Hal’s Draft Thread

[playa-hater]

3 & D guys I like, projected to be available at pick 40 by nbadraft.net:

Joel Ayayi (shines statistically, underrated part of last year's Zags team)

Aaron Henry (kid can really defend, shows upside offensively)

Trey Murphy (kid can really shoot, shows upside defensively)

Big Men:

Day'Ron Sharpe (19 yo & draws Randolph/Al Jefferson/Amare comps)

Petrusev (a better Nenad Krstic?)

Queta (can rebound and protect the rim)

Others:

JT Thor (not sure which category he falls into, but his stats are decent and you just aren't going to find more upside at pick 45)

Champagnie (SF/PF tweener, but stats are solid)

Max Abmas (seems slept on)

Projected to go in the 30-40 range:

Robinson Earl (I also like him)

Isaiah Jackson (think he can affect the game like a healthy Timelord does)

Daishen Nix (PG with good upside, good size, described as "unselfish to a fault")

Just looked up Henry. looks like what Semi was supposed to be

[cloverleaf]

This is the pick Bleacher Report picks for the C's at #47. Looks like a pretty good fit to me:

https://loyolagreyhounds.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/santi-aldama/8619

why would Boston draft a center, even if he could shoot?

He's listed as a PF and shoots the 3, though at 6'11" he could probably play some center too.

[Bill Lumbergh]

David Duke. Every single time.

Watch on YouTube

[Celtics_History_Lesson]

4. The Chris Herrens
Head cases who are clearly insane, yet somebody has to take them.

https://www.espn.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/020626

Top 10 Favorite Character Traits to Steer Away From After the Lottery.

1. The Jerome Moisos


2. The Ed O'Bannons


3. The Anthony Peelers


4. The Chris Herrens


5. The Scoonie Penns


6. The Doug Edwardses


7. The Jerome Lanes


8. The Shawn Resperts


9. The Geert Hamminks


10. The Scott Haskins

[winsomme2]

Finding myself really disappointed that we traded the #16 pick.

I think the core of the Kemba/Horford trade wasn't going anywhere and more importantly I think the value of the #16 pick was only going to skyrocket.

There are already a solid 10-12 players that are highly coveted and that number was going to definitely increase with the combine and workouts.

By draft time I think that pick would have many suitors. I just think we jumped the gun here.

At the bare minimum we should have gotten a swap of our #45 for their #36....

[winsomme2]

One other point on draft picks.

I think we are quickly seeing the emergence of teams built through the draft.

The Suns and the Hawks are almost completely home grown. And they are super fun to watch...

The Celtics could go that way although trading our first rounder this year has that plan take a hit...

[cloverleaf]

Finding myself really disappointed that we traded the #16 pick.

I think the core of the Kemba/Horford trade wasn't going anywhere and more importantly I think the value of the #16 pick was only going to skyrocket.

There are already a solid 10-12 players that are highly coveted and that number was going to definitely increase with the combine and workouts.

By draft time I think that pick would have many suitors. I just think we jumped the gun here.

At the bare minimum we should have gotten a swap of our #45 for their #36....

I think the Jays have reason to be cranking into win-almost-now mode and asking them to believe another mid-round rook is gonna be significant for that is asking a lot. Meanwhile, that pick was the core of the Kemba/Horford trade. That is exactly what Presti wanted.

[playa-hater]

Finding myself really disappointed that we traded the #16 pick.

I think the core of the Kemba/Horford trade wasn't going anywhere and more importantly I think the value of the #16 pick was only going to skyrocket.

There are already a solid 10-12 players that are highly coveted and that number was going to definitely increase with the combine and workouts.

By draft time I think that pick would have many suitors. I just think we jumped the gun here.

At the bare minimum we should have gotten a swap of our #45 for their #36....

This was my thought as well. Really matters how well Moses develops and what other move can be made minus Kemba and the cap space. But the 16th pick has some damn good talent there. plus the 36th pick vs the 45 might be a huge difference in getting a slider.

[playa-hater]

David Duke. Every single time.

Watch on YouTube

yeah, he definitely should be on our 2nd rd list of hopefuls.

[BK_2020]

Do we really need to draft a David Duke in a year of racism scandals?

[Hal14]

David Duke. Every single time.

Watch on YouTube

yeah, he definitely should be on our 2nd rd list of hopefuls.

He looks pretty good, but do we want another wing? He'll just be buried on the bench - especially if we resign Fournier.

