Daily Links 6/9

Well, I said at the outset that bringing in Blatt (or someone like him) would be far too intelligent for the urrent Celtics management. It would be completely out of character, and after all, we wouldn’t want Rivers to feel insecure.

Could Memphis be waiting on Blatt before making Wallace an offer?

The Celtic’s will have alot of options if the unconfirmed rumors are true but none bigger than finding a way for Blatt to become a part of their future. As in Nascar it starts with the right cars but without top drivers the whole system stagnates. So too with basketball….finding the right pieces and then the right “driver” to take them to the checkered flag!

I am pulling this completely out of the air, but I really think that Yi is the guy and the Celtics have promised to take him at 5. That is why he is working out against chairs and seemingly trying to have his draft stock fall. If you are Chinese you want to play for a well known American team. Maybe he likes Danny, but for whatever reason I think Yi has decided that he wants to go to Boston and is trying to keep Memphis and Atlanta from taking him. It is a total guess, but that is what my gut tells me. The good news is that if that is true, Yi must measure out pretty well and must be good enough that the Celtics are afraid that if Atlanta or Memphis sees him he will be gone.

I was glad to read that DA hasn’t shut the door on the possibility of remaining with the Celts. Given the fact he is only 21 and has zero trade value keeping him makes sense.

In fairness to Telfair he played decent in the first twenty games or so , it was obvious Doc wanted no part of him and it was all downhill from there.

The fact that Telfair might be back could be an indication that D West will be moved. The next month or so should be quite interesting.

Sorry for the typo….I’m obviously referring to Telfair .

Why is it surprising that Telfair is probably going to be here? They’re not going to cut him and eat his contract….And they’ve done a marvelous job of devaluing him.

yeah, it’s no big deal really. Telfair just wont have a nameplate on his locker, that’s all. Plus, Danny traded the Rookie of the Year for this guy, so what do we expect him to say about him. I think Telfair could come to practice in a wheelchair and Danny would say that he sees really good things in the future for him.

Wyc really pisses me off with the nameplate thing. I mean what a publicity stunt! You don’t do that unless you’re getting rid of Telfair, and now they plan on keeping him because his trade value is shot. What an idiot owner.

I agree with the point on Wyc. Isn’t Wyc supposed to be some hot-shot investment banker or something? Does he have no business sense whatsoever?

Or is he like Donald Trump, and inherited almost all of his money?

Maybe is just little ol’ me but Yi working out only against funiture and not even getting measured is starting to concern me. What is he hidding? Is he worry that when people really figures it out, Noah is the better pick?

…aahh, I know. Its probably nothing.

I think Wyc’s punishment should be to make the moves necessary to dramatically improve our franchise this year, luxury tax be damned. The whole purpose of the Telfair trade, imho, was to save the money from Raef’s last year. Now the whole thing has backfired. I really don’t know what Danny sees in Bassy, I’m missing it.

stillaceltsfan, you da man. LOL at the comment about needing to have Telfair around.

Is Danny talking Bassy up to try and increase his trade value, which was obliterated by Wyc, or does he really belive the future is bright for the man with the golden gun? I’m sure it’s both. One of the main reasons we are where we are, though, is the utter inability of management and ownership to recognize a mistake, much less learn from one. It’s breathtaking how divorced they are from reality. They have ZERO credibility as far as I’m concerned. None.

Going to be a lot of empty seats at the Garden this year boys…

orzzor said:

Wyc really pisses me off with the nameplate thing. I mean what a publicity stunt! You don’t do that unless you’re getting rid of Telfair, and now they plan on keeping him because his trade value is shot. What an idiot owner.

I’m wondering why my use of “Wycless” hasn’t caught on here (the c is pronounced like the t in "bit").

Wyc is already the 3rd worst owner (behind John Y. Brown and Thanks Dad Gaston) the C’s have had and he has only been here a few years. He is reactionary and media driven. The guy loves to see himself on tv and wants to be beloved like Bob Kraft but he hasn’t earned any of it. He should take a lesson from Kraft and just let the basketball people do their job and stay in the background. The whole Telfair nameplate thing was unprofessional and immature. A guy who has made that kind of money in business should know better.

I’ve changed my opinion on Danny’s strategey several times, to include his personal preference for a draft choice.. In what could be my final take on Danny’s strategy……

1. I firmly believe that Danny would prefer to trade out of the 5th position provided he can put together a package to obtain an impact player (Shawn Marion, Joe Johnson etc.

2. If a decent veteran trade is not available, Danny will consider trading down for multiple picks or a combination of a useful veteran (Robert Swift) plus a draft pick around 10. He may also be seeking to buy/trade for a pick around 18-20 area, or get another high second round pick.

