My Celtics 2014 Big Board

[CFAN38]

I am going to keep a running big board throughout the draft process to predict the Cs big board. Ill just go up to #20. I will update my predictions as info comes in (player declare, combine, workouts etc)

Tier 1
1.  Wiggins
2.  Embiid
3.  Exum
4.  Parker

Tier 2
5.  Smart
6.  Randle

Tier 3
7.  Vonleh
8.  Capela
9.  Nurkic
10. Gordon
11. Saric
12. McDermott

Tier 4
13. Cauley-Stein
14.  Harris
15. Ennis
16. Stauskas

Tier 5
17. Harrell
18. Hood
19. Warren
20. Anderson
21. LaVine
22. J Young

Tier 6
23. Payne
24. Grant
25. Hairston


This is not the order I expect the draft to go but rather how I could see the Cs ranking prospects. I loosely used team need to differentiate prospects in the same tier. 

[The One]

I like Smart in the second tier.  That makes sense to me.  When I see him, I see someone special. 

[Mr October]

After the top 6 or 7 picks, anything can happen. It is really hard to separate 9-20. Lots of talent and flaws there.

I think Vonleh and Gordon should be tier 2 and a half. They should be picked before 10, even if by the Celtics.

And then i think Ennis, Hood and Young should be bumped a tier.

[Chief]

I got Stauskas in tier 3. As for cauley-stein, he reminds me of mikki Moore.

[Mr October]

Mr O's 2014 Celtic Big Board.

1. Wiggins
2. Embiid
3. Parker
4. Exum
-----------
5. Randle
6. Gordon
7. Vonleh
8. Smart
-----------
9. Ennis
10. Hood
11. Harris
12. Stauskas
13. Saric
------------
14. Young
15. Cauley-Stein
16. Capela
17. Warren
18. McDermott
19. Hairston
20. Payton
21. Anderson
22. Lavine
23. Nurkic

The Overseas players are a mystery and a rough guess. I also haven't seen Hairston in game, but he appears to have the all around game.

[Mr October]

I got Stauskas in tier 3. As for cauley-stein, he reminds me of mikki Moore.

Yeah. WCS is somewhere in the middle of a Moore and a Chandler. History tells us guys like this tend to fall in the Moore category. I would absolutely take a chance on him at 18 though with the hopes that he can become a poor man's Chandler.

[nickagneta]

Here's mine which is based more on BPA than the Celtics need
Tier 1
1.  Wiggins - highest upside potential, lowest bust potential
2.  Parker - most NBA ready player offensively but lacking defensively

Tier 2
3.  Embiid  based more on the fact that he has a possible injury concern and wasn't as dominant defensively as I would have liked. (Noel and Davis for instance are much better defenders)
4.  Randle - excellent motor and tenacious determination. Game will transfer well to the NBA due to fact he won't be double and triple teamed like he was most of the 2nd half of college season. If his arms were 2 to 3 inches longer, possibly a Tier 1 player.
5.  Smart - great size, strength, intelligence for a PG but lack of an outside shot drops him down
6.  Ennis - best all around PG prospect I have seen in this draft. maybe has the most intangibles and best upside of anyone out of the top 3 players

Tier 3

7.  Exum - just a general lack of anything significant to judge him on drops him down. I saw one game film and some you tube highlight vids but the level of competition looked poor and I believe it made him look better. He could be much better than this ranking. He could be just like Yi Jianlian who also was an international prospect with little film that rated very highly.
8.  Vonleh - tall, good shot, good rebounder, but lack of elite athleticism drops him into this tier
9.  Harris - great prototypical SG with good size and shot and all around intelligence
10. Gordon - tough tweener with elite defense and no offensive skills whatsoever except he's great in transition and a decent passer
11. Stauskas - maybe the best overall shooter and brings a decent overall game as a SG 
12. McDermott - elite shooter with elite BBIQ. Good size but severe lak of athleticism holds him back

