Post Draft Hangover Thread

[bobheckler]

I'll put my thoughts down tomorrow but l'm firing this up now for those who need to get some stuff off their chests now.


Bob


.

[cowens/oldschool]

Miami getting Precious makes me sick....

[dboss]

Celtics addressed one of 3 needs.

They added probably the best shooter in the draft.

Tomorrow we will know about the GH decision.

What else can you say.

[dboss]

Pritchard is a very good shooter and has a nice handle.

[dboss]

I want me some Candy Yams for Thanksgiving

[KyleCleric]

2 bench shooters, a draft and stash, and whatever they did with the 30th pick

[cowens/oldschool]

Pritchard is a very good shooter and has a nice handle.

Never heard of him, both our picks could be defensive liabilities

[Vankisa]

Skimming through the Draft Thread this morning I could see it has been yet another year where the board was expecting decisive moves by Danny to shore up the well known big man deficiencies and was yet another year where Danny's picks were a head scratcher

I wonder... has Danny Ainge ever recorded a pick after top8 that turned out to be a surprisingly good one? Rozier is the only one I could think of at the moment.

Also has Danny ever picked a good big in the draft ?

I am personally afraid the situation with Hayward is developing in an unfavorable direction - I thought some of the picks would have been included in any potential sing-and-trade.

[cowens/oldschool]

This Nesmith pick has bust written all over it, I don’t think he can create his own shot, he’s only got one skill that we’re banking on after a 14 game stretch at the college level. He can’t finish, defend his position, can’t create, not an athlete at all....god I hope I’m wrong. Adam Morrison...???

[kdp59]

I can see Ainge picking Nesmith, even though there are reports he hasn't healed up fully from his injury last year. He was a good outside shooter in his second year, but below average as a freshman. As with all rookies time will tell, but I doubt he moves the needle any more than Langford, at least as a rookie.

Pritchard is a typical Ainge "I'm the smartest guy around" pick to me. He probably wouldn't have been picked by any other team in round one. Not sure what skill he has that is NBA level. but Ainge must think he has at least one.

Jay King: Danny Ainge called Payton Pritchard “a fun player.” Said the Celtics didn’t want to add four players, thinks two rookies is “about the right number.” 7 hours ago – via Twitter ByJayKing

Adam Himmelsbach: Payton Pritchard: “I can really shoot it, dribble, pass. But I think the biggest thing I bring to the Celtics is a competitive nature.” 7 hours ago – via Twitter AdamHimmelsbach


OK Pritchard can shoot, dribble and pass and is a really fun player, I was wrong.

Adam Himmelsbach: According to a league source, the Celtics will receive two future second-round picks from the Grizzlies in return for the 30th pick this year. 8 hours ago – via Twitter AdamHimmelsbach

I don't mind that trade because we don't have room anyway and frankly Ainge was lucky to get a bag of donuts for that pick, because every team knew he had to move it or pick a draft and stash guy.

which bring us to 47:

Chris Grenham: Danny Ainge says Yam Madar will play overseas for “at least another year,” and then the Celtics will evaluate from there. 7 hours ago – via Twitter chrisgrenham


my picks based on who was there at each selection (for what its worth) would have been:

14. Precious Achiuwa

26. Desmond Bane

30. Tyrell Terry

[kdp59]

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/2020-nba-draft-grades-pick-by-pick-results-tracker-and-analysis-for-completed-rounds-1-and-2/


14. Boston Celtics (via MEM): SF Aaron Nesmith, Vanderbilt

I feel like I'm too easy of a professor, but these players the past few picks are coming off the board in the order I ranked them. That makes Nesmith again a really solid pick. Nesmith had an injury in college, but he can really knock down shots. He could be helping the Celtics because of that shooting right away. Grade: A+

26. Boston Celtics: PG Payton Pritchard, Oregon

There are so many other lead guards available, from Tre Jones, Malachi Flynn, Tyrell Terry, Cassius Winston. I have no doubt Pritchard can play in the NBA, and he was a proven winner. Just surprised to see him be the point guard in this spot. Grade: C+

47. Boston Celtics (via BKN): PG Yam Madar, Israel

It's clear the Celtics are looking to the future here with Madar, a 19-year-old from Israel. And while we didn't project him as a player we expected to be drafted, he's an attacking, downhill guard who is crafty with the ball in his hands and presents a low-risk, high-reward gamble for the Celtics in this range. Grade: B

[NYCelt]

I like Bob’s statement about a thread to get it off our chest. Very appropriate, I believe.

