30Q: Does Luke Harangody Have A Role?
by Jeff Clark on Sep 8, 2010 9:53 PM EDT
in Boston Celtics Articles
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PrintDanny Ainge has a knack for finding guys in the 2nd round that out-perform their draft position. Luke Harangody was a star in college but seemed to have limited upside potential, so he was available for Danny with the 52nd pick. Then he proved in the summer league that he at least belongs in this league. But does he have a role on this team of veterans looking to win now?
The frontcourt appears to be crowded now that we've added two O'Neals and have the Big Ticket and Ticket Stub coming back. Until Perkins gets back, there might be a few minutes here and there for Erden and Harangody to mop up at the end of the game, but that's not much of a role.
One variable might be how much Doc wants to experiment with Luke at the backup 3 position. Obviously Doc used Scalabrine in that role from time to time, and Luke's game is comparable. He can hit the outside shot and he has that intangible feel for "how to play the game." It obviously isn't a long term solution because he doesn't have the athleticism to keep up with most 3's in the league.
At some point an injury might force Harangody into the rotation, and that is why you like to have depth on the roster. But this team clearly doesn't have "develop the kids for the future" on the agenda. If he can help us win now, he'll play. Otherwise, he'll probably play in Maine.
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Ok. I admit I don't follow college hoops, but...
“Obviously Doc used Scalabrine in that role from time to time, and Luke’s game is comparable.”
…you just ruined it for me.
Roles comparable ... his game is not.
Defensively Scal could actually be better. (Oh, I hate the thought of it.) Offensively, Luke is much quicker and a better shooter. If Luke can light it up quickly, he may out to be a pretty good asset. Scal just couldn’t connect on his 3’s. Otherwise, he’d probably still be with the team.
One player who will surely hate playing against him in practice is Paul Pierce. He doesn’t need much room to get his shot off. And, Paul often likes to play off his man.
by Alleyoopster on Sep 8, 2010 11:29 PM EDT up reply actions
I agree.
Avery has huge upside potential – but he’s just a wee bairn, just one year removed from high school ball. Harangody is the rare true college senior who has logged a lot of quality major-college ball minutes (to go with a rep for having both a strong BBIQ and work ethic). He’s older and more physically mature. Its perfectly natural that he should be more ‘NBA-ready’ at this point.
Avery probably has more ultimate star potential, though.
I don't think I'd even say their role's are all that comparable.
Other than that they are both forwards and white.
As you say, Scal was probably a better fundamental defender than Luke will be at this point, though in time there is no reason Luke couldn’t improve there. Luke is a much more complete offensive player already, though. He is quicker and stronger in traffic and has both an inside and outside game. Whether that all will translate to value on the court will depend on whether he can learn and execute the team defense.
LH’s best chances for minutes are going to be in slop time at the 4 and 3, and in specific matchups where his size will be an advantageous changeup over Daniels’ speed and quickness (but slight build). Doc loves to play the matchup game so having that versatility is good.
They're also comparable in that they're tweener 3-4s
Just on what I saw from summer league, it looks to me that Scal might have 2 inches on Luke. Scal was able to guard 4s reasonably well. I see Luke struggling mightily in that department. For all that announcers used to laud Scal’s 3pt shooting, he never seemed very good at it to me. Luke looks better at it than Scal already.
So, for me, Scal was a 4-3, but more at home at the 4, whereas Luke will be a 3-4, and ultimately better suited as a power 3. Against the bigger 3s, I could actually see Luke earning minutes over Daniels by the end of the year (possibly wishful thinking). Still, against say, an Artest, who is just a bull at the 3, I could see Luke possibly being more effective against him.
So many interesting things to play out this year.
doubleplusungoodthinker
is that 30Q link working?
does it come up with 6 stories? or do none show up? must be my cache not updating because sometimes it doesn’t show up for me
"We few, we happy few, we band of brothers" Henry V
It worked the first time, then not consistantly
It comes up with the message:
Sorry, there are no Stories tagged with “cb30q.”
No way...
I’m actually extremely excited about “The Goat” Harangody. He is way, way more aggressive than Scal. He has one of the most unusual shots I have ever seen, but he has a very quick release. He is extremely active. He speads the floor… I see him playing the 3 more than I do the 4. I’m curious to see his defense. I’m very confident in his offense and overall effort. He’ll out-hustle a lot of people.
I agree. He is, as Belichick would say, "a player."
He may look ugly out there, but we’re going to be seeing him on the floor.
he'll be in Maine
playing with the Rock Lobsters
Real stupidity beats artificial intelligence every time.