Tier 4 - big man tier
13. Capela - probably the 2nd best center prospect in the draft with potential to be an elite rim protecter with his athleticism but needs to add weight and work on his overall strength more
14. Cauley-Stein - premier athletic skills and awesome hands but possibly the worst footwork and offensive game of any of the center propects
15.  Nurkic - huge center, good potential for future development in a Nikola Pekovic type of way but lack of athleticism and conditioning hurts him.
16 Harrell - plus defender and rebounder with average to below average offensive skill that has the least upside potential of this group but could be the most NBA ready and has the least bust potential of this group

4A - propects overall as good as the Tier 4 players but are not centers so could easily be seen as being picked in the same range as the Tier 4 players

17. Warren - excellent offensive repetoire and a born leader that could eventually be considered a top 10 player in this draft years from now.
18. Hood - not much to dislike. Very good all around game and has a scorer's mentality but he's just not elite at anything. Probably an elite glue guy at the next level
19. Anderson - interesting player that is going to need to be a point SF and control the ball a lot to be most effective in his game. Not utilized properly, and he could be extremely ineffective in the NBA
20.  J Young - very good shooter with great SG size and plus defensive abilities

After these 20, IMHO its a crap shoot. Grant, LaVine, Hairston, Payne, Early, Napier, McGary and Patric Young are all intriguing prospects after the 20th pick but are definitely below the top 20.

[Tr1boy]

I am going to keep a running big board throughout the draft process to predict the Cs big board. Ill just go up to #20. I will update my predictions as info comes in (player declare, combine, workouts etc)

Tier 1
1.  Wiggins
2.  Embiid
3.  Exum
4.  Parker

Tier 2
5.  Smart
6.  Randle

Tier 3
7.  Vonleh
8.  Capela
9.  Nurkic
10. Gordon
11. Saric
12. McDermott

Tier 4
13. Cauley-Stein
14.  Harris
15. Ennis
16. Stauskas

Tier 5
17. Harrell
18. Hood
19. Warren
20. Anderson
21. LaVine
22. J Young

Tier 6
23. Payne
24. Grant
25. Hairston


This is not the order I expect the draft to go but rather how I could see the Cs ranking prospects. I loosely used team need to differentiate prospects in the same tier.

Not bad

Mine is(not in order)

Tier 1 (one tweak required to be a possibly great player)
Embiid - experience
Wiggins - left hand
Parker - conditioning
Exum - strength
Gordon - jump shot
Smart - jump shot
Anderson - conditioning

Tier 2 (2 tweaks or 1 weakness not likely to overcome)
Vonleh - feel for game
Stauskus - defense
Harris - slightly undersized
Randle - jump shot, off ball defense
Ennis - defense, quickness
Saric - jump shot, quickness
Nurkic - maturity, discipline on defensive end
Young - efficiency, lack of experience
Lavine - mass, strength
Payton - strength, jump shot
Hood - defense

Tier 4 - part time starter
Mcdermott
Warren
Harrell
Wcs
Capela
Grant
Mcdaniel
Early
Napier
Thanasis
Wilcox

[gpap]

Here's mine:

Love
Melo
Aldridge
Marc Gasol
Kyrie Irving
Chris Bosh
Marcin Gortat
Luol Deng
Aaron Afflalo
Omer Asik

[Mr October]

Tier 1 (one tweak required to be a possibly a great player)
Anderson - conditioning

Tier 2 (2 tweaks or 1 weakness not likely to overcome)
Vonleh - feel for game
Young - efficiency, lack of experience
Hood - defense

I think Anderson is going to have a harder time overcoming his conditioning than Vonleh will have of getting a feel, or Young gaining experience and efficiency or Hood becoming a good defender.

I dont think i have ever seen Anderson sprint a single time in a game. I worry that his conditioning might be almost an Adam Morrison like problem. His feel for the game is much further along than Morrison though, and we will see if it is enough to earn him a big role in the pros.

Meanwhile Vonleh is transitioning from a wing on the perimeter to a full time big man due to his sudden growth over the past couple years.

