2010 Draft is big for the C's.

[amenhotep04]

What do you guys think of that Hayward guy from Butler? Will he be available when we pick and would we have any interest in him? This is assuming he enters the 2010 Draft.

I've seen him play too much. Good player, but he's got some weaknesses. He'll have to get stronger, and he'll have to improve his handle. I'm not sure how his man-to-man defense is. The one thing he has that a lot of players do not, is that he's a winner. Still though, I don't think he makes it.

[xmuscularghandix]

Da'Sean Butler.  We should draft him.

This is looking more likely because of his knee injury.

[Spilling Green Dye]

I'm hoping the Celtics stop drafting weak backup PGs and SG/SF players.  I am mostly hoping for a defensive minded, shot blocking big man who can get up and down the floor.  I think with Rondo, my current #4 or #5 best PG in the league, the Celtics will need to start transitioning to a faster team.  Too bad we don't have D'Antoni and Thibidou as our head/assistant coaches, respectively.

[Jon Niednagel]

I'm hoping the Celtics stop drafting weak backup PGs and SG/SF players.  I am mostly hoping for a defensive minded, shot blocking big man who can get up and down the floor.  I think with Rondo, my current #4 or #5 best PG in the league, the Celtics will need to start transitioning to a faster team.  Too bad we don't have D'Antoni and Thibidou as our head/assistant coaches, respectively.

I'm of the same thought process. It is time to start building around Rondo with athletic players that can be mentored by the HOF squad we have now. I'm hoping Whiteside slips and is available, much the way D. Jordan did a few years back. I still can't believe Danny passed him up with the 30th pick.

[PosImpos]

I'm hoping the Celtics stop drafting weak backup PGs and SG/SF players.  I am mostly hoping for a defensive minded, shot blocking big man who can get up and down the floor.  I think with Rondo, my current #4 or #5 best PG in the league, the Celtics will need to start transitioning to a faster team.  Too bad we don't have D'Antoni and Thibidou as our head/assistant coaches, respectively.

I'm of the same thought process. It is time to start building around Rondo with athletic players that can be mentored by the HOF squad we have now. I'm hoping Whiteside slips and is available, much the way D. Jordan did a few years back. I still can't believe Danny passed him up with the 30th pick.

Unfortunately with late picks in each round you can't really expect to draft a "defensive minded, shot blocking big man."  Those guys, unless they have enormous bust potential, tend to go in the lottery.  The only big guys with real potential available outside of the lottery are usually undersized guys who might become a Carl Landry type at best, or a Carlos Boozer if you're extremely lucky.  If you draft a guy with size outside of the lottery, expect him to be a career backup at best.

Danny drafts players he thinks have the best chance of developing into solid long term contributors.  It just so happens most of those players tend to be PGs, tweener wings, and undersized PFs at the point where we have had the opportunity to draft in the last few years.

Deandre Jordan still hasn't really done much of anything in the league so far and I'm pretty certain he wouldn't have ever seen the floor as a member of the Celtics.  So he'd have been just as useful to us as Giddens was.

[Chris]

I'm hoping the Celtics stop drafting weak backup PGs and SG/SF players.  I am mostly hoping for a defensive minded, shot blocking big man who can get up and down the floor.  I think with Rondo, my current #4 or #5 best PG in the league, the Celtics will need to start transitioning to a faster team.  Too bad we don't have D'Antoni and Thibidou as our head/assistant coaches, respectively.

I'm of the same thought process. It is time to start building around Rondo with athletic players that can be mentored by the HOF squad we have now. I'm hoping Whiteside slips and is available, much the way D. Jordan did a few years back. I still can't believe Danny passed him up with the 30th pick.

Unfortunately with late picks in each round you can't really expect to draft a "defensive minded, shot blocking big man."  Those guys, unless they have enormous bust potential, tend to go in the lottery.  The only big guys with real potential available outside of the lottery are usually undersized guys who might become a Carl Landry type at best, or a Carlos Boozer if you're extremely lucky.  If you draft a guy with size outside of the lottery, expect him to be a career backup at best.

Danny drafts players he thinks have the best chance of developing into solid long term contributors.  It just so happens most of those players tend to be PGs, tweener wings, and undersized PFs at the point where we have had the opportunity to draft in the last few years.