Terry Pratchett, Hogfather
I highly doubt that...
He was a top ten Orlando summer league performancer. I believe that he was in the top 5 for most of it, but the Celtics didn’t participate in Las Vagas so his summer league number dropped.
It must be
hard coming up with topics to write about every day
Eyeball test
Danny has put worst at the end of the Celtics bench,a lot worst…Luke will make the team.
more a slow SF
With his size he is more a slow small forward and with our lag in this position he will be a possible back up at the 3, if the opponent doesn’t have guys like Lebron, Artest or Melo on the floor… but I guess he most likely will be a benchwarmer and they will rub his chest, like they did it by Scalabrine (-:
He can't be any worse than Mikki Moore
Right? If Moore could make the team, I think Luke will stay and be one of the first 15 players at the 13th or 14th
Our frontcourt is seriously old...
…and it’s certainly possible (even probable?) that Shaq, Jermaine and KG will each miss 15-20 games. And honestly, do we even know if Perk will come back at all? I think it’s very possible that Harangody and/or Erden (who knows which one will be more effective?) will be thrust into action, whether they’re ready or not…
Yes agree...
If injury does strike any of the front court players…especially the older vets, that will be when we will probably see Harangody get meaningful court time.
If no one gets injured though…unless Harangody plays very well in practice or in games (when he does play) to impress the hell out of Doc, it will be very tough to find him minutes since the front court is so deep and other players will be ahead of him in the front court rotation
Possibly, just possibly, it's not Harangody... it's Gaffney.
It’s a long shot, but I could see Ainge cutting Wafer or West at the end of training camp, and deciding Gaffney will be the insurance back-up for Pierce when Daniels eventually gets hurt.
I think Erden would be cut before West or Wafer
doubleplusungoodthinker
Harangody will be productive in his limited minutes.
He has given us every reason to believe that he will. Why we keep talking about Erden, though, when he has shown no such thing, is a mystery to me.
Over under on minutes for Harangody and Erden this year? I would put Harangody at a Scalabrinesque 500 and Erden at an O’Bryantish 75. The parallels to those respective players will not end there.
Different players. Different positions.
Semih is a true 5 in every sense of the word.
Harangody is a hybrid 4/3 tweener.
There is no competition here. Both have their own stories to play out.
Erden sits behind JO & Shaq for now and if Perk comes back, that puts him 4th on the depth chart at center.
Harangody sits behind KG & BBD for now and if Perk comes back behind KG-JO-BBD at PF. But he also sits behind Pierce & Daniels at SF. The only other competition at SF would be Gaffney and maybe a little bit from Wafer. But those guys don’t offer a lot of change-of-pace over Daniels (although Wafer has a better outside shot, he’s really more of a SG). Harangody at the 3 provides an additional matchup twist for Doc that could provide problems for other teams.
Given the potential to get in minutes at two positions as opposed to one, I’d give Harangody the definite edge to end up with more minutes than Erden.
Erden is more of a long-range project anyway. We need to see if he has the potential to play in the NBA beyond the JO/Shaq era.
I'd say that Baby would be ahead of Erden at the center spot too.
Baby would be second string PF, and third string Center.
doubleplusungoodthinker
Erden looked like a read dud to me.
From what I saw in SL, I’d rather keep Gafney.
I hope Turkey gets to face us in the FIBA finals so we can see more of Erden.
doubleplusungoodthinker
i think he may have a small role
depends on erden, one of the two will be with teh team at teh start of the season at teh very least.
"Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."
im gonna be all up on you like a spider monkey!
i can just see delonte west winning a game of poker against lebron, throwing down the cards he yells, "who's your daddy!"...."oh, sorry man"
by remembering9ergods on Sep 9, 2010 12:23 PM EDT reply actions
I like the idea of Goody playing with Shaq.
Everybody talking about Shaqs points and rebounds per game, but nobody is mentioning his assists per game.
Harangody will probably get some minutes early in the season with Perk out.....
but barring injury when Perk comes back I doubt he will have a major role since the front court rotation is stacked with Perk – KG- Jermaine -Shaq – Baby and Erden who Danny will probably want to get a good look at this season.
This does not even include if Rasheed pulls a PJ Brown and comes on board prior to the playoffs.
It will be nice to get a look at Harangody though when he does play this year to see what he has to offer… if not in the short term then possibly in the long term.
My only fear is his physical build…I hope he is not to slow and bulky to be a small forward and to light and short to be a power forward….I hope I am wrong.
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