Let’s start with the disclaimer...

I don’t know what the Celtic front office knows.
I’m not a professional scout.
Except for the Celtics I don’t watch much NBA ball.
I mostly watch NCAA games.
I coach baseball, used to coach football, only assisted 2 seasons of AAU hoops and only at the teen level.
I played baseball, football and boxed, only a couple of hoops seasons until I blew out my knee.

There’s my resume and disclaimer before I say...

What the F are the Celtics doing? And yes, I’m the guy who programmed this site so you couldn’t spell the F word.

Nesmith made sense because we need bench scoring. I can’t, however, completely disagree with Cowens in that Nesmith is limited beyond that. Pritchard. In the first round? Really? A PG who could well have been had with the 47th pick at 26? With several highly rated, highly effective PGs still on the board. PGs who are bigger and faster with better handles? PGs who weren’t 4-year players in part because there was no sign they held draft interest From NBA teams?

I don’t even want to talk about 30 and 47.

This comes on top of last year’s unmitigated flop of a draft. At least last year they had the common sense not to draft Tacko and sign him as an experiment afterward. They might have done that with their 26th and 47th picks this year.

With the Hayward situation not assured, or possibly changing, how do you justify a draft with any reach type players? Even if there is a known Hayward solution coming, the obvious needs for three areas, shooting, bigs and PG remain. Those needs barely appear to have gotten a strong sniff.

Are the Celtics trying to go 20 plus years between titles again? We’re better than halfway now and given moves by other Eastern Conference teams, plus the last two drafts, seem to be doing our best to remain also-rans.

The possibility remains there are big moves coming. That would be welcome and has happened with success under Ainge before. Still, how does one account for passing on acquiring NBA ready players who might add depth and reduce risk from starter injury now?

I’m a lifelong fan, but there is a limit to the team Kool-Aide I drink and the sight range on my green glasses. I’ll call the last two drafts for what I believe they are; wasted opportunities teetering on the edge of epic failures costing title competition.

Pure speculation on my part, but ownership gives administration just so long, progress counts, and past victories carry just so far.

I wouldn’t be surprised if a failure to progress past the conference finals costs the Ainge administration their seats within the next season.

I hope I’m proven wrong on every one of these lines. My concern is I believe I’ll be proven right.

[KyleCleric]

I’m not sure who you would have in mind as bigger, better handles than Pritchard taken after him. He’s a lot stronger than those after him (with good length). Maybe Maledon just because of his height/length but again Pritchard would be a lot stronger than him. Despite not being a superior athlete, handles look to be a close 2nd plus skill to his shooting. The mocks I had been looking at had him as late 1st/early 2nd so 26 really wasn’t too surprising to me. He does not look like a long term solution after Kemba but the combination of size/length and competitiveness on D with plus shooting and handles and solid playmaking is intriguing as a ready to play backup PG.

[dbrown4]

NY Celt,

I'm with you...Ainge and Brad both.  Anything less than a trip to the Finals and possibly a win there.  Heck, with all the improvements around us and us basically standing pat until today with GH, you have to think/consider we move down in the East for 2020-21 as a very viable reality...unless DA knows more than we do!! All that would put us exiting in the 2nd round or pulling a PHI in the first round to drive home the point.

You can look at the last two years with Ainge and easily think he's lost a step or two.  We'll consider Brad treading water over that same time span for now.  

db

[gyso]

It sounds to me that we did take care of two out of three of our needs, shooting and PG. Perhaps (if the rumors are close to being correct) the Gordon Hayward trade may help solve the last need: quality starting big.

Patience?

[bobheckler]

I like Bob’s statement about a thread to get it off our chest. Very appropriate, I believe.

Let’s start with the disclaimer...

I don’t know what the Celtic front office knows.
I’m not a professional scout.
Except for the Celtics I don’t watch much NBA ball.
I mostly watch NCAA games.
I coach baseball, used to coach football, only assisted 2 seasons of AAU hoops and only at the teen level.
I played baseball, football and boxed, only a couple of hoops seasons until I blew out my knee.