Young and Hood should be safe picks for long career as role players. They can shoot, slash and have good size at their positions.

[Tr1boy]

Tier 1 (one tweak required to be a possibly a great player)
Anderson - conditioning

Tier 2 (2 tweaks or 1 weakness not likely to overcome)
Vonleh - feel for game
Young - efficiency, lack of experience
Hood - defense

I think Anderson is going to have a harder time overcoming his conditioning than Vonleh will have of getting a feel, or Young gaining experience and efficiency or Hood becoming a good defender.

I dont think i have ever seen Anderson sprint a single time in a game. I worry that his conditioning might be almost an Adam Morrison like problem. His feel for the game is much further along than Morrison though, and we will see if it is enough to earn him a big role in the pros.

Meanwhile Vonleh is transitioning from a wing on the perimeter to a full time big man due to his sudden growth over the past couple years.

Young and Hood should be safe picks for long career as role players. They can shoot, slash and have good size at their positions.

Imo you either got feel for the game or you dont. Its hard to develop it. Vonleh when double teamed is in trouble alot of the times.He is trapped and doesnt know how to find the open man. He is also at the wrong place at the wrong time parts of the game

Anderson belive it or not improved his body from his 1st year. So there is optimism he can continue to improve his body. Otherwise he has top level skills, imprpved shot and excellent length. He is a multi position player.

[Celtics18]

1.  Wiggins
2.  Parker
3.  Embiid
4.  Smart
5.  Gordon
6.  Exum
7.  Randle
8.  Vonleh
9.  Saric
10.  Nurkic
11.  Warren
12.  Cauley-Stein
13.  Anderson
14.  Stauskas
15.  Harris
16.  Capela
17.  Hood
18.  Grant
19.  Early
20.  Ennis

[Mr October]

Tier 1 (one tweak required to be a possibly a great player)
Anderson - conditioning

Tier 2 (2 tweaks or 1 weakness not likely to overcome)
Vonleh - feel for game
Young - efficiency, lack of experience
Hood - defense

I think Anderson is going to have a harder time overcoming his conditioning than Vonleh will have of getting a feel, or Young gaining experience and efficiency or Hood becoming a good defender.

I dont think i have ever seen Anderson sprint a single time in a game. I worry that his conditioning might be almost an Adam Morrison like problem. His feel for the game is much further along than Morrison though, and we will see if it is enough to earn him a big role in the pros.

Meanwhile Vonleh is transitioning from a wing on the perimeter to a full time big man due to his sudden growth over the past couple years.

Young and Hood should be safe picks for long career as role players. They can shoot, slash and have good size at their positions.

Imo you either got feel for the game or you dont. Its hard to develop it. Vonleh when double teamed is in trouble alot of the times.He is trapped and doesnt know how to find the open man. He is also at the wrong place at the wrong time parts of the game

Anderson belive it or not improved his body from his 1st year. So there is optimism he can continue to improve his body. Otherwise he has top level skills, imprpved shot and excellent length. He is a multi position player.

Very true that feel for the game isn't easy to learn. Vonleh is a project and should be played while keeping the offense and defense simple. He has a ton of scoring ability, good rebounding and good length. He is already a start in the right direction as a teenager.

I haven't watched UCLA during Anderson's early years. It is hard to imagine him being even more slo mo. His skills are indeed really good. It'll be fun to see how these guys actually pan out.

[perks-a-beast]

1. Joel Embiid. Could be the best big man prospect since Dwight Howard. Everything you want from a big man; defensive enforcement, nice touch around the rim, quickness and incredible footwork. Best case: Tim Duncan. Worst case: Greg Oden (if injuries linger)

2. Andrew Wiggins. May not have turned out as offensively polished as people had hoped his first and only year at Kansas but is still only 19 and shows a lot of promise. His physical tools are unreal and will make an immediate impact on the defensive end of the floor in the NBA. Best case: Tracy McGrady. Worst case: Rudy Gay.