Deandre Jordan still hasn't really done much of anything in the league so far and I'm pretty certain he wouldn't have ever seen the floor as a member of the Celtics.  So he'd have been just as useful to us as Giddens was.

Agree with all of this.

And I refuse to recognize criticisms of Danny on the Deandre Jordan pick until he becomes a consistent starter on a quality NBA team.  At the moment, he is exactly who we thought he was...a talented but raw player who may not have the work ethic to ever be consistent enough to play on a winner. 

And that isn't even getting into the part about him being a major project that the C's just did not have roster space for.  At least there was some hope that Giddens or Walker could play right away.

[Actionjakson]

My favorites for this draft are Devin Ebanks, Gordon Hayward, and Greivis Vasquez. I think all could help us a lot. Ebanks is very versatile offensively and defensively. He can play and guard the 3 and 4 effectively. I have been in love with Gordon "the baby faced assassin" Hayward all season. His offensive game is incredible. He can shoot, post, handle, and drive. I like his game a lot and i think he could help us a lot off the bench. Vasquez is also has an unbelievable offensive game. he can score in bunches, and he would be a good 2nd team point guard for us. For a big, i would like Jarvis Varnardo. He is the nations best shot blocker and his length, athletecism and youth would be very beneficial in spelling KG and Perk.

[xmuscularghandix]

I'm hoping the Celtics stop drafting weak backup PGs and SG/SF players.  I am mostly hoping for a defensive minded, shot blocking big man who can get up and down the floor.  I think with Rondo, my current #4 or #5 best PG in the league, the Celtics will need to start transitioning to a faster team.  Too bad we don't have D'Antoni and Thibidou as our head/assistant coaches, respectively.

I'm of the same thought process. It is time to start building around Rondo with athletic players that can be mentored by the HOF squad we have now. I'm hoping Whiteside slips and is available, much the way D. Jordan did a few years back. I still can't believe Danny passed him up with the 30th pick.

Isn't Bill Walker proving in NY that some of these guys might be more than what we think? The kid just needs to work on his defense and handling. But he can score inside and out.

I hope Danny can figure out a way to get him back here, cause he's young and could be unstoppable on a young, fast, Rondo-lead, team.

[Actionjakson]

What do you guys think of that Hayward guy from Butler? Will he be available when we pick and would we have any interest in him? This is assuming he enters the 2010 Draft.

I've seen him play too much. Good player, but he's got some weaknesses. He'll have to get stronger, and he'll have to improve his handle. I'm not sure how his man-to-man defense is. The one thing he has that a lot of players do not, is that he's a winner. Still though, I don't think he makes it.

I have actually watched him quite a bit this year. Yes he is weak at the moment. However, he has an offensive skill set that is rare for someone his size. He has an all around offensive game and can play the 3 and 4 (atleast at the college level). Defensively he is average speed, but has very quick hands. Against michigan state he had at least 5 plays where he just stripped the ball or poked it away from his opponent. What I was most impressed with is his toughness and rebounding. Despite being undersized he often banged downlow against Zoubek and the Plumlees against Duke and got a good amount of rebounds. I like him alot. Most mocks have him drafted in the late 20's  so i think he should be available for us.

[nickagneta]

First my rant....you want to criticize Danny Ainge for taking JR Giddens with the 30th pick in 2008, go ahead. He had Mario Chalmers, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Goran Dragic, Kyle Weaver, Bill Walker, Luc Mbah a Moute and Nathan Jawai still on the board. I don't think it a stretch to say he could probably have traded up slightly and nabbed Serge Ibaka, Nicolas Batum, George Hill or Donte Green. Criticize him for that. But not for not choosing DeAndre Jordan. That kid is STILL a huge project and hasn't shown much if any progress and the word on his work ethic and maturity is not good.

That said, as I write this the Celtics are tied for the 21st pick with Oklahoma City. OKC definitely has the tougher schedule but they are definitely playing better as well. Now if Boston accepts their playoff seeding as 4th in the East and rests up some players(cough, cough) and happens to lose a few remaining games, they could fall as low as 19th depending upon what OKC, Portland and San Antonio do. Either way I think they will most likely be choosing somewhere between 20th-23rd in the draft.

So who could that get them that is big and can rebound and be a PF/C of the future?

