For all we know, Ainge has started using workouts as a smokescreen after the last two drafts of notably making “surprise” selections of guys he worked out twice.
The 2018 NBA Draft
- Thread starter HomeRunBaker
- Start date
I think it’s a fool’s errand to try to find another Marcus Smart. A defensive stopper is always useful to chase but Smart’s a really unique player in ways both good and bad. That uncanny ability to make gutsy plays when the chips are all in seems like a type of innate talent that you aren’t likely to find even if you search it out.
I don't necessarily agree that it's fools gold. Take a guy like Trae Young.....he's going to thrive in the way a Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf did in this league but he defends like him and Isaiah combined. He's your guy to fill seats and maybe become relevant so for a lottery team he fits the bill. When you're competing for championships you are drafting for need and you can never have enough tough minded and physical defensive players to fit into our system. Ainge doesn't need to hit a home run here but drafting someone capable of contributing in a limited role is extremely valuable especially on a cheap rookie contract.
You can never have enough fire power either though. No one would complain about having a Lou Williams off the bench. Even drafting that late, I think the Celtics should take the best player available and not draft for need. That doesn't necessarily mean draft the player they think will be the best in 2022 either, it could mean drafting the player who they think could contribute the most in 2018-19. They shouldn't pigeonhole themselves into finding a Marcus Smart clone if there's another player available that offers more overall value.
Those types are rarely ready to contribute or capable of seeing the floor for contenders though. Scorers need minutes for their rhythm or else your variance is huge with them only getting 1-2 shots at most during their brief stint while you give up defense/rebounding, etc. This type of player can really hurt you in a short rotation (see: Fultz in his final two playoff games last year).
This is why you see those teams drafting players who are capable of giving you second unit minutes without that variance......guys who can defend while pretty much staying out of the way offensively and maybe give you a hustle play or two during their time. The Raptors did this with Siakam, the Warriors with non-scorers Looney and Bell, and Ainge has a long history of these types of players in Big Baby/Powe in our past runs and in these past couple drafts with Ojeleye, Kadeem Allen, and Zizic. I expect that to continue this week.
Yeah, I think this is the case more than ever this year. Jevon Carter seems like the safest bet for "capable of contributing in a limited role." I just can't imagine that a guy who is capable of running a second unit, and defends and shoots like he does, won't have a role in the NBA, but with his upside limited due to age and poor measurables, he should be there at 27 even though I think he'll be ready to contribute from day one. Jalen Brunson certainly can make a case as that guy, with Kenrich Williams or Bates-Diop if you're looking for more size, and they may be available as well, but after the top 16 or so guys, this draft has a deep pool of guys that I find pretty interesting in differing aspects in terms of upside, but hard to sort.
If the 16 guys I'm thinking of are all gone (and hopefully Holiday and Jerome Robinson too), that means one of the following guys will be available: Melton (my pipe dream, but shouldn't last), Bruce Brown, Troy Brown Jr., Okogie, Huerter, Divincenzo, Okobo, Melvin Frazier, Mitchell Robinson, Anfernee Simons. A couple of those guys may be close to contributing, but the odds of hitting the upside for them has to be higher for a team with championship aspirations (and fewer developmental minutes) to justify taking them over a guy like Carter (or Brunson or your preferred high-floor/low ceiling guy) is good bet to be a valuable contract for that championship window. Maybe a guy like Jacob Evans is the happy medium here.
Article about Jevon Carter: https://247sports.com/college/west-virginia/Article/ESPN-Doubles-Down-on-Jevon-Carter-in-the-NBA-119114272/
Yeah, but that's usually because the players who can create their own shots are already gone by the time those players are drafted. You aren't wrong though, they do generally take a little while longer to consistently contribute but you don't pass up on a Kyle Kuzma at 27 because he doesn't play defense. On the right team and the right scheme, you can even lessen the damage a Kyle Kuzma does on defense.
I think we can all agree that they aren't going to take a project though, unless someone drops like 15 spots. They are going to take someone they think can contribute right away.
Timely! Interesting in that the ESPN piece if references draws conclusions that are pretty much the opposite of what I thought- they peg his ceiling as relatively high, but have his bust potential high as well.
I know we don't (currently) have a 2nd rounder, but here's a Ringer article about 2 top recruits that got lost a bit in the shuffle and could be steals.
https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/6/19/17477014/jarred-vanderbilt-malik-newman-nba-draft-second-round-steals
https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/6/19/17477014/jarred-vanderbilt-malik-newman-nba-draft-second-round-steals
You can usually buy second rounders from teams who are cheap and/or overloaded with young prospects and running out of roster spots to fit them. Do the Hawks really need #34 after picking #3, #19, and #30? And what's Philly going to do with #10, #26, #38, #39, #56 and #60?
