Celtics shopping pick/Drafting European?

[celticsfan34]

According to an NBA source, the Celtics and other teams picking late in the first round of the draft are strongly considering trading their pick or getting a prospect they can develop overseas. Memphis, for one, is trying to trade the 28th overall pick. Don't be surprised if the Celtics are interested in such international players as French forward Nicolas Batum, Congo forward/center Serge Ibaka, French center Alexis Ajinca, Turkish center Omer Asik, and Montenegro forward/center Nikola Pekovic. The source said Batum's stock is dropping dramatically because of heart concerns, for which his workout in Toronto was canceled.

Source: Boston Globe - Marc J Spears

A little extra piece suggesting that Roy Hibbert could possibly be availible at 30...

On Georgetown center Roy Hibbert's draft stock, one NBA scout said, "Hibbert is going to need a parachute on draft day. The young centers have passed him in the eyes of teams. His stock is just plummeting, when last year he could have been a top-10 pick. Guys were able to really get a good look at him last season, and more questions were answered by his performance last year." The scout also said the 7-foot-2-inch, 278-pounder, an Associated Press second-team All-America selection, would likely be available when the Celtics pick 30th. Keep in mind that Doc Rivers knows Hibbert very well, since his son, Jeremiah, played at Georgetown the past two seasons before transferring to Indiana.

[CelticBalla32]

I do not believe Hibbert will fall that far. We'll see, but I doubt it. Even if an NBA scout did say that, I find it hard to believe. If so, I'd be ecstatic as a Georgetown fan even if Hibbert doesn't necessarily fit here.

As for potentially drafting a Euro.... ugh. Please no. Make an addition to the team, please.

[PRIDE]

We must continue to add pieces to this team. Most international players dont work out in the end so I dont think thats the way to go. Jawai is the only one that interests me. We an intelligent young athlete that will work hard on defense. WE dont have a pick next year so we need to make this one count.

[Chris]

I do not believe Hibbert will fall that far. We'll see, but I doubt it. Even if an NBA scout did say that, I find it hard to believe. If so, I'd be ecstatic as a Georgetown fan even if Hibbert doesn't necessarily fit here.

As for potentially drafting a Euro.... ugh. Please no. Make an addition to the team, please.

Stranger things have happened.  He really showed some major flaws this year, and there are a lot of intriguing guys who could jump ahead of him.

[celticsfan34]

I do not believe Hibbert will fall that far. We'll see, but I doubt it. Even if an NBA scout did say that, I find it hard to believe. If so, I'd be ecstatic as a Georgetown fan even if Hibbert doesn't necessarily fit here.

As for potentially drafting a Euro.... ugh. Please no. Make an addition to the team, please.

I think Hibbert fits here and can become a solid NBA player. I think the Celtics are actually a very good situation because we have such a great big man coach in Clifford Ray. I don't think Hibbert right now is any less conditioned than Perkins was when he first entered the league. Now look at Perk. And Hibbert is 7-2, something we haven't seen in Boston. If he were available at 30 and all we had to do was pick him, not make any trades, that would be GREAT. I think he fits better then you think. It looks great too if Posey returns.

[PRIDE]

If we pick Hibbert at #30 I am not complaining. We already have a starting Center in Perk so all Hibbert would have to do is be a reliable role player. No pressure. Put him to work with Clifford Ray and put him through a year of practices with KG and he could be a special player...or at least a serviceable big man off the bench.

7'2"!

[wdleehi]

I Hibbert drops, Celtics take the chance on him at 30.  No doubt. 


If he does drop, I think it is a case of a guy staying 4 years having more film for teams and scouts to break down vs. younger Cs that have not accomplished what he did yet, but has less footage out there for teams to pick over.

[cordobes]

We must continue to add pieces to this team. Most international players dont work out in the end so I dont think thats the way to go. Jawai is the only one that interests me. We an intelligent young athlete that will work hard on defense. WE dont have a pick next year so we need to make this one count.