I am really leaning towards a stretch 4 with this pick. Robinson-Earl, Greg Brown, JT Thor, Isaiah Todd. At least 1 of them is bound to still be available at pick 45..

That's really the only position where wee have nobody good. Tatum is serviceable as a stretch 4. But a) Tatum is really more of a natural 3. I think we all would like the C's to add someone who is bigger than Tatum who can play the 4 and slide Tatum to the 3 so we have a bigger lineup - as long as that 4 man we grab is quick enough that putting him at the 4 with Tatum at the 3 won't create a lineup that's too slow. All 4 of the guys I mentioned would fit the bill. And I don't think any of us are wild about our other options at the 4 - Grant Williams (too short, too slow, simply not very talented), Ojeleye (we're obviously not resigning him), Parker (arguably the worst defender on the team, below average 3 point shooter, has history of being injured).

I think Robinson-Earl, Todd, Brown and Thor all have potential to be better than Parker or Grant W. Short term they could replace Grant/Parker's minutes off the bench and long term they may even be able to become a starter at the 4.

Edit - just starting to watch some footage of Raiquan Gray and like what I see. So far he is looking like Garuba except Garuba is a better outside shooter, Garuba longer arms and gets up higher to contest shots, Gray is beefier with 30 lbs more which allows him to finish stronger inside vs bigger defenders..

[aporel18]

This is the pick Bleacher Report picks for the C's at #47. Looks like a pretty good fit to me:

https://loyolagreyhounds.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/santi-aldama/8619

why would Boston draft a center, even if he could shoot?

He's listed as a PF and shoots the 3, though at 6'11" he could probably play some center too.

Santi Aldama was listed as SF in the Spanish U18 NT, and he was touted to play SF/PF in Spain. I guess in Loyola-Maryland, like in most small colleges, their lack of size (the other two over 6'10 are fellow Spanish Golden Dike and Alonso Faure) and the "forward" label used in the NCAA lead to mistakenly see him as a big.

The kid is one year older than Garuba, and he chose to play in the US instead of going to a Euroleague team (Madrid and Barcelona wanted him as a very young kid, and he stayed with Canterbury Academy in the Canary Islands). I guess he'll end up losing some money because of that decision, and also playing against lousy competition wasn't the best way to develop his game.

If the Celtics got the chance to pick him, it would be great. He's on Filip Petrusev level, so a very good prospect who can become a starter in the League. I haven't watched him a lot on the NCAA, but at 18 he was a very mature player, very good fundamentals, good shooter and a leader.

He's not the defensive player Garuba is, but he'd fit as a PF besides Smart,JB, JT and Horford.

But please, Brad, get an earlier second round pick and try to snag another SF/PF so we can send Grant/Semi elsewhere.

[playa-hater]

why would Boston draft a center, even if he could shoot?

He's listed as a PF and shoots the 3, though at 6'11" he could probably play some center too.

Santi Aldama was listed as SF in the Spanish U18 NT, and he was touted to play SF/PF in Spain. I guess in Loyola-Maryland, like in most small colleges, their lack of size (the other two over 6'10 are fellow Spanish Golden Dike and Alonso Faure) and the "forward" label used in the NCAA lead to mistakenly see him as a big.

The kid is one year older than Garuba, and he chose to play in the US instead of going to a Euroleague team (Madrid and Barcelona wanted him as a very young kid, and he stayed with Canterbury Academy in the Canary Islands). I guess he'll end up losing some money because of that decision, and also playing against lousy competition wasn't the best way to develop his game.

If the Celtics got the chance to pick him, it would be great. He's on Filip Petrusev level, so a very good prospect who can become a starter in the League. I haven't watched him a lot on the NCAA, but at 18 he was a very mature player, very good fundamentals, good shooter and a leader.

He's not the defensive player Garuba is, but he'd fit as a PF besides Smart,JB, JT and Horford.

But please, Brad, get an earlier second round pick and try to snag another SF/PF so we can send Grant/Semi elsewhere.

Skill wise often sively speaking maybe he can be a solid pick and pop for men but at 6:11 and today's NBA spread it out standards I am guessing he will only be able to defend the 5 position

[chrisab123]

Thank god the Celtics are sitting this draft out. The last thing they need is to draft another player.