Needless to say, the Warriors are apparently sniffing around the second round once again...
Needless to say, the Warriors are apparently sniffing around the second round once again...
Possible second round targets (assuming there's any truth to the rumormongering about Boston being interested in buying a #2). These are all guys rated in the 25-50 range of the draft (since projected late first rounders regularly slip into the second).
I've already discussed Omari Spellman, so I'll spare you another recitation. I'm not wild about Grayson Allen, except as a possible long-term Rozier replacement, but you can put him on as implied on the list below.
Aside from that these are guys that I've seen (mostly) linked to Boston or that fit a known draft habit. I've seen nothing linking them to Frazier, but I really like him so I'm putting him there. I've seen no evidence that Jarred Vanderbilt has worked out for Boston, but rumors that they are interested in him, so he's included. I have De'Anthony Melton here only because he fits another Ainge draft-type, guys highly rated in high school that didn't pan out for one reason or another.
I've already discussed Omari Spellman, so I'll spare you another recitation. I'm not wild about Grayson Allen, except as a possible long-term Rozier replacement, but you can put him on as implied on the list below.
Aside from that these are guys that I've seen (mostly) linked to Boston or that fit a known draft habit. I've seen nothing linking them to Frazier, but I really like him so I'm putting him there. I've seen no evidence that Jarred Vanderbilt has worked out for Boston, but rumors that they are interested in him, so he's included. I have De'Anthony Melton here only because he fits another Ainge draft-type, guys highly rated in high school that didn't pan out for one reason or another.
- Jacob Evans- Cincinnati: The good, he's got a good package of size and length, solid three point shooter and FT shooter. Aggressive defender. The bad? The release point on the jumper's low, so he's strictly an other guy on the floor level offensive player. Not much of a dribbler or finisher. Quickness isn't the best either. Still projectable as a rotation wing.
- Melvin Frazier- Tulane: A personal favorite of mine. The Good? 6'6" with a 7'2" wingspan and an 8'9" standing reach. Really busts ass on the court with a lot of untapped defensive potential with that insane length. Also a really good shooter that profiles as a Robert Covington type. The bad? He dribbles like a white man on heroin (OK, maybe not quite that bad, but still ...). He's also about to turn 22, is still pretty slight (195-200 tops), and doesn't have a lot of physical projection left. Get him to 215-220 and he's a valuable rotation player. If he could dribble he'd be a quality starter.
- De'Anthony Melton- USC: An early casualty of the post-Pitino NCAA clean-up. The Good? Avery Bradley v2.0. The bad? Avery Bradley v2.0. Right down to the handle. His handle's a little better than Avery, but still not very good.
- Josh Okogie- Georgia Tech: The good, he's a really hard nosed defensive guard that's a little longer than Marcus Smart (though he lacks the bulk). The Bad? Takes a lot of terrible shots. He could develop, long term, into a 3 & D guy, he's a good three point shooter at the college level and certainly shoots free throws well. But he has a weird, low release on the jumpshot which means that he may need to rebuild it in the NBA. If he fixes the shot though (which I'm skeptical of), he could be a really valuable rotation player
- Billy Preston- Points Unknown: The good, a prototypical modern big Long and athletic, his standing reach and size mean that he should be able to play center, while still being athletic enough to handle switches (his lane agility times at the combine were pretty good). The bad? He's the International Man of Mystery™ after a car accident in a car of suspicious (read, supplied by a KU booster) origin triggered an NCAA investigation. Which was closed when he fled for the Bosnian League. Which he left after three games. He was considered a first round talent, though. But he cetrainly fits the Ainge pattern of looking for high school all-americans in the second round.
- Jarred Vanderbilt- Kentucky: The good? Insanely long wing (7'1" wingspan 9' standing reach) that explodes off the floor and has great anticipation when the ball bounces off the rim (he's going to be a 6'8" Avery Bradley in this regard). The bad? His shots so rarely find the hole that it will be a miracle if he ever fathers kids. His shooting form is so bad that even Aaron Gordon looks away in horror when he shoots the ball. There is a greater than zero chance that he one day develops into a merely bad shooter, but I wouldn't count on it.