3. If trading options are not tempting enough, Danny will select the best player available, most likely Yi. If Yi has been already taken, he will decide between Brewer and Thornton (Danny has admitted that the predraft workouts won’t change his opinion but may influence the opinion of his staff).

4. While Danny’s selection criteria will place heavy emphasis on multidimensional talent, he’ll give equal emphasis to team needs and especially size (or a player with a wide wingspan that plays larger than his size).

5. Danny will continue with his emphasis on size at 32 unless an especially talented PG is available. I don’t think that he will be content having only two picks in this draft.

6. Should Danny decide that there is considerable interest in Conley and if he’s available at 5, Conley may be the Celtic’s selection for the purpose of instigating a trade.

I agree on all points moskqq.

Chad Ford has a rumor that really has me excited. Marion for Delonte, Theo and #5. If we could get a top star like Marion without giving up GG, that would be awesome. On a side note, I think Delonte would be a total stud in Phoenix – think Diaw, Raja Bell type.

Bulls and Warriors supposedly want Yi so if he and Conley are available at #5, we should have plenty of trade options for both players.

By the way, Brewer might be the real sleeper here. I remember Florida vs Ohio State, Brewer was the best player on the court – and that court included Noah, Horford, Oden and Conley. He was a lights out shooter, athletic wing in transition and a lock-down defender. His pre-draft measurements have been terrible but so were Durant’s. Brewer was one of the best college defenders I’ve ever seen.

With Rondo, TA and Marion or Brewer, we might actually be a good defensive team!

I can’t believe some people think Yi is screwing over other teams(Atlanta/Memphis) ahead of the Celtics just to come here. Thats absolutely insane. Why would anybody ditch spots ahead of them when they get PAID MORE to get drafted higher? There’s obviously something wrong…Also, the theory that Ainge is lowering the value of his pick by only working Yi againts furniture is ridiculous. That isn’t Ainge, thats Yi, just like how Gerald green decided not to work out during the draft…Was it because he was “promised” to be picked? No, he just couldnt keep up with the competition at the time and thats why he feel to #18 while he was considered a lottery pick. Ainge has stated that he is looking to shop the pick, everyone knows it, so why on earth would any GM lower the stock on his pick?

I just cant wait to get the draft over with. All this speculation is driving me nuts. Regarding Marion, I’d be surprised if Danny moved Delonte. Danny cultivates strong allegiences to certain players. Delonte has to be one of his personal favorites.

Keep the pick!!

This comment regarding Golden State trading for the #5 pick kind of surprised me.

[/b]The tenuous nature of Boston�s rebuilding plan is something a capable front office should be able to take advantage of to acquire their draft pick for relatively cheap. [b]

What is the perception of our front office around the league? And if we are in a tenuous position in our rebuilding why would we part with a top 5 pick for next to nothing?

While rumors often have an element of truth, during posturing at draft selection time, agents have been suspected of starting those rumors for self gain.

One such rumor explaining why Yi would AVOID getting drafted at 3 or 4 dealt with the Chinese population in different cities, the size of the city and likely marketing opportunities and the probable sponsorship/endorsement opportunities (which in the case of Michael Jordan far exceeded his Bull’s salary).

 Another explanation is that Yi will whet the appetite of GM’s best by showcasing his strengths while avoiding his weaknesses. It should be obvious that a “chair” doesn’t provide the quality of physical defense that another peer might.

The teams most interested in Yi have probably already done due diligence in scouting Yi in China so Yi could only hurt his image by playing against a tougher U,S. defender than he faced overseas.

Moskqq, why the infatuation with Thornton? He is a limited player, all offense, cannot play D or pass the ball. He is what, 6’8"? It’s a stretch to say he could play the four what with said lack of defensive ability. I could see Yi due to his size and stroke, forgiving the fact that he may learn some D in maybe 3 years but why not pick someone else as an option, say Julian Wright or Jeff Green. Either one of those guys have a much more well rounded game than Thornton. I see Thornton only if we are picking at #11, if that.

I also believe that drafting Thornton at 5 would be a reach but drafting him somewhere in the 8-12 range would be more appropriate.. Thus, I was thinking more like a trade-down from 5.

My infatuation with Thornton is purely based on Danny’s liking him. Nothing more. I am pleased that he has great athleticism, a long wingspan and a warrior’s heart when he plays. I also like the fact that he has improved a great deal year-year suggesting that he has a high upside. His athleticism and wingspan also suggest that with proper coaching (he apparently has plenty of determination) his defense could become a strength.

Additionally, he has the type of NBA body to mix-it-up inside and a great vertical leap. He also has good lateral movement. Since he is older than many others, he’ll have to learn fast but his rate of year-to-year development suggests that he could improve quickly (with good coaching).