[Hal14]

Another second round candidate to consider is Rai'Quan Gray. I've mentioned his name before, but with our first pick traded, our focus is now on who might be available at pick #45. I think he would make a nice complement in a lineup with a rim protector like Timelord or Moses Brown. I like that he is a decent defender, and that in a pinch he can serve as a small-ball 5. He's not going to get pushed around. His down side is that he doesn't have a very good jump shot, has limited verticality, and is prone to fouling. On the plus side his size, strength, and quickness allows him to guard multiple positions, he's a very good passer/ball handler, good at pick and roll, very good driving to the basket, and has a decent floater. Currently Bleacher Report's mock has him going at #34, NBAdraftnet at #55, NBADraftRoom has him at #43.

Watch on YouTube

;t=324s

Ugh. Another Grant?

Did you watch the video? Check out other scouting reports? His game is different from Grant's, and he's bigger (6'8" vs 6'6"). His weight certainly differentiates him from most PFs, but that is not necessarily a tick in a downside box. In his case it is more of an asset.

Ok, I am fully onboard with picking Gray. This dude is a beast. I checked out the highlights of his game vs Wake Forest where he had 24 points, 12 rebounds 4 assists and 3 steals. Dude hit clutch FTs at the end, then made a nice pas length of the floor to Scottie Barnes for a dunk that extended their lead and then iced the win with a weak side block. He was 7/10 from the floor and 10/10 from FT line that game, hell yeah.

I was skeptical at first since he's 6'8" and 260 lbs so figured he'd be slow and not skilled but he's actually the opposite. Handles the ball, beats people off the dribble and passes like a guard, crazy quickness/burst for a dude of that size. Looks like he has a great motor, really plays hard and hustles, a beast on the boards and makes some highlight reel blocks, highlight reel dunks, good finisher. Will have to work on his outside shot but I like this kid. Also, since he's 21 and has 3 years college experience, he is more a finished product, less raw - so will be ready to contribute right away rather than needing a bunch of time to develop - which is important for the Celtics who want to win now. A guy like Greg Brown or JT has a higher ceiling but will need more time to develop.

Gray appears to be a pretty similar prospect to Jeremiah Robinson-earl.
Gray = quicker off the dribble
Gray = stronger and uses strength to muscle for rebounds, and buckets inside
Robinson-Earl = 1 inch taller
Robinson-Earl = 1 year younger
Wash = both good perimeter defenders who are highly switchable
Robinson = slightly better outside shooter
Gray = tiny edge in passing
Wash = rebounding
Overall = Robinson-Earl has to get the edge due to being 1 inch taller, 1 year younger, better shooter. But I'm ranking Gray right behind him. Gray is better value pick since he is projected to go like 15-20 picks later than Robinson-Earl. Seems very unlikely that Robinson-Earl will still be there at 45 but seems very likely that Gray will be. Either of them would clearly be better than Grant Williams or Parker IMO..both project well as a stretch 4 / small ball 5.

My up-dated list of targets with pick 45 (ranked in no particular order)

Robinson-Earl
Greg Brown
Thor
Raiquan Gray
Isaiah Todd

I'm cool with any one of these 5 and think each could be a strong addition to the team.

[Half-Full]

I was skeptical at first since he's 6'8" and 260 lbs so figured he'd be slow and not skilled but he's actually the opposite. Handles the ball, beats people off the dribble and passes like a guard, crazy quickness/burst for a dude of that size. Looks like he has a great motor, really plays hard and hustles, a beast on the boards and makes some highlight reel blocks, highlight reel dunks, good finisher. Will have to work on his outside shot but I like this kid. Also, since he's 21 and has 3 years college experience, he is more a finished product, less raw - so will be ready to contribute right away rather than needing a bunch of time to develop - which is important for the Celtics who want to win now. A guy like Greg Brown or JT has a higher ceiling but will need more time to develop.

I remember being shocked when I started watching Spinella's video on him. He was so big! Looked like a football lineman. It was easy to think he would be slow, and ponderous, but no! He's quick, skilled, and very strong! I get excited about the thought of him paired up with Moses Brown. How that pairing would be in actuality, we may never know, but it sure is fun to think about!

[Hal14]

I was skeptical at first since he's 6'8" and 260 lbs so figured he'd be slow and not skilled but he's actually the opposite. Handles the ball, beats people off the dribble and passes like a guard, crazy quickness/burst for a dude of that size. Looks like he has a great motor, really plays hard and hustles, a beast on the boards and makes some highlight reel blocks, highlight reel dunks, good finisher. Will have to work on his outside shot but I like this kid. Also, since he's 21 and has 3 years college experience, he is more a finished product, less raw - so will be ready to contribute right away rather than needing a bunch of time to develop - which is important for the Celtics who want to win now. A guy like Greg Brown or JT has a higher ceiling but will need more time to develop.