Now obviously guys like Cole Aldrich, DeMarcus Cousins, Ed Davis, Patrick Patterson and Donatas Montiejunas will be gone. But there is a great many high quality big man prospects in this draft and someone could fall. Guys like Ekpe Udoh, Larry Sanders, Solomon Alabi and Hassan Whiteside could be available.

But perhaps the best scenario for the Celtics would be for there to be a run on big men, there often is in drafts deep with big man talent, and someone really unexpected drops.

Jan Vesely, though I haven't seen him play, is said to have lottery level talent. He's a 6'11" SF that can run the floor and is excellent in transition and has all sorts of athletic skills and time to grow them as he is only 19. He would be an investment in life post Big Three.

Willie Warren - the kid has had a horrible year but the talent is definitely there. Danny would have to do his due diligence on this kid and be certain that the problems that occurred this year with his benching for a game and problems with the coach were just a one time thing. If it was, he could be a steal as his talent is undeniable. He could be a possible long term replacement for Ray Allen. earlier in the year he was being touted as a top 5 talent in this draft.

Damion James - I know, I know. I have been pushing this kid for months. When I started talking about him he was regarded as a mid to late second round pick. Now people are talking lottery about him. but he could still be available at 20 or 21 or so. He's a 6'7" rebounding fool of a SF who can play very good defense and is extremely athletic. Think Gerald Wallace/James Posey with an offensive game as an eventual NBA comparison.

Quincy Pondexter - see Damion James. Very similar.

Xavier Henry - a 6'6" shooting guard that is one of the best freshman in the class. He can shoot and has range and is big with all the tools to become a dominant SG. He was talked about as a top 5-7 talent earlier this year. He could be another long term investment for this team

This is a big draft for the Celtics but what I think is important is that they don't draft for immediate need but draft with a eye on 2012 and beyond. Next year might be the time for Doc to convert a bit back into a teaching mode with some players and I think Danny is going to have to draft with long term potential in mind. Any of the above players I think could be a huge coup if Danny could land one.

[Fafnir]

I'm hoping the Celtics stop drafting weak backup PGs and SG/SF players.  I am mostly hoping for a defensive minded, shot blocking big man who can get up and down the floor.  I think with Rondo, my current #4 or #5 best PG in the league, the Celtics will need to start transitioning to a faster team.  Too bad we don't have D'Antoni and Thibidou as our head/assistant coaches, respectively.

I'm of the same thought process. It is time to start building around Rondo with athletic players that can be mentored by the HOF squad we have now. I'm hoping Whiteside slips and is available, much the way D. Jordan did a few years back. I still can't believe Danny passed him up with the 30th pick.

Isn't Bill Walker proving in NY that some of these guys might be more than what we think? The kid just needs to work on his defense and handling. But he can score inside and out.

I hope Danny can figure out a way to get him back here, cause he's young and could be unstoppable on a young, fast, Rondo-lead, team.

I don't think Bill Walker's performance justifies any sort of confidence that he'd every be "unstoppable". He splits are solid, but his stats are from a high paced team that's been losing a lot.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/splits?playerId=3464

[blackbird]

What do the VOLS fans think of J.P. Prince? I thought he looked good defensively in the tournament, especially against Evan Turner when they played Ohio State. His NBADraft.net profile makes him sound like a decent wing role player, available in the second round. I never saw him play before a couple weeks ago, but I thought he looked pretty good.

From NBADraft.net:

Strengths: Long and lean guard with explosive athletic capabilities ... Effortless leaper with tremendous hang time ... Blessed with the ability to seemingly suspend himself in mid-air ... Very clever around the basket, contorting his body and shooting efficiently from odd angles ... Despite slight frame, exhibits deceptive strength ... Finishes strong at the rim, finishing his junior season with 30 dunks ... Finishes well with his off (right) hand ... Was recruited as a lead guard out of High School (originally committed and played for Arizona) ... Displays PG skills in a 6'7 body ... Terrific penetrator, using his quickness and long strides to get into the lane and create shots for teammates (3 assists per game as a Junior) ... Led the SEC in assist to turnover ratio during conference games (2:1) last season ... Active on the boards (4 per game), using his quick leaping ability to overwhelm the opposition ... Disrupter on the defensive end, tallying 1.5 steals using his 6'11 wingspan to get into passing lanes and create points off turnovers ... Also uses his length to hound defenders and eliminate sight lines for shooters.

