with the 3rd pick in the NBA Draft...

[Boston Boxer]

the Boston Celtics select, Jamal Murray, G, University of Kentucky

we need someone who can shoot and this kid can shoot.

 

[DarrylS]

Despite the dire predictions of sports talk radio, they got what they deserved.

Difficult to believe that they have 4 of the first 31 pix in this draft, and 4 after that.. a whole lot of "draft capitol" for Ainge to play with. Some of the capitol will be parlayed into future pix.

Do they go inside or do they go to someone like Hield or Chris Dunn?? They do need offense.. stay tuned. Celtics are getting fun again.

 

[borg]

Thanks for starting a fresh thread….this topic deserves its own space. I'm continuing my draft thoughts ….

Dunn wouldn't be someone for the Cs. I liked Tim Walsh's suggestion that the Cs trade the pick to the Sixers for Okafor. The Sixers supposedly love Dunn, need a guard badly, and that would give them Simmons and Dunn coming out of the draft. Embid is supposed to be back this season, so they're kind of buried in big men.

I saw that same trade scenario mentioned last night. We know the C's discussed Okafor at the trade deadline a few months ago but Philly didn't pull the trigger, likely waiting to see how the draft shook out. Now that Philly is in control….hmmmm.
Having only watched glimpses of both Okafor and Embid, I'm puzzled by Philly's apparent greater love for Embid. Physically, he has a lot of loose parts heading in different directions when he plays yet Philly prefers him. Is Okafor that much of an immature knucklehead that they want to run away from him after one year?
Given Philly's perpetual sucktitude and the fact that the league stepped in last year and basically inserted Colangelo to force Philly to start trying to win, Philly is under pressure to finally turn their excess of quality parts into a functional team…….and I'd do Okafor for #3 in a nanosecond. He fills the C's biggest need, size in the paint and his rookie contract is like having a free player. Looking at the 4 semifinalist teams, all were built through their team drafts for the most part (though Lebron wandered for a bit).
If Dunn is considered a #3……then this draft must suck because Dunn can't shoot, despite 2-3 more years of college seasoning than other lottery type prospects and that should raise a flag on the kid's upside.
#3 for Okafor….then reassess. Would Okafor be a better bargaining chip….to say a team like Sacramento who might be willing to swap big men?
All I know is that the C's have no paint presence and playoff teams like Cleveland and Atlanta owned the boards vs Boston. Tough to win when you get destroyed in the rebound column and can't shoot. Veteran shooters can be had in FA, not effective big men. And a healthy Bradley alleviates some of the pressure to secure an outside jump shooter. Big man is a must IMO.

 

[borg]

Bill Simmons was on Toucher and Rich yesterday AM saying forget about any big name trades like Durant or Butler……….but he expects a close to even up swap for Okafor using #3. (toss in a half dozen #2's to make Philly feel special)

 

[rochrist]

Just watched a 12 minute scouting tape on Bender. I'm sold. He offers things this team desperately needs. Did anyone realize he played his first game as a professional at the age of 14.

 

[IcyPatriot]

I like Bender as a pick ...

Then I would do what's needed to trade up and grab Ellenson or Poeltl or Labissiere and call it a day for the high end picks.

Celtics could possibly trade marcus smart to the Bucks to get pick 10 and still have their other 2 first round picks to package and grab a shooter.

Celtics need a center / rim protector badly or they are not going anywhere.

 

[captain insano]

i don't like picking bender at 3. he's a project and a gamble. he won't be able to do anything for the team for a couple of years. when you are picking at 3 overall you should at least get somebody who is ready to play now.

 

[Kontradiction]

You guys aren't liking Buddy Hield for that pick? He seems like the natural scorer that the Celtics need.

 

[captain insano]

You guys aren't liking Buddy Hield for that pick? He seems like the natural scorer that the Celtics need.

i want them to pick the best player available. even if it's another guard. no projects please. save the projects for later in the draft. in a good draft class you could count on getting a nba ready player with the third pick. hopefully they trade out of the pick. i would rather have hield over bender.

 

[rochrist]

I don't think he's as much of a project as people are making out. He needs to pick up some weight and strength, but he clearly has a high level understanding of how to play, both offensive and defensively. He's absolutely a rim protector. He's fast, extemely agile and can shoot. What's not to like? I don't think he's a gamble at all. What I don't want is to draft somebody at 16 or 23 to be our quote 'rim protector' who can't play. Heild is a great shooter, but he's short for a shooting guard, can't play pg, and is challenged on defense which means he'd struggle to get minutes behind Bradley. There's a reason Bender has been the consensus third pick for months and there's a reason he's was playing PRO ball at age 14.