- Kenrich Williams- TCU: The good, another really long wing that fits in with the modern game. He profiles well as a 3&D guy due to his tenacity on defense and his ability to knock down open threes. The bad? He's pushing 24, still needs to fill out more, mediocre ball handler, and not much of a shooter off the bounce or even on tough spot up threes.
When I put together my second round list originally, I originally had them on it, but I can't find that either has worked out for Boston and I don't like either as much as Melton or Frazier, so I pulled them off. Although Diallo, especially, fits the Ainge type of high school all-americans gone awry.
Could Jaylen be in play to move up?
What would a Package built around Jaylen+ Celts draft pick and or the Clippers pick Get?
Say Jaylen +Celts first rounder this year + Clippers 2019 Pick for the 4/5/6 This year.
Would that be enough?
We would need to replace Jaylen at some point for the future (Hayward replaces him short term). But we get a Quality Big and push the Salary cap Crunch a year or 2 further down the road.
Starters of KI,GH,Tatum, Horford and Baynes/" Big ManPick".
Resign Smart and let Morris and Rozier bomb away while the rest of the second unit play hellacious defense for 20 mins a game.
Tatum/Big Man/Grizz21 becomes the new core after KI, GH and Big Al retire or move on.
I really like Jaylen but it just seems that quality G/F Wings are easier to find then big men (except maybe THIS year), especially within the 2019 draft class.
What would a Package built around Jaylen+ Celts draft pick and or the Clippers pick Get?
Say Jaylen +Celts first rounder this year + Clippers 2019 Pick for the 4/5/6 This year.
Would that be enough?
We would need to replace Jaylen at some point for the future (Hayward replaces him short term). But we get a Quality Big and push the Salary cap Crunch a year or 2 further down the road.
Starters of KI,GH,Tatum, Horford and Baynes/" Big ManPick".
Resign Smart and let Morris and Rozier bomb away while the rest of the second unit play hellacious defense for 20 mins a game.
Tatum/Big Man/Grizz21 becomes the new core after KI, GH and Big Al retire or move on.
I really like Jaylen but it just seems that quality G/F Wings are easier to find then big men (except maybe THIS year), especially within the 2019 draft class.
I'd think that Danny would REALLY have to love one of the Bamba/Bagley/Jackson trio to consider moving Jaylen for one of them.
I think Jaylen alone gets you #4 from Memphis. Probably #6 from Orlando for that matter. Atlanta would also kill for a player like Jaylen.
I'd rather not trade Jaylen at all, but definitely not for another draft pick. We are contenders.
Great summary. I think I'm pretty much on the Evans/Frazier wagon, too (for the Warriors), from the clips I've seen and blurbs I've read. I found this take on Frazier and his fit for the Warriors particularly amusing...
"Though Frazier’s true shooting percentage as a junior last season was 63.1, with 38.5 from deep, most scouting reports are tepid about his offense but rave about his defense — on the ball and in space. Though at least one mock draft compared him to McCaw, Frazier sets himself apart with superior length and 40-inch vertical leap."
https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/warriors/compared-kawhi-leonard-tulane-wing-melvin-frazier-fits-warriors-desire-nba-draft
So … despite the fact that he's an excellent shooter, he’s also a fantastic defender with great length and athleticism? Call me crazy, but I can live with those trade-offs, on balance.
I was thinking Atlanta myself. Jaylen is a Georgia boy and they could really use a guy like him. #3 gives you your chance at any of the bigs or even potentially a shot at Doncic. Not sure if I’d do it because this team is built to win now but there is some merit to the idea of getting your future big in 2018 and then using your cache of 2019 picks to backfill Jaylen on the wing.
Ultimately, I doubt I would do it because Jaylen is a sure thing whereas these picks in 3-6 range are all unproven.
I'd be interested to see the method used to come to this conclusion as well and how do they define a "bust?" I'm not a huge Carter guy so to me the 8% All-Star is laughable but he has a real good chance to bounce around the league for a decade.
Jackson's defense lapses and bonehead passes wouldn't seem like an Ainge/Stevens/Niednagel type of pick.
Wait, am I losing my mind here?
People are suggesting trading Jaylen Brown for a pick like #3, #4 #5 or even #6?!?! Someone even suggested ADDING assets to Brown to get one of those picks?
Do you realize Jaylen Brown was drafted #3 right? And that he's greatly exceeded expectations so far?
This is the classic draft hype. Every year, there's a ton of coverage for the NBA draft and players get hyped up beyond belief.