Thornton’s offensive game is somewhat advanced but he’ll need to improve that as well. Liking Thornton comes down to BELIEVING in his upside and that he could rapidly correct his weaknesses. As to his lack of assists, since he was the offense at Fl. St., and probably didn’t have others who could be relied upon to score, he didn’t pass the ball (that is a guess). As it is he shot a high percentage despite defensive attention.

Ainge said he thought Thornton was #2 offensive player in the draft. No doubt he can defense with his athleticism. Most stars don’t play it for fear of fouling out. He was #1,2,&3 option at Fla State.

Interesting trade idea for Marion, but He’d be the 3rd SF making > $12MM.

I heard Ainge liked Yi so much, he promised to take the chair in the 2nd round, so they could stay together

Vt Bill; as long as the “chair” has SIZE so we won’t have to rely on “small ball”!

Bill, I think that if the Marion trade goes down he will play the 4 for us with Al playing a lot of 5. Marion played the four at Phoenix a great deal (Nash, Bell at the guards w/Amare at 5 and James Jones at the 3). Marion plays longer than his listed height due to his long arms. I think he could handle the 4 in the east.

Moskqq, from what I heard, Thornton’s lack of assists was more due to his lack of passing vision/ability more than just his team needing him to score. Hope that is wrong if we take him. I still think Julian Wright or even Jeff Green will be excellent selections. You can’t go wrong with someone who can pass the ball well. It’s funny, we really need to get better defensively yet we seem to be highest on Yi and Thornton. Oh well, I hope Yi is worth it!

I would expect that Marion would see more time at PF than at SF, especially with Big Al at the “5”.

  Yes, taking on Marion would mean that we would have to ditch salary so that we could sign Al to a long term contract. Wally’s contract could be easily moved next year especially if he rebounded well from surgery and regained his offensive touch. Wally would then be in his contract year and provide a double benefit (offense and cap relief) to enhance his trade value.

The true test of ownwership commitment may well be tested in how they manage the luxury tax should that become an issue.

While the Celtic’s worked-out Thornton and Brewer, suggesting that the Celtic’s perhaps valued them similarly, we should not forget that Jeff Green was originally scheduled to be a part of that audition….Thus, in reality, perhaps the Celtic’s had a similar grade for Thornton, Brewer and Green. Thus Green remains a darkhorse candidate for selection at #5 (provided Yi is gone or we don’t make a trade).

I don’t know the college players. From reading the posts on this blog I get the impression that there is no “perfect” player that will be available at #5. From reading about the Orlando workouts I get the impression that Durant might not be all he’s cracked up to be. Oden seems to be the only sure thing. In posts about trades the names coming up are Marion, Lewis, and occasionally Joe Johnson. I think some of the college players may help at sometime. I don’t think any will immediately. The vets mentioned will make the team better, but I’m not sure significantly. Marion would probably be the best guy to go after, but I don’t know about the amount and length of his contract. If it’s short, will he leave when it’s up? I think the team, as is, will be better next year (if Wally and TA can get somewhat back to form). So, as far as the draft. I think we need to look for a character/energy guy. Anderson Varaju (Cavs) is the type of guy I might look for and Noah might be the one who most closely resembles him. I also think that somehow, somewhere we need a pg, preferably a vet, to back up Rondo. I don’t think DWest is the guy for that job. So I would take Noah at #5 and look for a pg thru free-agency or a mid-season trade. If that’s not likely we would need to get a lesser known pg in the 2nd round.

One other thing. Before high schoolers started to come straight to the NBA we used to look at good college programs as a starter in choosing draftees. Billy Donovan’s team seems to be one that is well-coached. They’ve performed under pressure. I think Noah’s been there 3 years. This type of team usually plays within a system and individuality is suppressed. Players that come from this type of team are usually better in the NBA than they appear to be in college. Micheal Jordan is an example of that. This may be one way for the C’s to think about it.

So telfair then might stay in Boston so Delonte can be packaged for Marion??? Hmmm. I’m a little torn on Marion coming to the C’s, it reminds me of Paul having a new and improved version of Antoine. Granted, Marion, laziness, and un-atheleticism don’t go hand-in-hand, but we do have a better and younger supporting cast than in the Pierce/Walker days.

Would the Suns take Rondo and Gerald instead of the #5, and we take conley???

Conley
Pierce
Wally
Marion
Big Al

Looks like a play-off team to me.

Did anybody notice than freudian-style slip during the end of the Ainge interview, it sure seems like Yi might be the man at #5. Did anybody else see that, am I just reading too closely?

I replayed it but didn’t really hear say that he would draft Yi. I think he said “whomever they draft”. Maybe I didn’t hear it clear enough. It very well could be Yi though. If Danny is gonna swing for the fences it has to be Yi. Not sure how Paul feels about that.

Ahh, perhaps it was overtiredness… Did anybody else give it a second play?