 

[captain insano]

I don't think he's as much of a project as people are making out. He needs to pick up some weight and strength, but he clearly has a high level understanding of how to play, both offensive and defensively. He's absolutely a rim protector. He's fast, extemely agile and can shoot. What's not to like? I don't think he's a gamble at all. What I don't want is to draft somebody at 16 or 23 to be our quote 'rim protector' who can't play. Heild is a great shooter, but he's short for a shooting guard, can't play pg, and is challenged on defense which means he'd struggle to get minutes behind Bradley. There's a reason Bender has been the consensus third pick for months and there's a reason he's was playing PRO ball at age 14.

hes a bench player. how do you have any idea he has a high level of understanding anything? by playing in Israel? watching a utube video? he cant even start over there. if hes so good why does he ride the bench? he's 18, he is most definitely a project and a gamble. hes supposed to be a three-point shooter and averages less than 6 points per game according to the stats i provided. maybe you can find some other statistical data that supports your argument. i would like to see them. you like the guy. that's fine but please don't tell me he's not a project or a gamble because he is. and he is not the consensus third rd pick. there are plenty of nba people who share my opinion on him. and there are some that agree with you. that isn't a consensus anything.
Israel Basketball | 2015-16 Season | Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv | Dragan Bender

 

[IcyPatriot]

You guys aren't liking Buddy Hield for that pick? He seems like the natural scorer that the Celtics need.

Already have Thomas who cannot play defense ... how could Hield and Thomas ( 2 guards) ever be on the floor at the same time?
Hield is a great scorer ... do not see how he fits in Steven's scheme.

 

[rochrist]

hes a bench player. how do you have any idea he has a high level of understanding anything? by playing in Israel? watching a utube video? he cant even start over there. if hes so good why does he ride the bench? hes 18, he his most definitely a project and a gamble. hes supposed to be a three-point shooter and averages less than 6 points per game according to the stats i provided. maybe you can find some other statistical data that supports your argument. i would like to see them. you like the guy. that's fine but please don't tell me he's not a project or a gamble because he is. and he is not the consensus third rd pick. there are plenty of nba people who share my opinion on him. and there are some that agree with you. that isn't a consensus anything.
Israel Basketball | 2015-16 Season | Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv | Dragan Bender

He rides the bench because a) he's an 18 year old playing in a league made up of mid-20s-30 year olds, and B) because they know he's leaving for the NBA so they have no interest in developing him. The video I watched was not just a youtube video, it was one of those scouting videos done by guys who make it their business. Have you actually looked at it?

 

[captain insano]

He rides the bench because a) he's an 18 year old playing in a league made up of mid-20s-30 year olds, and B) because they know he's leaving for the NBA so they have no interest in developing him. The video I watched was not just a youtube video, it was one of those scouting videos done by guys who make it their business. Have you actually looked at it?

hes a good player. im not saying he isn't. a case can be made to take the guy and to not take the guy. there is no consensus on him that's for sure. the consensus is its a two player draft. but don't tell me he's not a project or a risk. that's all I'm saying. you said he has a high level of understanding. that's ridiculous. you know this how? from watching his scouting video playing against sub-par competition? cmon you are exaggerating to make your case. and if he's to young to start over there then he's to young to start over here. he's a young player playing in the international league. that screams risk and project. if they draft him there's a good chance he doesn't even come to the states in a year or two. for me that's not what I'm looking for with the third over all pick in the draft. any other draft he goes in the middle of the first rd

 

[captain insano]

Already have Thomas who cannot play defense ... how could Hield and Thomas ( 2 guards) ever be on the floor at the same time?
Hield is a great scorer ... do not see how he fits in Steven's scheme.

Thompson and curry are on the floor at the same time. they will figure it out. thomas plays the point buddy plays the 2 and launches bombs.