There’s my resume and disclaimer before I say...

What the F are the Celtics doing? And yes, I’m the guy who programmed this site so you couldn’t spell the F word.

Nesmith made sense because we need bench scoring. I can’t, however, completely disagree with Cowens in that Nesmith is limited beyond that. Pritchard. In the first round? Really? A PG who could well have been had with the 47th pick at 26? With several highly rated, highly effective PGs still on the board. PGs who are bigger and faster with better handles? PGs who weren’t 4-year players in part because there was no sign they held draft interest From NBA teams?

I don’t even want to talk about 30 and 47.

This comes on top of last year’s unmitigated flop of a draft. At least last year they had the common sense not to draft Tacko and sign him as an experiment afterward. They might have done that with their 26th and 47th picks this year.

With the Hayward situation not assured, or possibly changing, how do you justify a draft with any reach type players? Even if there is a known Hayward solution coming, the obvious needs for three areas, shooting, bigs and PG remain. Those needs barely appear to have gotten a strong sniff.

Are the Celtics trying to go 20 plus years between titles again? We’re better than halfway now and given moves by other Eastern Conference teams, plus the last two drafts, seem to be doing our best to remain also-rans.

The possibility remains there are big moves coming. That would be welcome and has happened with success under Ainge before. Still, how does one account for passing on acquiring NBA ready players who might add depth and reduce risk from starter injury now?

I’m a lifelong fan, but there is a limit to the team Kool-Aide I drink and the sight range on my green glasses. I’ll call the last two drafts for what I believe they are; wasted opportunities teetering on the edge of epic failures costing title competition.

Pure speculation on my part, but ownership gives administration just so long, progress counts, and past victories carry just so far.

I wouldn’t be surprised if a failure to progress past the conference finals costs the Ainge administration their seats within the next season.

I hope I’m proven wrong on every one of these lines. My concern is I believe I’ll be proven right.

NYCelt,

Oh.  So you're the flip* guy...


Bob


.

[gyso]

Bob,

LOL, no, um, rather,

ROTFLMAO!

[cowens/oldschool]

I like Bob’s statement about a thread to get it off our chest. Very appropriate, I believe.

Let’s start with the disclaimer...

I don’t know what the Celtic front office knows.
I’m not a professional scout.
Except for the Celtics I don’t watch much NBA ball.
I mostly watch NCAA games.
I coach baseball, used to coach football, only assisted 2 seasons of AAU hoops and only at the teen level.
I played baseball, football and boxed, only a couple of hoops seasons until I blew out my knee.

There’s my resume and disclaimer before I say...

What the F are the Celtics doing? And yes, I’m the guy who programmed this site so you couldn’t spell the F word.

Nesmith made sense because we need bench scoring. I can’t, however, completely disagree with Cowens in that Nesmith is limited beyond that. Pritchard. In the first round? Really? A PG who could well have been had with the 47th pick at 26? With several highly rated, highly effective PGs still on the board. PGs who are bigger and faster with better handles? PGs who weren’t 4-year players in part because there was no sign they held draft interest From NBA teams?

I don’t even want to talk about 30 and 47.

This comes on top of last year’s unmitigated flop of a draft. At least last year they had the common sense not to draft Tacko and sign him as an experiment afterward. They might have done that with their 26th and 47th picks this year.

With the Hayward situation not assured, or possibly changing, how do you justify a draft with any reach type players? Even if there is a known Hayward solution coming, the obvious needs for three areas, shooting, bigs and PG remain. Those needs barely appear to have gotten a strong sniff.

Are the Celtics trying to go 20 plus years between titles again? We’re better than halfway now and given moves by other Eastern Conference teams, plus the last two drafts, seem to be doing our best to remain also-rans.

The possibility remains there are big moves coming. That would be welcome and has happened with success under Ainge before. Still, how does one account for passing on acquiring NBA ready players who might add depth and reduce risk from starter injury now?

I’m a lifelong fan, but there is a limit to the team Kool-Aide I drink and the sight range on my green glasses. I’ll call the last two drafts for what I believe they are; wasted opportunities teetering on the edge of epic failures costing title competition.