Weaknesses: Offensive game is still raw and quite limited at this juncture of his development ... Most of his points come off garbage baskets as a result of pure athleticism i.e. offensive boards and alley-oop dunks ... Shooting stroke needs monumental improvements ... Has a very awkward release point on his jump shot, and releases the ball with his palm ... His shot is really more of a 'throw'. Rarely gets a shooters bounce ... Shoots a career 16% from three point range and 52% from the free throw stripe ... Does not possess a mid-range game to speak of ... Despite his point guard background, ball handling still needs work ... Tries to be overly creative and fancy with the ball ... Has a tendency to dribble with his head down, failing to survey the court effectively ... Prone to commit offensive fouls as a result of over penetration ... Fragility is a concern- has undergone two shoulder surgeries in the past two seasons.

[Jon Niednagel]

I'm hoping the Celtics stop drafting weak backup PGs and SG/SF players.  I am mostly hoping for a defensive minded, shot blocking big man who can get up and down the floor.  I think with Rondo, my current #4 or #5 best PG in the league, the Celtics will need to start transitioning to a faster team.  Too bad we don't have D'Antoni and Thibidou as our head/assistant coaches, respectively.

I'm of the same thought process. It is time to start building around Rondo with athletic players that can be mentored by the HOF squad we have now. I'm hoping Whiteside slips and is available, much the way D. Jordan did a few years back. I still can't believe Danny passed him up with the 30th pick.

Unfortunately with late picks in each round you can't really expect to draft a "defensive minded, shot blocking big man."  Those guys, unless they have enormous bust potential, tend to go in the lottery.  The only big guys with real potential available outside of the lottery are usually undersized guys who might become a Carl Landry type at best, or a Carlos Boozer if you're extremely lucky.  If you draft a guy with size outside of the lottery, expect him to be a career backup at best.

Danny drafts players he thinks have the best chance of developing into solid long term contributors.  It just so happens most of those players tend to be PGs, tweener wings, and undersized PFs at the point where we have had the opportunity to draft in the last few years.

Deandre Jordan still hasn't really done much of anything in the league so far and I'm pretty certain he wouldn't have ever seen the floor as a member of the Celtics.  So he'd have been just as useful to us as Giddens was.

Agree with all of this.

And I refuse to recognize criticisms of Danny on the Deandre Jordan pick until he becomes a consistent starter on a quality NBA team.  At the moment, he is exactly who we thought he was...a talented but raw player who may not have the work ethic to ever be consistent enough to play on a winner. 

And that isn't even getting into the part about him being a major project that the C's just did not have roster space for.  At least there was some hope that Giddens or Walker could play right away.

PosImpos: According to Draftexpress, Whiteside is projected to go one or two spots above where the C's will likely pick (#21). I trust DE more than any other draft website. I think, just like Jordan, there is a good chance he could slip and be available when it comes time to pick. Danny didn't pull the trigger with Jordan and I hope he learned from that. Now is the time to swing for the fence and try to steal a future starter. Whiteside has associated risks, but incredible potential. That's what you get at this position. It could turn out like Rondo, or it could turn out like Gerald Green. I just think now is the time to take a risk like that because you still have a few years left to receive mentoring by players like KG, he will be ready by the time the Big three are done (if he pans out), and he is the type of player that can run with Rondo.

Chris: Your opinion is yours. I don't agree with it, but we can't really prove ourselves right or wrong based on our respective opinions. I will concede that DJ is still a work in progress, but he should be considering his age and experience. He has at least shown he belongs in the league and he continues to improve his game. I have no reason to believe at this point, based on his progress to date, that he won't become a starting-caliber center or better. In the right system, with the right point guard, he could be fantastic. On the other hand, I have every reason to believe Giddens has no business being in the NBA. It was clear to me that DJ was a huge "miss" by Danny back then (not revisionist in any way), and there has been nothing to change my mind yet. I don't know why you mention Walker. He was always a clear second rounder based on his injury history. I have no problem with where Danny got him (trading a second rounder for him).

[Jon Niednagel]

I'm hoping the Celtics stop drafting weak backup PGs and SG/SF players.  I am mostly hoping for a defensive minded, shot blocking big man who can get up and down the floor.  I think with Rondo, my current #4 or #5 best PG in the league, the Celtics will need to start transitioning to a faster team.  Too bad we don't have D'Antoni and Thibidou as our head/assistant coaches, respectively.