 

[rochrist]

hes a good player. im not saying he isn't. a case can be made to take the guy and to not take the guy. there is no consensus on him that's for sure. the consensus is its a two player draft. but don't tell me he's not a project or a risk. that's all I'm saying. you said he has a high level of understanding. that's ridiculous. you know this how? from watching his scouting video playing against sub-par competition? cmon you are exaggerating to make your case. and if he's to young to start over there then he's to young to start over here. he's a young player playing in the international league. that screams risk and project. if they draft him there's a good chance he doesn't even come to the states in a year or two. for me that's not what I'm looking for with the third over all pick in the draft. any other draft he goes in the middle of the first rd

Actually, that's supposed to be a very good league, but no, I got it from the scouts who evaluated him. Plus the tape. As for consensus, I've looked at every single mock draft I've been able to find and he's been third in the vast majority of them, and when he isn't third, he's fourth. There's certainly a lot more consensus for him at 3 than these is Heild at 3. Of course there's risk, but that's how you get franchise players when you have the 3rd pick. A 6'4" SG is not going to be a franchise player.

Edit: Any other draft? If you're implying that this is a historically week draft, that would be wrong. It's not an overwhelming loaded one, but there are considered to be a number of viable players in the top 12.

 

[captain insano]

Actually, that's supposed to be a very good league, but no, I got it from the scouts who evaluated him. Plus the tape. As for consensus, I've looked at every single mock draft I've been able to find and he's been third in the vast majority of them, and when he isn't third, he's fourth. There's certainly a lot more consensus for him at 3 than these is Heild at 3. Of course there's risk, but that's how you get franchise players when you have the 3rd pick. A 6'4" SG is not going to be a franchise player.

Edit: Any other draft? If you're implying that this is a historically week draft, that would be wrong. It's not an overwhelming loaded one, but there are considered to be a number of viable players in the top 12.

its not as good as division 1a college programs. if it was all the teams would be drafting from that league a lot more often.everybody I've listened to said the draft is a two player draft. after the first two its anybody's guess. that's why everybody was so disappointed they didnt get in the top two picks. there is no bender consensus at 3. and i never said heild was a consensus anything. i said i would take him over bender. big difference. i didn't imply it was historically weak. there you go exaggerating again. its a weak draft and there is a consensus on that. at least i got you to admit there's risk. there's a lot more risk drafting a player from the international league. the fact that there is risk taking bender at three illustrates the weakness of this years draft. most years the number three pick is a player who can come in and start year one. you build championship contending teams by drafting the best player available. not drafting to fill needs. bill Belichick will tell you that.

 

[rochrist]

its not as good as division 1a college programs. if it was all the teams would be drafting from that league a lot more often.everybody I've listened to said the draft is a two player draft. after the first two its anybody's guess. that's why everybody was so disappointed they didnt get in the top two picks. there is no bender consensus at 3. and i never said heild was a consensus anything. i said i would take him over bender. big difference. i didn't imply it was historically weak. there you go exaggerating again. its a week draft and there is a consensus on that. at least i got you to admit there's risk. there's a lot more risk drafting a player from the international league. the fact that there is risk taking bender at three illustrates the weakness of this years draft. most years the number three pick is a player who can come in and start year one. you build championship contending teams by drafting the best player available. not drafting to fill needs. bill Belichick will tell you that.

I don't get this notion that there's no consensus on him. I'm willing to be that 95 percent+ of the mock drafts have him going 3. Yes, the best player. It's my opinion that Bender will turn out to be the best player (certainly when you take into account that he's 7' tall, 7 footers with his skill level are extremely hard to come by, 6' 4" SGs? Not so much).
We'll see. You're certainly allowed to your opinion, as am I. After all our back and forth, they're probably trade the pick. I hope not though. I'd rather build it the old fashioned way.

 

[captain insano]

I don't get this notion that there's no consensus on him. I'm willing to be that 95 percent+ of the mock drafts have him going 3. Yes, the best player. It's my opinion that Bender will turn out to be the best player (certainly when you take into account that he's 7' tall, 7 footers with his skill level are extremely hard to come by, 6' 4" SGs? Not so much).
We'll see. You're certainly allowed to your opinion, as am I. After all our back and forth, they're probably trade the pick. I hope not though. I'd rather build it the old fashioned way.

maybe you are reading and hearing different things on the draft then i am and on bender. you could very well be right on bender. he could turn out to be great who knows and he could go at 3. i think its 50 50. i think great players no matter what the position are very hard to find. are there lots of guards? absolutely. is there a lot of guards that shoot like curry and thompson. no. i want a player that can shoot 40 percent from three point line with range. i don't care if they trade out of three. i just want them to make the right choice on who they trade for. they have so many picks. they can do almost anything. they might trade out of three make a trade then move back up the draft with their other picks.

 

[rochrist]

Supposedly, the Lakers are considering taking Bender at 2.
(BTW, I don't think Ingram is going to be doing much for at least a year. That kid is so skinny he's lucky he doesn't float away!)