Chad Ford's Celtics Big Board BINGO

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SN NATION
By Jeff Clark on Jun 11 2013, 8:59p @celticsblog 12

USA TODAY Sports

Bored? Here's a game to pass the time.

Chad Ford released his latest Big Board today (sorry, Insider only). In it, you can read where he's ranked all the prospects and pick up some quick hit notes on various teams. The Celtics happen to be mentioned quite a bit, although most of it is just "player X worked out for the Celtics, among other teams."

In fact, the Celtics are mentioned so often that you could take all the names in his top 30, scatter them onto a bingo board, and play a game of Chad Ford's Celtics Big Board BINGO, or CFCBBBINGO for short.

To make it easy for you, here are the various names that have the Celtics mentioned in their blurbs.

Steven Adams - "his range is 9 - 16 right now" - also mentions that the Celtics worked him out
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope - C's will work him out this week
Mason Plumlee - C's worked him out and "desperately need size"
Jamaal Franklin - C's will work him out this week
Shane Larkin - C's worked him out
Dennis Schroeder - "range now appears to be the 14 - 16 window" though workouts haven't gone that well
Allen Crabbe - workout with C's coming up
Ricardo Ledo - worked out with Celtics - "I wouldn't count out a team like Boston taking him high. GM Danny Ainge hasn't been afraid to roll the dice on talented young players, and Ledo has one of the highest ceilings in the draft."
So, did anyone get BINGO? Hopefully Ainge will on Draft night.

2013 NBA Draft Prospect Rankings: Top Ten Centers


Kevin O'Connor shares his own ranking of centers.

Other notables from Ford's list (not a mock draft, just a Big Board designed to rank the players regardless of teams drafting):

McLemore slips all the way to 5.
Saric at 11, might be a draft and stash overseas option for the Mavs (if he says in the draft)
Shabazz, Plumlee, and Olynyk were ranked 14, 15, 16 for what it is worth
Project bigs: Gobert is 21, Nogueria 24, Dieng 28, and Jeff Withey falls right out of the top 30!

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[bobheckler]

Dario Saric has withdrawn from the NBA draft.

Allen Crabbe, 6'6", 195#, 21 years old, SG
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=FsV03s_0tNg


Jamaal Franklin, 6'5", 191#, 21 years old, SG
http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Jamaal-Franklin-17500/


Caldwell-Pope, 6'5#, 205#, 20 years old, SG
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=5uWJ-1QS4To


Ricardo Ledo, 6'6", 197#, 20 years old, SG
http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Ricky-Ledo-6289/


Go BIG, Danny, GO BIG!!


bob


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[Outside]

I've seen some projections with the Celtics taking Shabazz Muhammad, but for the life of me, I don't understand it. I'm skeptical about him regardless, but why would the Celtics use their pick on a tweener with questionable offense, defense, and attitude? The guy was a star in high school because he had a big body, but it turns out part of the reason he was more physically mature is that he was a year older than they said he was, and 6'6" 220 isn't so big in the NBA.

Somewhere, I saw a description of this year's draft as positions 6-36 as being interchangeable in their draft order. That's apparently why we see draft projections varying so wildly with the same player being in the lottery in one projection and the second round in another, but that could also mean that a decent center falls to Boston at 16. If they could get Dieng or Withey, that would be (literally) huge.

[bobheckler]

I've seen some projections with the Celtics taking Shabazz Muhammad, but for the life of me, I don't understand it. I'm skeptical about him regardless, but why would the Celtics use their pick on a tweener with questionable offense, defense, and attitude? The guy was a star in high school because he had a big body, but it turns out part of the reason he was more physically mature is that he was a year older than they said he was, and 6'6" 220 isn't so big in the NBA.

Somewhere, I saw a description of this year's draft as positions 6-36 as being interchangeable in their draft order. That's apparently why we see draft projections varying so wildly with the same player being in the lottery in one projection and the second round in another, but that could also mean that a decent center falls to Boston at 16. If they could get Dieng or Withey, that would be (literally) huge.

outside,

I haven't seen anybody say something as specific as "6-36" but I have heard that once you get past the first half of the lottery the distinctions between players start to blur.

I don't watch college sports, for the same reason I don't watch minor league baseball, but what I've heard about Withey is that he is very limited offensively.  Dieng, based upon all the projections I've seen, will be available at 16.  

It is now looking like Steven Adams will go sooner rather than later.  If you could choose between Plumlee, Olynyk, Dieng and Withey, what order would you pick them in?


bob


.

[Outside]

Bob,

I'm not a college basketball expert, but I did see most of those guys play. Any one of them is a better choice than Fab Melo was last year.

I only saw Olynyk play once, but he doesn't strike me as a center. Fortunately, Cody Zeller will be gone, because I saw him play multiple games and was repeatedly struck by how easy he was to neutralize with physical play; when confronted with physical defense, he couldn't get a decent shot off in the paint, and he wound up on his backside on the floor a LOT.

Here's the order I'd put those guys in:

1. Dieng. I only saw him play in the tournament, but I liked what I saw. Good defensively, not intimidated, showed signs of being able to develop offensive skills. Good athlete. Draft Express has him at a little under 6-10 without shoes, but he has an almost 7-4 wingspan, which is almost more important than height. Seems to have a center mindset. Very good athlete. Far and away my preferred choice of this group.

2. Withey. Showed great improvement over the past two seasons. Very good defensively. A legit 7-footer without shoes, but a little shorter wingspan and standing reach compared to Dieng. Not a great athlete, but does well with what he has. Could develop a decent low-post offensive game.

3. Plumlee. I'm concerned about what I've read about his individual defense, but he seemed to do well in the team concept. Another legit 7-footer without shoes. Good leaper, good athlete. Can get out and finish on the break. Not sure if he has a true center mindset. Could be very good, but I haven't seen him enough to know, so I have reservations.

4. Olynyk. Seems more like a power forward. A legit 7-footer without shoes, but has those alligator arms ("only" 6-9 3/4 wingspan). Impressed me with his skills. I like him, but center is the number one priority, and I don't think he's a center.

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