I'm not saying high draft picks aren't important, in fact they're vital to winning in the NBA. But remember, that Jaylen Brown was a high draft pick as well. His ceiling is just as high, if not higher than any of these guys. He's 21 years old and just scored 18 ppg in the playoffs with great defense.
I'm not trading Jaylen Brown for the #1 overall pick in this draft, and it's not even close.
And I'm someone who would definitely be willing to trade Brown for Kawhi if Kawhi would sign an extension. Trading Brown for a draft pick straight up is insanity
People are suggesting trading Jaylen Brown for a pick like #3, #4 #5 or even #6?!?! Someone even suggested ADDING assets to Brown to get one of those picks?
Do you realize Jaylen Brown was drafted #3 right? And that he's greatly exceeded expectations so far?
This is the classic draft hype. Every year, there's a ton of coverage for the NBA draft and players get hyped up beyond belief.
I'm not saying high draft picks aren't important, in fact they're vital to winning in the NBA. But remember, that Jaylen Brown was a high draft pick as well. His ceiling is just as high, if not higher than any of these guys. He's 21 years old and just scored 18 ppg in the playoffs with great defense.
I'm not trading Jaylen Brown for the #1 overall pick in this draft, and it's not even close.
And I'm someone who would definitely be willing to trade Brown for Kawhi if Kawhi would sign an extension. Trading Brown for a draft pick straight up is insanity
Agreed... in fact, I'd think Atlanta would have to throw in -more- to the pick, since Jaylen's a 'proven' young player whose upside is still growing.
I'm just not sure how much you'd have to throw in to make it worthwhile to Boston so they can contend now too.
Some quick thoughts as the draft approaches:
- I don't really know what Luka Doncic has done up to this point to lose the consensus #1 pick label. I have very little doubt that right now Doncic is a better basketball player than Ayton and he continues to shine playing basketball against professionals. The resume for what he has accomplished up until this point is just so much thicker than Ayton's, and he is younger than Ayton. I know Ayton has a great physical profile and put up big numbers in college; but I don't see him as a superior prospect than Doncic, who was arguably the best non-NBA player in the world as a teenager this year. I also think a huge part of this is that in today's NBA it's just better to have a versatile wing that can do it all than having a talented big man.
- The glut of big men in the top five makes this one of the more interesting drafts in recent memory. The big four all have their strengths and weaknesses; and you could make a case for any of them over the other. I honestly can't rank Ayton/Jackson/Bagley/Bamba in a definitive way. I'd argue that Bamba has the highest floor and least-bust potential of the four; but also probably the lowest ceiling. Ayton's motor scares me a little bit, but probably has the most upside. It's going to be fascinating to see these guys develop over the next four years.
- If he has proven to teams that his back isn't going to be an issue...and I don't really know how you can ever be sure of that; Porter could be the best player in the draft. His size and smooth, inside-outside offensive game are very intriguing to me and I thought he was the best of the college freshman heading into this season. To me, his ceiling for his rookie year is like Jayson Tatum but bigger. If he goes to Memphis at #4, a team with real offensive fulcrums, he is going to shine.
- Trae Young is probably the most interesting player in the draft from a boom/bust perspective. A scenario exists that within a few years he is as effective as Steph Curry or he is as effective as Jose Calderon. He is a good enough shooter that he can warp the defense around him and create for others. He was an elite playmaker in college and NBA teammates will hopefully heighten his playmaking ability. The knocks are him are that he is a defensive liability and needs to have the ball in his hands all the time. The defensive liabilities don't really scare me; if he can score the basketball he'll get away with being a bad defender; just like James Harden, Damian Lillard, Steph Curry, Kemba Walker, and a bunch of other guys are. If he HAS to be an Alpha guy on the court at all times; that may be an issue.
- I don't really know what Luka Doncic has done up to this point to lose the consensus #1 pick label. I have very little doubt that right now Doncic is a better basketball player than Ayton and he continues to shine playing basketball against professionals. The resume for what he has accomplished up until this point is just so much thicker than Ayton's, and he is younger than Ayton. I know Ayton has a great physical profile and put up big numbers in college; but I don't see him as a superior prospect than Doncic, who was arguably the best non-NBA player in the world as a teenager this year. I also think a huge part of this is that in today's NBA it's just better to have a versatile wing that can do it all than having a talented big man.
- The glut of big men in the top five makes this one of the more interesting drafts in recent memory. The big four all have their strengths and weaknesses; and you could make a case for any of them over the other. I honestly can't rank Ayton/Jackson/Bagley/Bamba in a definitive way. I'd argue that Bamba has the highest floor and least-bust potential of the four; but also probably the lowest ceiling. Ayton's motor scares me a little bit, but probably has the most upside. It's going to be fascinating to see these guys develop over the next four years.
