Draft Profile Video: Kevon Looney bostonceltics bostonceltics

So what's your opinion, Rambone?

Sam

I think he's right there in the conversation with Bobby Portis and a few others for the #16 pick. Looney's a lot like Portis, but a year younger and potentially more upside.

They're both long, slim, well rounded PFs who can rebound and play defense, do a little of everything offensively, and have A+ work ethic.

Looney has a nicer shooting stroke, and one that seems to hold up better at the NBA 3 distance. Portis' nba 3 pt jump shot is very ugly, and not compact at all. It looks like a soccer inbounds pass almost.

Portis has a 1.5" standing reach advantage, a center-like 9'2".

Portis could easily slide into the starting center spot in a year, like if say Tyler Zeller got offered a big contract next summer in restricted free agency. So you have to like that about Portis. He'll keep filling out, and get up to 255ish by next season.

Looney has a bit of SF versatility, because he's just quick enough to guard a lot of SFs and has center length. In addition to his solid enough ball handling, passing, and outside shooting skills. Having a monster rebounder and help defender at SF would be pretty cool, especially since rim protecting centers don't grow on trees, and quality PFs will be available at 28 and 33.

I don't think we can go wrong with either one, and their exceptional versatility is becoming more and more valued by the NBA. Everybody's looking for a Draymond Green do-it-all playmaking SF-PF hybrid. But toughness is also important. Portis weighs 20 lbs more than Looney, with room to get up to 255-260. Looney might peak out at 240-245 lbs.

Nice rundown, Rambone.  Much more through than what I normally see on Draft Express.  Thanks.

Sam

speak of the devil, Chris Mannix/SI mock draft now has Portis going #15, and the Celtics drafting Looney at 16:

15 ATLANTA HAWKS (VIA NETS)
BOBBY PORTIS, F
ARKANSAS, SOPHOMORE | 6-11, 240
Several league executives believe the Hawks really like Portis here. Portis’s greatest strength: He competes like crazy. Executives love his relentless motor, which complements a diverse skill set. Portis is terrific in transition and is a strong floor-spacing big man prospect. The Hawks also love perimeter shooting big men.

16
BOSTON CELTICS
KEVON LOONEY, F
UCLA, FRESHMAN | 6-9, 220
Looney is a Danny Ainge-type pick. Raw but gifted physically, a player who will likely be useless next season but could develop into a steal down the road. Executives are all over the map on Looney, whose game never seemed to add up to the sum of his parts with the Bruins last season. Looney has great hands and has shown flashes of a post game.

http://www.si.com/nba/2015/06/10/nba-mock-draft-emmanuel-mudiay-kristaps-porzingis-karl-anthony-towns-jahlil-okafor

Rambone,

It will be interesting to see, when the off-season is over, whether any of the key acquisitions of Danny is someone who will "likely be useless next season but could develop into a steal down the road.  In a sense, that would be sort of regressing from what occurred this past season.

Perhaps the best barometer of Danny's orientation will be what happens with James Young, who fit that description (and also the description of a "project") better than anyone else on last year's team.

Sam

Sam,

I fully believe that Ainge's summer season success will determine how fast the current re-build happens. To best build off last year's much improved team I think that he (Ainge) needs to add at least two high functioning players to the top nine rotation with a defensive center as the most important addition.

If a "project player" is added to the roster after two or three rotation players are added then I have no problem with a project player. However, only finding two or three project players for next year would constitute a failure by Ainge this summer.

I also agree that Young's progress will be very important part of the re-build. If Stevens can get this guy to become even a bottom ranked member of the rotation it will once again show that Stevens and his staff can develop just about any player who is with the team for a period of time. Right now I do not think that Young "gets it", but I certainly hope that he can prove me very wrong.

I cannot help think that the rest of the league has noticed Stevens helping to make players better and that young free agents may decide that they also want to get better and better playing under Stevens and his staff.

It will also build credibility for Ainge as a drafter. This is very important because the Cs are likely entering the draft in the next few years with first round picks in the 20s (and second rounders in the 50s) and not the single digits or teens (unless the Nets picks fall here). A quality draft pick in the 20s is going to be needed two times in every three years during the up-coming successful seasons.

wide clyde wrote:Sam,

I fully believe that Ainge's summer season success will determine how fast the current re-build happens.  To best build off last year's much improved team I think that he (Ainge) needs to add at least two high functioning players to the top nine rotation with a defensive center as the most important addition.

If a "project player" is added to the roster after two or three rotation players are added then I have no problem with a project player.  However, only finding two or three project players for next year would constitute a failure by Ainge this summer.

I also agree that Young's progress will be very important part of the re-build.  If Stevens can get this guy to become even a bottom ranked member of the rotation it will once again show that Stevens and his staff can develop just about any player who is with the team for a period of time. Right now I do not think that Young "gets it", but I certainly hope that he can prove me very wrong.  

I cannot help think that the rest of the league has noticed Stevens helping to make players better and that young free agents may decide that they also want to get better and better playing under Stevens and his staff.

It will also build credibility for Ainge as a drafter.  This is very important because the Cs are likely entering the draft in the next few years with first round picks in the 20s (and second rounders in the 50s) and not the single digits or teens (unless the Nets picks fall here).  A quality draft pick in the 20s is going to be needed two times in every three years during the up-coming successful seasons.

clyde,


I agree.

Sully, Kelly, Smart. They're not exactly 'projects' but they are not near where they need to be for us to count on them to propel us upward. In another 2 years, maybe, not not yet.

Brad was right when he said we're too young.


bob


.

Bob, funny but that's what my wife says about me.

Then she asks when the "Husband Draft" will be held. I think she wants to trade up.

Sam

sam wrote:Rambone,

It will be interesting to see, when the off-season is over, whether any of the key acquisitions of Danny is someone who will "likely be useless next season but could develop into a steal down the road.  In a sense, that would be sort of regressing from what occurred this past season.

Perhaps the best barometer of Danny's orientation will be what happens with James Young, who fit that description (and also the description of a "project") better than anyone else on last year's team.

Sam

Sam, Maddix is the guy who flatly rejected the notion that the post-Rondo/Green Celtics were any better than the Rondo-led Celtics. Just flatly rejected the notion, even though we were like 5-1 or something since the deals.

I think his ability to judge the impact of young players is minimal, in part because of that certitude he's prone to.

Looney would immediately be our longest player, by far, and he'd immediately be our best shot blocker, and our first or second best rebounder. Add in his high IQ and top-rate work ethic, and I'm pretty sure Looney would be able to contribute as a rookie in the Bass role at least.

I'm not a big Maddix fan myself, Rambone.

Sam