Pure speculation on my part, but ownership gives administration just so long, progress counts, and past victories carry just so far.

I wouldn’t be surprised if a failure to progress past the conference finals costs the Ainge administration their seats within the next season.

I hope I’m proven wrong on every one of these lines. My concern is I believe I’ll be proven right.

What also pisses me off, we didn’t get the help we need when it was right in front of us and other teams seemed to improve themselves more. Precious has a lot of attributes to help in a lot of areas, the type of mobile athletic big teams covet. Miami might have found the McHale-Parish modern version for this era, teaming him up with Bam....

[cowens/oldschool]

I’m the flip* guy!!!

[worcester]

Previous has no outside shot.

[NYCelt]

I’m the flip* guy!!!

That's right!

Cowens is the flip* guy.

I'm just the guy, with backing from my esteemed associates gyso and Pete, who made it necessary for him to say flip*

Like how I pulled the two of them under the bus with me? Even though I'm the guy who flipped* the switch.

Now, after last night's draft, I'm fighting the temptation to go switch it back so I can properly describe how I feel about last night's draft.

PG. Pritchard. Four years I watch that guy and they say his handle is a made-for-the-NBA strength. Yeah, and I'm The Flash... Actually, Pritchard is OK, can set guys up, but small, with otherwise average PG skills except shooting. He might possibly see some time in a green jersey. But... Terry, Flynn and especially Jones all go after. Brilliant. Then, just for fun, Nico Mannion falls to the Warriors with the very next pick after we take... wait for it... Yam Madar. Move over Fab (RIP, poor guy) and Romeo, here comes Pritchard and Yam. What's that? Romeo can't move over because he's out again? Hey Yam, don't go too far!

And there I go again. Too early for a scotch?

[cowens/oldschool]

So far I hope my friend worse is right, but I’m perplexed. I see athletic bigs dunking on us and getting offensive boards on us....please stay healthy and develop god damn it RWill

[worcester]

Do not underestimate t he GM who got us to be a top 4 NBA team with two budding superstars not even 24 years old yet. Do not dis an 18 year old demon of the backcourt from Israel. Do not distespect a 50% 3 point shooter when Anthony Edwards, Minny's #1 pick, only shoots 29% from three.

I am going all in on Danny and the Celtics future, near and long term.

[NYCelt]

Do not underestimate t he GM who got us to be a top 4 NBA team with two budding superstars not even 24 years old yet. Do not dis an 18 year old demon of the backcourt from Israel. Do not distespect a 50% 3 point shooter when Anthony Edwards, Minny's #1 pick, only shoots 29% from three.

I am going all in on Danny and the Celtics future, near and long term.

W -

Of course I hope you're right, even if I'm currently convinced otherwise.

But in the meantime I'm underestimating, dissing and thinking Yams at Thanksgiving are going to be a very upsetting experience.

Regards

[bobheckler]

Danny, you're gonna drive me to drinkin' if you don't stop with your draft picks stinkin'.  My homage to Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen.

Disclaimer:  I am on record as preferring Danny trading all 3 picks, so everything I say here should be taken as me trying to make lemonade out of sour grapes.

When pressed, however, I did say I was hoping we got Nesmith at #14 if he was still available and Danny didn't trade the pick.  I was even ok with trading up a few spots, especially if it meant packaging #26 and #30 to do it, and grabbing Nesmith.  So, in that sense I am vindicated, which alarms me since I am not usually in agreement with Danny's picks.

