Best New Reason To Like The Giddens Pick

[RebusRankin]

Best new reason to like the Giddens pick: Simmons doesn't like it. I'd rather trust the guy who traded half of our team for KG over the guy who would have traded half our team for AK47.

[Chief]

I just can't figure Simmons out. He's suppose to be this huge C's fan, but he is critical about every thing the C's do. His dad needs to give him some tough love.

[BudweiserCeltic]

Best new reason to like the Giddens pick: Simmons doesn't like it. I'd rather trust the guy who traded half of our team for KG over the guy who would have traded half our team for AK47.

Is this from his Draft Diary article, or did he mention it in another article or in some podcast or radio show?

[RebusRankin]

Draft Diary article.

[amenhotep04]

The difference is that Danny does his thing looking at players mainly from around the country, and knows what he's looking for.  He doesn't hit a home run every time, but does do a pretty good job of evaluating talent, injuries aside.  People like Simmons just sit at their desk, read other articles, blogs, and watch games on TV and think they've got a grip.  Danny doesn't get swayed by players' stock going up and down depending on what sports reporters are saying.  Too many teams pick busts because they get caught up with the propaganda, and forget to do their job in evaluating talent.

[Chris]

I didn't think he was that critical of it in the draft diary.  It sounded like he just didn't know much about him except what Bilas said...and can you blame him?  The reactions to probably 2/3 of the Celtics fans watching that was probably "who??"

[KJ33]

The difference is that Danny does his thing looking at players mainly from around the country, and knows what he's looking for.  He doesn't hit a home run every time, but does do a pretty good job of evaluating talent, injuries aside.  People like Simmons just sit at their desk, read other articles, blogs, and watch games on TV and think they've got a grip.  Danny doesn't get swayed by players' stock going up and down depending on what sports reporters are saying.  Too many teams pick busts because they get caught up with the propaganda, and forget to do their job in evaluating talent.

Your description of Simmons perfectly embodies a high percentage of those who post on this blog.  I find it amusing when people say "this is the guy they should have taken" and then say we'll wait and see if I am right or Danny is right as if this is a 50/50 proposition.  Please.  With all the work Danny and his staff do, not to mention his track record, nobody here can say they have a further in-depth evaluation of all the players and what they bring to the table.  It is not simply a crapshoot as to whether Danny's knowledge, based on voluminous research and evaluation, will be correct or some blogger's will be. 

I have to say that the percentages greatly favor Danny being right.  Even after the year we just had, incredibly, the diehards remain that are vain enough to think they know as much, if not more than a paid professional whose collective moves just brought us Banner 17.  Even if I had a more favorite college player or prospect I liked than who Danny picked, I immediately give credence to the notion that Danny knows more than me, even though I consider myself fairly knowledgeable.  I did this even before the C's won it all, but you would think everyone would think that way now. 

[bbc3341]

I didn't think Simmons was critical, just seemed like he was giving Ainge the benefit of the doubt and was realistic about picking at 30...

[Cman]

The difference is that Danny does his thing looking at players mainly from around the country, and knows what he's looking for.  He doesn't hit a home run every time, but does do a pretty good job of evaluating talent, injuries aside.  People like Simmons just sit at their desk, read other articles, blogs, and watch games on TV and think they've got a grip.  Danny doesn't get swayed by players' stock going up and down depending on what sports reporters are saying.  Too many teams pick busts because they get caught up with the propaganda, and forget to do their job in evaluating talent.

Agreed.  Spurs, Pistons and Celtics were unique on draft night in picking players that pundits would call a "reach": George Hill, DJ White and JR Giddens.  As a result, these teams grade out low with the pundits (I always find it hilarious that the team that picks first inevitably gets an "A", as if somehow they tried really hard to get the #1 pick and by george that effort really paid off!).  

I like the way Danny drafts and trades, in general.  He likes to take risks on players whose "stock" is down because of injury (Bill Walker, Leon Powe, Wally Z, Raef LaFrenz, even Ray Allen arguably) or personal issues (JR Giddens, Ricky Davis, Sebastian Telfair), gambling that in the long run, the player's stock will rise, on average.  It is the type of strategy that should work well in the long run, so long as the manager can survive the inevitable hiccups and bad press in the short run.  Anyway, the strategy seems to be working out pretty well.  Obviously there were some busts (LaFrenz, Telfair) but also some pleasant surprises (notably Leon Powe).  Here's hoping both Giddens and Walker are pleasant suprises....

[libermaniac]

I like the way Danny drafts and trades, in general.  He likes to take risks on players whose "stock" is down because of injury (Bill Walker, Leon Powe, Wally Z, Raef LaFrenz, even Ray Allen arguably) or personal issues (JR Giddens, Ricky Davis, Sebastian Telfair), gambling that in the long run, the player's stock will rise, on average.

Kind of like Moneyball, eh?  It's called being a smart businessman ... buy low, sell high.  It's amazing the rest of the morons in the NBA haven't caught on. Not sure Isaiah could grasp the buy low sell high concept - I think he has it backwards.