R-Dub: Time Lord, Tantalizing Sleeper, or Just a Late Flier?

Reverend

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Oh yeah, absolutely - I'm sure Ainge thought it a great way to stay close to a player who might otherwise feel a little emotionally disconnected and at-risk of having his life shaken up by a trade.

Someone drew the analogy to Belichick earlier, but with 2 or 3 exceptions, the players need Belichick way more than Belichick needs the players. Whereas in the NBA, the players are fewer, more individually valuable, and each more powerful due to the structure of the CBA, so every GM and coach needs to make friends much more readily. I find that one of the more appealing parts of the league, honestly - the humanity with which players are treated, and the genuine personal relationships that clearly exist everywhere.
Wasn't Ainge on his way to being an All-World Coach when he decided he didn't like his work-life balance and that's why he went the front office route.

Given that his intensity for competition is not in question, this combination could make for a very cool boss and working environment--a guy who "gets it" on both ends of the equation.

I tend to believe that's how he landed Stevens too. Healthy organizational culture for the win.
 

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How on earth do you have trouble getting in touch with a kid in the smart phone era?
 

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Meh. Unless he went on a coke binge last night and is in some Motel6 right now all of the communication is running through his agent. Nothing to see here.....yet anyway.


Sleeping?
The morning after being drafted?

Must have smoked a lot of weed.
 

GoDa

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I don't know the relationships that players have with upper management, but I thought it was awesome that Terry felt comfortable enough with Ainge to FaceTime him a few minutes before the Celtics had to send their pick in.
Thought it was also pretty telling that the first thing Ainge did was joke about drafting a point guard (ie. to replace Terry - I took it).

This is basketball, not ISIS!
 
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nighthob

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Wasn't Sean Williams' main issue that he was an epic pot-head?
Had he been born a decade later he'd be preparing to join the new American Space Force Service Academy, because he was a born space cadet. And, yes, the epic smotpoker thing was a part of that.
 

Cesar Crespo

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So was Robert Parish. He worked out ok
Sometimes things work out. I am very happy with the pick. Even if he was a Sean Williams clone, I'd take a gamble on that type of talent with the 27th overall pick in the draft. I'm just pointing out that there is also some downside to this. He's in a great position to succeed, though.
 

kenneycb

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To be fair to Williams, wasn't that Akida McLain?
Yeah, you're right. I thought they were running that scheme together but they just got dismissed at the same time. Probably my second heartbreak as a BC fan after that bullshit last minute TD in the NC State game that year.
 

BigSoxFan

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Yeah, you're right. I thought they were running that scheme together but they just got dismissed at the same time. Probably my second heartbreak as a BC fan after that bullshit last minute TD in the NC State game that year.
Yup.

Sean Williams - pot enthusiast
Akida McLain - counterfeit $
Jermaine Watson - jumped out of 2nd story window to avoid gunmen (likely drug related)
Andrew Bryant - punched girl at Maryann's / drug dealing
Ryan Sidney - pistol whipped in dorm by drug dealers

Ah, the glory days...
 

DavidTai

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The morning after being drafted?

Must have smoked a lot of weed.
I dunno, if you went to sleep and didn't set an alarm to wake you up the next day because you weren't told you had a conference call in the morning...

It sounds like they caught ahold of his sister, his sister caught him after he woke up and checked his phone, and they fixed the situation quickly.

I'm just glad they found him. Len Bias still haunts me.
 

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I dunno, if you went to sleep and didn't set an alarm to wake you up the next day because you weren't told you had a conference call in the morning...

It sounds like they caught ahold of his sister, his sister caught him after he woke up and checked his phone, and they fixed the situation quickly.

I'm just glad they found him. Len Bias still haunts me.
You lose me at the "went to sleep" part.

I'd have been up for like three days.
 

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Yeah, it's probably the biggest moment of his life. I hope he went on a (non coke fueled) bender last night.
"probably?" "Probably??"

It's the biggest moment of his life until he wins his first ring with the Celtics.
 

OnWisc

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"probably?" "Probably??"

It's the biggest moment of his life until he wins his first ring with the Celtics.
What really would have driven that point home would be if Horford had been the one to wake him up.

Perhaps in future drafts DA should have a vet on location ready to intervene...
 

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What really would have driven that point home would be if Horford had been the one to wake him up.

Perhaps in future drafts DA should have a vet on location ready to intervene...
Now that would be baller.

"Welcome to the NBA. I'm Al Horford. I'm living my best life. What are you doing in bed?"
 

HomeRunBaker

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This thread is giving me flashbacks to the days/weeks following Ainge's Gerald Green selection when he was showing the teenager how to watch film as he looked over and Green had fallen asleep.
 

lars10

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You lose me at the "went to sleep" part.

I'd have been up for like three days.
Isn’t it possible that he’s already been up for three days leading up to the draft and now the pressure is finally off he could sleep?
 

ponch73

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I'm sure this is all nothing. Robert was just really exhausted after volunteering to trim the weeds at his relative's house last night.

Nothing to see here folks. Move along.
 

Devizier

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What would be a good median expectation for Williams? Ben Wallace, Clint Capela, and DeAndre Jordan are top tier projections. Obviously a bunch of DNP-CDs and washing out of the league is his low-end. What do you guys think we should expect? The Detroit version of Amir Johnson? A meth-free Birdman?
 

Eddie Jurak

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What would be a good median expectation for Williams? Ben Wallace, Clint Capela, and DeAndre Jordan are top tier projections. Obviously a bunch of DNP-CDs and washing out of the league is his low-end. What do you guys think we should expect? The Detroit version of Amir Johnson? A meth-free Birdman?
The Ringer draft guide had his comps as Capela, Jordan, and Amir.
 

TripleOT

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Not to excuse the player here, but where is RobWill's agent in all this? Why wasn't the agent with him, or one of the agent's associate with him, on draft night, getting him some pub on Boston media the night he was drafted, with a call in or skype check in, and then having him ready for the remote presser the next day? Apparently, Mike Silverman and Brandon Grier of AMG are his second agent. They represent a bunch of mid and low-level NBA player, like Dewayne Dedmon and Epke Udoh. Maybe these agents realized that Williams had a lot of flaws, and not showcasing him at the combine and not working him out for a bunch of teams was the best way to get him picked in the first round to a team that didn't work him out. Or maybe they just suck.

Everything I've learned about this rookie is he desperately needs structure. Boston has structure, so if Williams has the talent many claim he has, him failing here will be character related.