And if that MOCKingbird don't sing...I'm gonna buy me a Jianlian

Thu Jun 28 12:37:56 CDT 2007

Lots of doom and gloom from Mark B. on draft day. 
This has got to be the weirdest draft ever.  For like
the first time ever, I don't really have a preference
about who we take.  Everybody that has been projected
as possibly being picked at #5 is someone I could talk
myself into liking.  Weird.  I don't even know who to
hope doesn't get picked ahead of us.  Man, but it's
still going to be fun.

With that said, here are some of my pre-draft
feelings: 

While I can talk myself into liking anyone we draft, I
have a feeling that Brewer and Horford are not going
to be as good as everyone thinks.  Brewer is just too
skinny, doesn't shoot well enough or dribble well
enough.  He'll be a good player--maybe--but in 3-5
years time.  I don't want him picked....though if he's
picked I'll convince myself that Danny knows what he's
doing.  As for Horford, I can't really pinpoint it,
but his game is just stiff and lacks fluidity.  I
didn't get excited watching him play.  He has nice
skills and good athleticism, but his body doesn't move
in the ways I find pleasing.  Does that make sense?  I
just don't think he's going to be a perennial All-Star
type.  I'd like to get that out of this draft.

Of course, I like Noah and he's probably won't be a
perennial All-Star type either.  But I think his
makeup is PERFECT for our current team.  Sometimes,
just one player with that great attitude can infuse
the rest of the team and make everyone play a little
better than they actually are.  I think Noah is that
kind of player.  And he fills a need.  A very
important need, especially given Al's defensive
deficiencies; he can be a great help-side defender,
shotblocker, rebounder, and he can get on the break
very very well.  And he works hard.  I think I like
him best...

Yi is cool because he also fits this team.  We need a
three point shooting 7 footer to team with Al on the
offensive end.  Unfortunately, I think he'll be slow
to develop and still leave us with defensive issues if
he does develop.  

My sleeper pick is Jeff Green.  I think he's the
player that looking back on this draft people are
going to realize he was a supremely talented player
playing in a very structured offense who didn't get to
show off his game until he got to the NBA.  I'm
talking about a Paul Pierce type career.  I think he
can be that good.  

My super sleeper is Julian Wright.  I guess I'm just a
sucker for those Antoine types, who can handle the
ball, pass, rebound, and facilitate the offense.  I
think our team needs ballhandlers and facilitators. 
I'm not really advocating Wright at 5, but if we trade
down he'd be a great pick.  We'd need a good coach to
get the most out of him, however....

Other predictions: Ainge will make at least one trade
tonight, probably for a late first round pick.  Danny
just loves the draft and if he can get a first rounder
cheaply, then he does it and gives us another chip. 
That's why Nick Young was brought in.  Not that I like
Nick Young--he got HORRIBLE marks in Hollinger's
latest article on the draft and I tend to give
credence to Hollinger's statistical analysis.  

Last prediction: we're going to get a veteran in some
manner...if not tonight, then after July 1st.  I like
Lewis, but I think the real sleeper free agent is
Gerald Wallace.  He'd be perfect on this team. 
Defense, hustle, and transition offense.  But I don't
think Charlotte is willing to part with him and we can
only offer MLE if we can't work out a sign-and-trade.

Okay, enough ramblings for now.  

Ryan
--- "Berry, Mark  S" <berrym at BATTELLE.ORG> wrote:

> My preferences are:
> 
> 1. Noah
> 2. Yi
> 3. Brewer
> 4. Green
> 
> 99. Brandan Wright
> 
> Noah would be a perfect fit. He's slide right in
> alongside Al and
> address so many problems we have in the frontcourt.
> He'd be great.
> 
> With Yi, I'm trusting all these talent evaluators.
> Who knows? But if he
> is the kind of player they say he is, he'd be
> another great fit
> alongside Al. Different from Noah, but a great
> companion to Al.
> 
> If it's Brewer, I'll be disappointed. I liked him a
> lot when I thought
> he was 6-9 with Scottie Pippen arms. As it turns
> out, he's 6-6 with a
> pedestrian wingspan. He'd be an upgrade at 2-guard,
> but not a
> difference-maker.
> 
> Jeff Green is my worst-case scenario. I think he'll
> be a good player,
> but he's a small forward. Pierce is a small forward.
> If we're trading
> Pierce then maybe Green makes more sense. If not,
> Doc will just stick
> him at PF replacing Gomes and we won't see much of a
> difference.
> 
> My prediction, however, is that we trade 5 and Al
> for Garnett. I think
> McHale is going through some motions with these
> other talks and
> ultimately will go back to KG and say "I tried."
> He'll convince KG to
> sign off on going to Boston and we'll make a trade
> that we'll regret for
> the next 10 years.
> 
> Mark
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: celtics-bounces at igtc.com
> [mailto:celtics-bounces at igtc.com] On
> Behalf Of Ryan, Patrick S Maj RES USAFR 439 MSG
> Sent: Thursday, June 28, 2007 9:41 AM
> To: celtics at igtc.com
> Subject: And if that MOCKingbird don't sing...I'm
> gonna buy me a
> Jianlian
> 
> My prediction of the C's pick - in order of
> precedence (by whether or
> not
> they're still available):
> 
>  
> 
> 1. Yi Jianlian (too many chinese dollar signs
> dancing in our owners'
> heads)
> 
> 2. Joakim Noah
> 
> 3. Corey Brewer
> 
> 4. Jeff Green
> 
>  
> 
> If Horford is still there (which I highly doubt) I
> could see him taken,
> but
> that's so unlikely I'll stick with Jianlian.  I'm a
> Blidiot (tm
> EggIndustries) when it comes to predictions, but
> here's my mock through
> the
> top five:
> 
>  
> 
> 1. Oden
> 
> 2. Durant
> 
> 3. Horford
> 
> 4. Noah
> 
> 5. Jianlian
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
>  
> -------------------------------
> Assuming we end up keeping the #5 pick (only if we
> are unable to put
> together a trade), nothing has changed my view from
> several months
> ago...
> Jianlian.
>  
> Egg
> 
>  
> 
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