- If he has proven to teams that his back isn't going to be an issue...and I don't really know how you can ever be sure of that; Porter could be the best player in the draft. His size and smooth, inside-outside offensive game are very intriguing to me and I thought he was the best of the college freshman heading into this season. To me, his ceiling for his rookie year is like Jayson Tatum but bigger. If he goes to Memphis at #4, a team with real offensive fulcrums, he is going to shine.
- Trae Young is probably the most interesting player in the draft from a boom/bust perspective. A scenario exists that within a few years he is as effective as Steph Curry or he is as effective as Jose Calderon. He is a good enough shooter that he can warp the defense around him and create for others. He was an elite playmaker in college and NBA teammates will hopefully heighten his playmaking ability. The knocks are him are that he is a defensive liability and needs to have the ball in his hands all the time. The defensive liabilities don't really scare me; if he can score the basketball he'll get away with being a bad defender; just like James Harden, Damian Lillard, Steph Curry, Kemba Walker, and a bunch of other guys are. If he HAS to be an Alpha guy on the court at all times; that may be an issue.
It's the dribbling, his handle is unbelievably bad for someone that old.So … despite the fact that he's an excellent shooter, he’s also a fantastic defender with great length and athleticism? Call me crazy, but I can live with those trade-offs, on balance.
While I completely agree that trading Brown for #3 this year is crazy, the notion that this year is just like last year and the year before is not accurate. This is clearly not a normal year in terms of depth of top tier talent going into the draft. Maybe that’s not exactly what you’re saying but it’s a sentiment that keeps being repeated by some so it’s not clear to me.
Edit: if I’m being honest, if you told me that we could get #1 for Jaylen, I have to think long and hard about that,
Yup. I think the simple reality is that there is no reason to trade Jaylen unless the great white whale from New Orleans emerges. A Jaylen for #3/#19 deal is reasonable from a pure value standpoint but it doesn't make sense for the Celtics. I would love to leverage the Sac pick and, say, Rozier for a top 6-7 pick this year but that doesn't seem plausible.
I'm with you. I could see Rozier and picks to move up, but only if we get into the top 5 or so. No way I'm trading Brown for picks. Not sure I'd include him in a package for Leonard given the number of uncertainties around KL.
Yeah, there's a really practical reason for considering Jaylen untouchable (and a reason that I wouldn't deal him for anyone in this draft pool). Namely that he's all about networking with the current generation entering the NBA and he's so good that when the Horford/Hayward/Irving group ages out/leaves, he's going to be the guy that recruits others to Boston's cause. Guys that good and that networked you don't deal unless the player available is someone like the Unibrower.
Another draft nugget......the @celtics are aggressively pursuing a trade up and are targeting Luka Doncic. There is some competition from other teams looking to move up for him too.
FWIW, this account is followed by a big number of reputable basketball writers and has over 17,000 followers overall.
Yes, the Fatal flaw is that Jaylen has a pretty high floor as it is and any of these guys are still a crap shoot.
Though the idea of Doncic slotting in to replace Jaylen is interesting. Does nothing for the "Big Now, Wing Later" argument but interesting none the less.
If Jaylen was gone is KI, Smart, GH,Tatum, Al still a strong contender??
Though the idea of Doncic slotting in to replace Jaylen is interesting. Does nothing for the "Big Now, Wing Later" argument but interesting none the less.
If Jaylen was gone is KI, Smart, GH,Tatum, Al still a strong contender??
I addressed that in the post. It looks like there is credibility to that handle due to the vast number of credible basketball people that follow it. From the bio, it looks like a guy that worked for Chris Sheridan's former website.
Interesting thought.
I am not saying they SHOULD do this. I just wonder if because of this drafts talent pool if its a viable idea.
It might be just as you all say. Jalen is too good, and has too many intangibles to make this a net positive.
I am really hoping the Celts grab Donte Divincenzo (even if slight trade up is needed). He shooting, defense, and competitiveness would fit perfectly coming off the bench next year and I think he's going to shock some people when he gets an opportunity for starter minutes.
Well, he thinks the Celtics offer for Kawhi would be Hayward or Irving AND Brown AND a pick.
Makes sense. Of course, that weakness is somewhat minimized on the Warriors, who are loaded with ballhandlers and passers but comparatively thin in reliable catch-and-shoot guys outside of the three obvious ones (especially with Swaggy likely to move on).
