I can't say that I have a ton of great insight into the draft, but I've been studying up for the last couple of days and I need somewhere to put my thoughts, so here is a bullet list. Feel free to use this as a conversation jumping off point. Chances are you'll teach me something.
- Rose vs. Beasley: I'd take Rose number 1 because he's the safer pick and because he's a point guard. You can always find a power forward, but great points don't come along very often.
- Trades are always a fun subplot to draft night. It sure looks like the Heat are going to be shopping that number 2 pick hard.
- If we are going to be making any trades this offseason, it is going to happen on draft night. I don't see what we have to offer other teams, but you never know (depending on who is on the board when we pick).
- Roy Hibbert: There's a chance he could drop like a rock and it sounds like a lot of Celtics fans wouldn't even want him if he fell to 30. I understand he has weaknesses that were played out on a very public stage in Georgetown, but you are going to find weaknesses in everyone available at 30. I guess it is just a matter of which strengths fit your team best.
- I want Ainge to pick the best player available, but if he picks another undersized power forward, I'm going to be scratching my head.
- Seems like most drafts ends up being this way, but boy am I glad we aren't a lottery team picking in the 5-8 range. In that range fans are still looking for a big score but the talent seems lacking. Any guy drafted in that range has been ranked anywhere from 3 to 20 in the last couple of weeks.
- I hear a lot about the "draft a Euro and stash him overseas" theory, but don't you need a bigtime talent to make it worth it? There's a world of difference between Ginobili and Frederick Weis. Maybe I'm missing something, but I haven't heard a lot of buzz around any late round Euro sleepers.
- I kinda like John Hollinger's stat crunching. You can bet that Ainge has some stat guys of his own. As long as you take it with a grain of salt. It is one measure of a player's worth, not the whole deal. I think I bumped up Darrell Arthur on my "guys I like" list because of the stats. Still, while Kevin Love looks great by Hollinger's numbers, he looks like a big soft bust to my eyes. I don't know who's right but I wouldn't bet on me.
- The Blazers just bought the 27th pick. Wait, I thought they had too many players. Coming a day before the draft (meaning they don't have the ability to see who's available) I wonder if this is a move leading to a move where they package picks and players.
- For that matter, why are the Hornets selling picks? Didn't anyone learn from the Suns mistake when they sold us Rondo? Can the Celtics buy a draft pick or two? Is there a payment program we can set up? If you are going to get rid of a pick, why not at least get a future pick in return? I don't get it.
- Ok, final prediction: I want a big man to back up Perkins, but big men are almost always a reach. I bet we draft some wing player (Ford has us taking Courtney Lee) that essentially makes Tony Allen expendable.