Nesmith (pronounced KNEE-smith) is, allegedly, slow-of-foot.  Not "feet in concrete" slow, but not an uber-athlete.  That makes him an unusual choice for Danny.  Danny's preferences, and Brad's too, are for uber-athletes who are NBA-ready at defense and have condor-like wingspans (the notable exception to that was "Alligator" Olynyk, and look how that went.  In Kelly's corner was his prototypical NBA fit of being a good 3pt shooter while being 7' tall, the modern center).  Jaylen, Jayson, TRo and Rondo, RWill.  All knuckle draggers (let's not forget that Rondo was a pretty damn good defender early in his career.  Then he got paired with Avery Bradley and started taking it easy.  Jayson's defense was considered suspect when he first came into the league but I think that was just because he was so exceptional at the offensive end it overshadowed his defensive talents).  Nesmith is 6'6", a good size for a shooter, with a 6'10"+ wingspan.  So he's got the length, let's hope he has the BBIQ to be able to stay in front of defenders despite not being greased lightning.  What Nesmith can do, absolutely positively, is fill the hole.  He can get us buckets off the bench in microwave-like fashion.  He is particularly adept at coming off of screens and catch-and-shoot situations, which is Brad's system.  Brad's system is all about drive-and-kick.  Get a foot or two into the paint, make the defense collapse on you and then deliver to a shooter.  Aaron Nesmith is that shooter.  He shot 51.2% from 3 last year.  That's pretty frippin' good (I would have said flip* but what's the flip* point, right?).  And it's not a small sample neither.  Nesmith took 14.6 fgas/game last year and 8.2 of them were college 3s.  That's > 56%.  That's a lot of 3s and that's a high fg% on them.  He's a shooter...period, and that's what we desperately need.  Then again that's what we thought we had in Carsen Edwards.  Let's hope 6'6" Nesmith can carry his skill set over to the bigger, faster, stronger NBA better than 5'11" Carsen Edwards.  Would I have preferred Danny to trade this pick for a proven NBA scorer?  Absolutely, but Danny hasn't picked up my phone calls in like, forever.

Mark Murphy @Murf56
about 10 hours ago
An early Ainge take on Aaron Nesmith: "He can come in the gym and out-shoot most of our guys right this second. I’m guessing Jayson Tatum will have a little dispute with that."

I don't know if that's encouraging or just Danny Ainge whistling past the graveyard...




As Draper (ugh!) asks in on this video "should Romeo Langford be nervous with this pick?" the answer given is 'yes', and I agree with that.  Nesmith is Romeo with a far, far, far superior shot.




The Pritchard pick astounds me.  First of all he wasn't projected to go in the 1st round by anybody.  I know reality put all the mock drafters to shame but am I really supposed to believe we couldn't have gotten him with the #30 pick, or traded out of the first for an early 2nd round pick?  Whose spot is he supposed to take?  Edwards'?  Might not be a bad idea, he's been disappointing both in Boston and in Maine.  If you're a true NBAer then you should dominate in the G-League and Edwards didn't.  One thing I like about Pritchard over Edwards is that Pritchard's college 3pt fg% was better and he also had a 2:1 assist-to-turnover ratio.  Edwards' assist-to-turnover ratio was < 1:1.  No wonder he can't run an NBA offense.  We don't know what will happen with Pritchard but he is definitely more efficient in college than Edwards was.



The kid can shoot, and he can shoot from NBA 3 (as we can see here).  He also seems to finish through contact, something a little guy like him will need to be able to do at the NBA level.  It concerns me that there are no defensive highlights, other than a steal.




Israeli athletes seem to be the flavor du jour.  With #47, who cares?  Why not take a flyer on one?






The 800 pound gorillas in the room, of course, is what Gordon Hayward and Enes Kanter's player option decisions will be  (ok, maybe an 800# gorilla and a 400# orangutan, with the orangutan being the pick of the litter).  I'm not going to go into the various potential iterations, that's covered in a separate "Gordon Hayward Trade Rumors" thread, but these are BIG deals.  Danny's lack of picks taller than 6'6", 2 of them being 6'2", is either a smart move because he's a man with a plan or he's a flamenco dancer on thin ice.  It has been noted that Atlanta's selection of Okongwu when they already have John Collins, DeWayne Dedmon, Bruno Fernando and Clint Capela sounds a bit big-heavy.  Our guys have to declare, in or out, by 5pm EST today.  Free agency begins tomorrow.  There will be much more clarity by Monday.  I know that seems a long way away, 3-4 days, but with the NBA camps only 12 days away I think the fur will really be flying around the league and, hopefully, on Celtics Planet.  

If the drafting of Pritchard was a warning shot across the bows of Edwards, and maybe even Waters, from a different perspective it was a possible endorsement of Tacko.  His competition for a roster spot now hinges upon Kanter's decision and not upon having to fight for an unavailable roster spot against a 1st round pick with an all-but-guaranteed rookie contract.  

Time to make it rain, Danny, time to make it rain.  






Bob


.

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