct pass to the 
outlet, Boston might be able to run an honest-to-God fast break on a 
consistent basis.

Yi sounds made to order for this.  He's tall but not lumbering like 
Shaq, and he can apparently run the floor decently.  With his height, 
he'll be able to convert some baskets just by contending for 
rebounds, and if Al Jefferson continues his rebounding ways, that 
means not only second chance baskets, but a chance to reduce the 
number of times guys from other teams steamroll over the Boston 
defense and shoot over the collection of Point Guards that Trader Dan 
has racked up.

He's going to need about three years to really come into his own, 
between adjusting to living in America and learning the NBA 
game.  He'll almost certainly need to beef up a little, or he'll get 
knocked out of position.  But at the 5th pick, you get a legitimate 
center who will, at the very least, make the opposing offense think 
twice before rolling to the hoop automatically.

The other potential plus is that if he and Jefferson can tie up the 
middle, Pierce can roam a bit more freely, and when they triple him, 
he can lob up a pass to a guy tall enough to catch it and put it in 
for two, an option that hasn't really been there for some time.

Taking Yi is, no question, a risk.  But the C's options are 
limited.  They need a dominating inside man to trigger any hope of 
the fast break.  If Yi can rebound and pass decently, take him at 5, 
and package Telfair in a deal for a veteran from some other 
team.  Let Delonte West be the PG, and if Tony Allen can go the 
distance, and prove last season was both a fluke (injurywise) and NOT 
a fluke (his impressive offensive run before that injury), and you 
have the makings of a high pressure offense.  The other addition 
Boston needs is someone to coach the defense for Boston, as even 
Coach Rivers admits it's not his strong suit.  And make damn sure 
someone introduces Yi to Bill Russell.

So there you have it, the CBW advocates taking Yi with the 5th pick 
and eschewing any trades involving that pick, or Al Jefferson.



Snoopy the Celtics Beagle
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