Daily Links 5/18

1, DaShaun Wood was the best player in Portsmouth and is a real sleeper in the draft.

2. So Adelman to Houston, Stan Van Gundy to Indiana. Interesting stuff from Vescey as usual.

If Cory Brewer is a true 6’9", I would strongly consider taking him at number 3. I see him as a taller, more skilled Gerald Wallace. I’ll be interested to see the measurements from Orlando though, I always thought he was about 6’7".

I would think the next 3 on Danny’s board, after Oden and Durant, would have to be Yi, Brewer, and B.Wright, in some order. Horford would tend to duplicate Jefferson’s position. Brewer would be the most proven and NBA ready of those 3. Maybe not the best long term, but the least of a gamble.

Brewer is a jump shooter. I like him too but will his “lock down defense” that good at the NBA leel that you take him at #3??

The Celtics need a PG or a Center. The two best PGs Conley and Law will be there long past 3. The best Centers after Oden, Hibbert Thabeet and Hawes, should be there as well. The players worth taking at 3 are either permiter players or PFs, both of which the Celtics have. If the Celtics get the third pick, I bet Ainge trades down to somewhere in the 5 to 10 range. I can’t see him reach for a center or PF and I can’t see ownership letting him draft an unknown project from China in the most important draft in 20 years.

The Celtics need a PG, if he’s better than Rondo, or a center, if he’s better than Perk. I don’t know for a fact that they are in this draft, with the obvious exception of Oden. I think if I’m Danny, I sit tight and take the best player available, unless someone blows me away with a trade offer.

I also said if Brewer measures out at 6’9", I would strongly consider taking him 3rd. I also would strongly consider Yi (after watching the videos of his workouts). If Brewer is 6’9", which I don’t believe, he’s the same height as Horford and only an inch below B.Wright. He would make a nice defensive/fast break unit with Rondo and Allen.

If we don’t get 1 or 2, we should take Brewer or Yi. New (2nd) Article on Yi by Ford today really gushes on the guy.

I trust Ainge’s judgement on rookies, but I really find it hard to beleive that Yi is the guy at number 3 over people like Brewer or Conley or even Hibbert. Maybe long term, but the Celtics have stank for too long and Pierce is aging too fast to wait on another project.

Hibbert and Hawes both have better offensive games the Perkins right now. Either one would be an upgrade over Perk. Conley and Law both can score and shoot, something Rondo can’t do.

I dont think Yi will be drafted in the top 8.

Most drafting mistakes are made by (1) drafting big men or drafting for need instead of taking the best player available, or (2) falling in love with an athletic workout wonder with no feel for the game.

The classic mistake in category (1) was Sam Perkins over Michael Jordan. The classic mistake in category (2) was Kedrick Brown over Richard Jefferson.

Who are the really special players? There are three of them that I can see: Oden, Durant and Conley. There may be 2-3 others (Brewer? Hawes?), but those would be guesses.

Conley is already better than West or Rondo. If you don’t get pick #1 or #2, take Conley, and trade one of the other pgs.

If you could trade down and still get Conley later in the lottery, fine. But he won’t last long, because I don’t see how teams like Milwaukee or Seattle could possibly pass on him.

“Most drafting mistakes are made by (1) drafting big men or drafting for need instead of taking the best player available, or (2) falling in love with an athletic workout wonder with no feel for the game.”

There is nothing wrong with taking a big man for need if the big man can actually play. Houston passed on Joran to but got Hakeem, so I don’t think they made a bad decision. The problem is when scouts fall in love with size and think that they can teach a big man basketball skills even when he doesn’t posses NBA level skills when he is drafted. The fact is most guards are not Michael Jordan and most Centers are not Sam Bowie. The real situation is somewhere in the middle. All things being equal, I would rather have a skilled big man than a skilled perimter player. Most NBA people agree with me. The problem arises in determining what constitutes a “skilled big man”.

I think that understanding of the game and instinctive feel for the game are “skills” that often gets lost in the drafting process. You think that they can be taught, but sometimes they really can’t be.

Players are evaluated in individual workouts or in pickup games where the coaching is incidental, guys hog the ball and the lineups are random.

I agree that a skilled big man is preferable to a skilled wing player, but not necessarily to a skilled point guard. Center (or the power forward when it’s someone like Duncan who is really a center) and point guard are the two positions that usually make or break your team. Oh sure, there are exceptions (the Jordan/Pippin Bulls) but not very many.

Brick – Well said. In fact, I would say that the natural instinct for the game can NOT be taught at any point. You either have them or you don’t. There are guys who learn to memorize situations and play hard without them, but to develop the instinct doubtfully ever happens. That is what seperates the athlete from the superstar. There are a lot of incredible athletes (like a Kedrick Brown) who get killed by much lesser athletes. I guess that is why in pick up ball I still can toy with the young guys even though I am quite a few steps slower, and quite a few inches less vertical than I used to be. (Of course referring to my paltry level of play!)

I wouldn’t be upset with Conley either, but I think I’d have to be at the 5 spot. I think Rondo can be our point of the future if we were serious about pushing the ball versus halfcourt. If that were the case I would rather have Wright or Yi, or maybe Brewer.