International players that usually don't work out in the end are generally unproven guys. Players who have displayed high-productivity at the highest level overseas very rarely become busts (Sabonis, Kukoc, Divac, Ilgauskas, Ginobili, Scola, Calderon, Gasol, Kirilenko, Biedrins, our own Dino, etc. etc.). Those who are drafted on potential (Skita, Petro, Sene, Perovic, Darko, Bargagni, etc) usually turn out to be busts (of course there are exceptions to both rules).

In the later category, we'd have Ibaka, Ajinca and Jawai. Picking any of them would be a shot in the dark. On the other hand, Pekovic would be at least a good backup in the NBA - at this moment, he's the best center in this draft, though he has limited potential. Batum and Asik are somewhere in the middle. The problem with picking Pekovic with the 30th is that he'd probably never join the NBA. He already doesn't want to come in and next year he'll be making more money than the 1st pick of the draft. He'll be pulling a Splitter for years if he's stucked in the rookie scale.

[P2]

Why do all of you still think we will pick #30? Knowing Danny, I find that hard to believe. #30 will likely be moved for two early 2nd's, and a pick in the #20-25 range will be "bought" which will include #60 and/or one of the 2nd's. If Powe is included, we can go all the way up to #10-15.

[celticsfan34]

Why do all of you still think we will pick #30? Knowing Danny, I find that hard to believe. #30 will likely be moved for two early 2nd's, and a pick in the #20-25 range will be "bought" which will include #60 and/or one of the 2nd's. If Powe is included, we can go all the way up to #10-15.

Sorry but I really think you're overrated Leon big time. For all the years we were in lotto land..would you really take a 6'8'' PF and the #30 pick for Big Al or any of the other picks we had in that range? What would make a team want to do that? If anything we're going to trade down. The ideal trade to me is #30 and #60 for #32 and #46 (Seattle)

[PRIDE]

So we're looking at unproven Euro players and one guy that doesn't want to play in the NBA? I think its safe to say Euro is not the way to go.

[footey]

I would try trading up to get Brandon Rush. If not, take Hibbert if available at 30. He could match up against the up coming big guys like Bynum, Howard and Oden. 

[cordobes]

So we're looking at unproven Euro players and one guy that doesn't want to play in the NBA? I think its safe to say Euro is not the way to go.

Well, you can't really draft proven European players anymore, rather wait and see if they develop... Parker, Hedo or Parker were not exactly top-players when they were drafted: Batum has more to show than any of them. Pekovic is a very rare case.

But why do you want do draft Jawai then? I'd put him in the same class as Ibaka: athletic specimens with good numbers in subpar leagues. Ajinca... as the old saying goes "you can't teach height" and he has some pedigree. Still a high-risk pick though. 

Batum apart(if everything is okay with his heart) - as he clearly has the tools to be very good -, I don't think any of them is worth the pick (though I have to reserve my judgment about Jawai, as I've only seen promotional youtube videos).

[winsomme]

Batum or Hibbert would be insane picks at 30. i f we got Hibbert, we would be set in the front court for a decade....and if we got Batum, i think we would have the type of talent to extend the careers of Pierce and Ray...

i would be over the moon with either pick.

and the talk about moving the pick it seems to me is based on the idea that the value at 30 is at the PF position which we need the least and a lot of those guys (like Hickson and White) could be very  attractive to other teams who have early second round picks. so i could also see Danny moving down, getting another pick and also getting one of the wings like Weaver, Mbah, Giddens etc early in the second...

[lon3lytoaster]

Batum or Hibbert would be insane picks at 30. i f we got Hibbert, we would be set in the front court for a decade....and if we got Batum, i think we would have the type of talent to extend the careers of Pierce and Ray...

i would be over the moon with either pick.

and the talk about moving the pick it seems to me is based on the idea that the value at 30 is at the PF position which we need the least and a lot of those guys (like Hickson and White) could be very  attractive to other teams who have early second round picks. so i could also see Danny moving down, getting another pick and also getting one of the wings like Weaver, Mbah, Giddens etc early in the second...

If Batum was there at 30, he could easily be a really good player in the NBA, and is probably worth taking, but with the heart troubles he could just as easily never play again, or worse be the next Reggie Lewis and nobody wants that.