How hot they are on Frazier also be a function of who they target with the MLE — if they snag a pure catch-and-shoot guy like Joe Harris, maybe they look for more of a creator at #28 (Khyri Thomas, Grayson Allen, Melton, Evans, e.g.)
Is there any advantage to leaking you’re trying to move up for the wrong player? Perhaps to stop other teams from trying to foil your attempt to steal their binky?
Just thinking out loud.
My only remote interest in trading up is if they're able to consolidate future picks + maybe Rozier to do so. Ainge hasn't been cultivating a team of elite wings to trade the cheapest one for a rookie in a go-for-it year.
What if Doncic can't defend? What if his shot isn't squared away yet? What if any of the bigs take the requisite amount of time it takes for pretty much all bigs to develop? Wouldn't be ideal to get to the Finals and realize "Oh, they're really picking on Rookie X, it's a shame we don't have another long, strong, athletic wing out there instead."
This is a terrible idea unless the only assets on the table are future lotto tickets. Maybe Memphis really wants the Jeff Green pick back. Otherwise, forget it.
What if Doncic can't defend? What if his shot isn't squared away yet? What if any of the bigs take the requisite amount of time it takes for pretty much all bigs to develop? Wouldn't be ideal to get to the Finals and realize "Oh, they're really picking on Rookie X, it's a shame we don't have another long, strong, athletic wing out there instead."
This is a terrible idea unless the only assets on the table are future lotto tickets. Maybe Memphis really wants the Jeff Green pick back. Otherwise, forget it.
I totally agree that the current roster should be off limits (save Rozier) for a trade into the top of the draft. If Danny isn't sold on Sacramento and Memphis being terrible, Doncic, or one of the bigs, fills a nice long term gap. Five years from now, a 'big 3' of someone this year + JT + JB is mighty appealing. Oh and we're also really freaking good for the next couple of years too.
Just to muddy the waters, I guess. My bigger point is that Danny is like the anti-Dombrowski, in that he rarely shows his hand until he plays it.
From what I've gleaned from the talking heads, it seems to be a combo of (1) a perceived limited upside due to lack of explosive athleticism and crazy length; and (2) lack of an exact NBA comp who people can squint and imagine him becoming. Ayton could be .... Hakeem meets the Brow! Doncic could be ... well, since "comps" are forbidden to cross racial lines, I guess Manu?
I mean, Manu's actually a pretty exciting comp — I consider him the best shooting guard since Jordan, on a per minute basis anyway — but I'm not sure the average NBA scout would share my ranking. For me, yeah, if you can get a taller, slightly more rugged, age 20 Manu, that's an absolute home run of a #1 pick.
Last edited:
I think the reality is that while Tatum is basically 99% untradeable, Jaylen is probably like 95%. Ainge isn't trading him unless it's part of a major move for a star. He already won the lottery game and sure he's perfectly fine taking a year off. With that said, I'm sure he's deal hunting and is doing his due diligence to gauge the cost of a top 2-6 pick. The real X factor here is what our internal projections are for the Sac 2019 and Mem 2019-2021 picks.
Right. I meant that this would only be necessary if word of the Celtics moving up had already gotten out among the other teams somehow.
It's a long shot. I just like making the game theory more complex than it is in reality
I've heard the Harden comp for Doncic; given his size and strength and his excellent vision. The athleticism critiques are repetitive every year. In the draft there are always some players who are complete athletic freaks and everyone else that isn't sporting a 40' vertical is evaluated as being not-quite-athletic-enough. Last year people said that about Jayson Tatum and lo-and-behold the guy was clearly athletic enough to be an NBA player.
Rozier's trade value is probably at the highest it will ever be as a Celtic. And at this point, it would make a lot of sense for Ainge to figure out what they can get for their Kings/Memphis/LAC picks.
Brown isn't going anywhere unless he nets them one of the top 2 picks in this draft, and even then it may only be if Ainge feels he can flip that pick for a current star (which seems unlikely).
Brown isn't going anywhere unless he nets them one of the top 2 picks in this draft, and even then it may only be if Ainge feels he can flip that pick for a current star (which seems unlikely).
Doncic still seems like the only sure thing in this draft. There are 6 or 7 other really interesting guys at the top, but they seem to be more heavily concentrated in the boom/bust variety than normal. Plus it's mostly bigs when those players are out of vogue. I wouldn't want to be a GM drafting in the top 8 this year; too many landmines to navigate.