3. Jabari Parker. The fact that I'm putting Parker 3rd is a testament to how good this draft is. Other than his polished offensive game which reminds scouts of KD/Carmelo, Parker is a modest hard working kid who will be a consummate professional for whatever team he plays for. Best case: Carmelo Anthony. Worst Case: Jeff Green.

4. Dante Exum. Exum has dominated his Australian league and has showed huge upside playing against good competition internationally. I haven't seen much, but from what I've seen he gets wherever he wants to go on the floor due to his length and quickness. He sets guys up and it looks like guys love playing with him. Best case: Russell Westbrook. Worst case: Shaun Livingston

5. Marcus Smart. Smarts quickness/ strength combo will make him an immediate impact player in the game. He may just turn out to be the LeBron of guards. Needs to work on his temper but even if he never really gets down the mechanics of his jump shot, he'll still be a very effective NBA player, if he does, he'll be VERY dangerous. Best case: Dwayne Wade. Worst case: Rodney Stuckey

6. Julius Randle. Randle is another rare guy, like Smart, whose a raw combo of power and skill. Gobbles up rebounds like it's his job and has an incredible 1st step and a nicely polishes post game that could be a big weapon in the the pros. Best case: Zach Randolph. Worst case: Michael Beasley.

7. Noah Vonleh. While his offensive game is still a work in progress, Vonleh has all the tools to be a game changer defensively. Just has unbelievable instincts around the rim and can guard a bit on the perimeter too. Has a reputation of having a good head on his shoulders and very easy to coach. Best case: Derrick Favors. Worst case: Hilton Armstrong

8. Aaron Gordon. Gordon could benefit from another year at school but even if taken this year, he could have an immediate impact on an NBA team. The kid competes every night, every play. Never quits on defense and runs the floor like a gazelle. Offesive game needs work. Best case: Shawn Marion. Worst case: Jonas Jorebko

9. Gary Harris. a poised guard who can get it done on both ends of the floor, not at an elite level, but is consistent and collective. Will be a real weapon if his 3 point shot continues to develop. Best case: Arron Afflalo. Worst case: Willie Green. 

10. Kyle Anderson. Anderson may be the most unique prospect in the draft. He's 6'9, plays within himself offensively, sets guys up, rebounds, and has shown glimpses of promise for his long range shot. Best case: Better passing Chandler Parsons. Worst case: Josh McRoberts

11. Jusuf Nurkic. Nurkic has shown to be quite effective in limited limits over seas. He shows everything you want from a big man, offensive polish, defensive quickness and willingness to bang around. Conditioning and attitude are a concern but upside is very high. Best case: Nikola Pekovic. Worst case: Zaza Pachulia.

12. Tyler Ennis. Was quietly the most consistent freshman this past year. He's not flashy but he is poised and makes good decisions, that's about all you can ask out of your point guard. Best case: Mike Conley. Worst case: Steve Blake. 

13. Clint Capela. There's always one guy each year whose value sky rockets because of the combine, I think this year it will be Capela. From what I've seen he's got amazing leaping abilities along with a lot of lateral quickness. Going to make a big defensive impact in the NBA, I think. Best case: Serge Ibaka. Worst case: Bismack Biyombo. 

14. Dario Saric. Is he going to the pro's? Is he staying over seas? It's the question everyone is asking. But no one is questioning his versatility. Saric can get it done offensively bottom line, and plays smart. Best case: more physically gifted Boris Diaw. Worst case: Anthony Tolliver.

15. Doug McDermott. McBuckets could have the best nickname in the draft, but I don't see him going in the Top 10, which a lot of people think he will. Sure, he's guaranteed to be a 3 point nightmare for defenses, but the defense and athletisism leave something to be desired. Best case: Mike Miller. Worst case: Gigi Datome.

[BigAlTheFuture]

Here's mine:

Love
Melo
Aldridge
Marc Gasol
Kyrie Irving
Chris Bosh
Marcin Gortat
Luol Deng
Aaron Afflalo
Omer Asik