I'm of the same thought process. It is time to start building around Rondo with athletic players that can be mentored by the HOF squad we have now. I'm hoping Whiteside slips and is available, much the way D. Jordan did a few years back. I still can't believe Danny passed him up with the 30th pick.

Isn't Bill Walker proving in NY that some of these guys might be more than what we think? The kid just needs to work on his defense and handling. But he can score inside and out.

I hope Danny can figure out a way to get him back here, cause he's young and could be unstoppable on a young, fast, Rondo-lead, team.

I don't know if that was directed at me or Green Dye, but I have no problem with Walker. Wish we had kept him and used him more.

[Jon Niednagel]

First my rant....you want to criticize Danny Ainge for taking JR Giddens with the 30th pick in 2008, go ahead. He had Mario Chalmers, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Goran Dragic, Kyle Weaver, Bill Walker, Luc Mbah a Moute and Nathan Jawai still on the board. I don't think it a stretch to say he could probably have traded up slightly and nabbed Serge Ibaka, Nicolas Batum, George Hill or Donte Green. Criticize him for that. But not for not choosing DeAndre Jordan. That kid is STILL a huge project and hasn't shown much if any progress and the word on his work ethic and maturity is not good.

That said, as I write this the Celtics are tied for the 21st pick with Oklahoma City. OKC definitely has the tougher schedule but they are definitely playing better as well. Now if Boston accepts their playoff seeding as 4th in the East and rests up some players(cough, cough) and happens to lose a few remaining games, they could fall as low as 19th depending upon what OKC, Portland and San Antonio do. Either way I think they will most likely be choosing somewhere between 20th-23rd in the draft.

So who could that get them that is big and can rebound and be a PF/C of the future?

Now obviously guys like Cole Aldrich, DeMarcus Cousins, Ed Davis, Patrick Patterson and Donatas Montiejunas will be gone. But there is a great many high quality big man prospects in this draft and someone could fall. Guys like Ekpe Udoh, Larry Sanders, Solomon Alabi and Hassan Whiteside could be available.

But perhaps the best scenario for the Celtics would be for there to be a run on big men, there often is in drafts deep with big man talent, and someone really unexpected drops.

Jan Vesely, though I haven't seen him play, is said to have lottery level talent. He's a 6'11" SF that can run the floor and is excellent in transition and has all sorts of athletic skills and time to grow them as he is only 19. He would be an investment in life post Big Three.

Willie Warren - the kid has had a horrible year but the talent is definitely there. Danny would have to do his due diligence on this kid and be certain that the problems that occurred this year with his benching for a game and problems with the coach were just a one time thing. If it was, he could be a steal as his talent is undeniable. He could be a possible long term replacement for Ray Allen. earlier in the year he was being touted as a top 5 talent in this draft.

Damion James - I know, I know. I have been pushing this kid for months. When I started talking about him he was regarded as a mid to late second round pick. Now people are talking lottery about him. but he could still be available at 20 or 21 or so. He's a 6'7" rebounding fool of a SF who can play very good defense and is extremely athletic. Think Gerald Wallace/James Posey with an offensive game as an eventual NBA comparison.

Quincy Pondexter - see Damion James. Very similar.

Xavier Henry - a 6'6" shooting guard that is one of the best freshman in the class. He can shoot and has range and is big with all the tools to become a dominant SG. He was talked about as a top 5-7 talent earlier this year. He could be another long term investment for this team

This is a big draft for the Celtics but what I think is important is that they don't draft for immediate need but draft with a eye on 2012 and beyond. Next year might be the time for Doc to convert a bit back into a teaching mode with some players and I think Danny is going to have to draft with long term potential in mind. Any of the above players I think could be a huge coup if Danny could land one.

Nick: I assume your rant was directed at my post. I pretty much agree with what you said. I have a little higher opinion of DeAndre than you, but my main criticism of Danny is what he did with that #30 pick. Please note that I was agreeing with SGD on drafting strategy that involves building around Rondo with high upside, up-tempo, athletic players. I used DJ as the example because 1) back then, he was the player I would have picked and 2) DJ is the most common comparison for Whiteside, the person I was using as an example for the type of player I hope Danny goes for based on said drafting strategy. As far as DJ goes, I still think he is a high upside player who would do best playing next to someone like Rondo. Is he fully developed? No. Does he still have decent potential? I think so. It takes bigs a while to develop.