Who are our Castoffs

[Rosco917]

IT said something interesting when recently interviewed about be chosen to be an All star. When talking about this Celtic team. He said the Celtic team is kind of a bunch of castoffs anyway, I'm guessing he meant, players given up on, and just kind of passed along.

I realized Isaiah himself was a major castoff, drafted last in his draft year, flourishing in Sacramento, and then given up on, and then again in Phoenix, traded to the Celtic's, now being his 3rd. team at the age of 25. Him being chosen to be in the all-star game must carry a special meaning for him... I guess IT now belongs. I seldom watch the all-star game, but this Sunday, I have a feeling IT has something to show. 

Crowder is another castoff in my book, drafted in the 2nd round by Cleveland, sent to Dallas where he played a little, and was liked by his teammates, but then being a throw-in in the trade for Dallas to acquire Rondo. Not exactly a vote of confidence.

Even Turner, the guy most Celtic fans seem to dislike. Was drafted 2nd over-all, talk about pressure to perform for Philadelphia, looked OK, but still was sent to Indiana, where he didn't fit in at all, and was again given up on. You could say, he was actually being considered to be a bust. Then being picked up by Danny, and the Celtics for very little. Yep... Evan gets on my nerves too sometimes, except at times in the 4th quarter.

You blend young bulldog personalities like Marcus Smart, and Avery Bradley, with these "cast-offs" and you realize just why this team over achieves. If we ever get the "stars" we're looking for, and they buy in, I have a feeling we're in for some real fun.

[mgent]

Thomas obviously.

Turner definitely.

AJ was the 56th overall pick.

Crowder was passed on til the second round.

Jerebko was passed on til the second round.

Lee's been cast off by 2 teams now.

Bradley was cast off from the number 1 prospect in High School to 19th in the draft the year later (maybe rightfully so due to injury, but he's probably a top 5 player from that draft right now).

*End our 7 highest paid players.*

Sully was passed on by like 15 teams.

Zeller's been cast off by us if you want to count that.

9 players, almost 2/3s of our roster, and our entire rotation outside of Smart/KO.  That's if you don't count Young and Rozier who are relatively early 1st round picks who have never been given minutes (semi-rare, or at least uncommon), or Mickey and Hunter who have completely outplayed those 2 since becoming a Celtic, yet also never been given minutes.

Basically, if your name is not Smart or Olynyk, you're playing with a chip on your shoulder, and trying to prove something.  And arguably, Smart has chips from his childhood and Olynyk has the chip of being a slow and weak minority big in a league full of athleticism, as well as the Dirk comparisons he's been faced with.  KO's currently relying purely on his jump shot, if he doesn't make his shots, he can easily be out of the league in 1-2 years.  That's certainly got to be motivating/weighing on him, as does the fact that Smart's never averaged a FG% that's not at the bottom of the league.

I heard a quote from somebody (help me remember who) saying IT can, to this day, name every PG who was taken over him in the draft.

Edit:  That includes guys like Brandon Knight (8th), Kemba Walker (9th), Jimmer Fredette (10th) and then extremely late picks like:  Nolan Smith, Norris Cole, Reggie Jackson, Cory Joseph, and then guys you've hardly ever heard of:  Shelvin Mack, Darius Morris, Charles Jenkins,    Andrew Goudelock, Josh Selby, E'Twaun Moore (by the Celtics unfortunately).  Plus 7 other players who never played even a minute in the NBA.

[flybono]

Bird

[mgent]

Definitely an overachieving team.

How many 3 seeds can you name with only 1 all star?  Probably a few if given the resources, but how many of those all stars are the last all star on the list?