I remember being shocked when I started watching Spinella's video on him. He was so big! Looked like a football lineman. It was easy to think he would be slow, and ponderous, but no! He's quick, skilled, and very strong! I get excited about the thought of him paired up with Moses Brown. How that pairing would be in actuality, we may never know, but it sure is fun to think about!

Yeah man, I really like Gray. I think you could even argue he's a better prospect than Robinson-Earl. Gray is stronger/beefier while being just as quick, Gray is a little quicker/more explosive driving to the basket, he's only a slightly worse shooter than Robinson-Earl but looks like a slightly better passer/play maker. Gray is clearly a better rim protector.

Like I said, I rate Robinson-Earl barely ahead, because 1 inch taller, 1 year younger and better shooter. But it's debatable. And Robinson-Earl is projected in the 25-35 range so likely will not be there when we're up with 45th pick. Gray it seems like is projected in the 40-55 range so likely will be there.

Yeah, I can see Gray at the 4 alongside Brown or Time Lord at the 5 really wreaking some havoc out there. And with Gray's passing ability (I saw a couple of plays where he acted basically as a point guard out there) we could have really nice combo with Gray at the 4 and Time Lord at the 5 both being really good passers (and rim protectors)..

[aporel18]

He's listed as a PF and shoots the 3, though at 6'11" he could probably play some center too.

Santi Aldama was listed as SF in the Spanish U18 NT, and he was touted to play SF/PF in Spain. I guess in Loyola-Maryland, like in most small colleges, their lack of size (the other two over 6'10 are fellow Spanish Golden Dike and Alonso Faure) and the "forward" label used in the NCAA lead to mistakenly see him as a big.

The kid is one year older than Garuba, and he chose to play in the US instead of going to a Euroleague team (Madrid and Barcelona wanted him as a very young kid, and he stayed with Canterbury Academy in the Canary Islands). I guess he'll end up losing some money because of that decision, and also playing against lousy competition wasn't the best way to develop his game.

If the Celtics got the chance to pick him, it would be great. He's on Filip Petrusev level, so a very good prospect who can become a starter in the League. I haven't watched him a lot on the NCAA, but at 18 he was a very mature player, very good fundamentals, good shooter and a leader.

He's not the defensive player Garuba is, but he'd fit as a PF besides Smart,JB, JT and Horford.

But please, Brad, get an earlier second round pick and try to snag another SF/PF so we can send Grant/Semi elsewhere.

Skill wise often sively speaking maybe he can be a solid pick and pop for men but at 6:11 and today's NBA spread it out standards I am guessing he will only be able to defend the 5 position

He projected more like a Saric than a Zizic, he's always played like a SF but a bit taller, so SF/PF, he isn't a big.

In the NBA, he might not be able to defend anyone but Jianlian's chair... it's hard to say because he's been two years playing against weak competition (probably advice comes from his dad, a former player). He was one of the best 2001 International players before going to the NCAA, he might be a pleasant surprise or a bust, but at #46 it's not a big deal.

We'll see.

[Hal14]

Santi Aldama was listed as SF in the Spanish U18 NT, and he was touted to play SF/PF in Spain. I guess in Loyola-Maryland, like in most small colleges, their lack of size (the other two over 6'10 are fellow Spanish Golden Dike and Alonso Faure) and the "forward" label used in the NCAA lead to mistakenly see him as a big.

The kid is one year older than Garuba, and he chose to play in the US instead of going to a Euroleague team (Madrid and Barcelona wanted him as a very young kid, and he stayed with Canterbury Academy in the Canary Islands). I guess he'll end up losing some money because of that decision, and also playing against lousy competition wasn't the best way to develop his game.

If the Celtics got the chance to pick him, it would be great. He's on Filip Petrusev level, so a very good prospect who can become a starter in the League. I haven't watched him a lot on the NCAA, but at 18 he was a very mature player, very good fundamentals, good shooter and a leader.

He's not the defensive player Garuba is, but he'd fit as a PF besides Smart,JB, JT and Horford.

But please, Brad, get an earlier second round pick and try to snag another SF/PF so we can send Grant/Semi elsewhere.

Skill wise often sively speaking maybe he can be a solid pick and pop for men but at 6:11 and today's NBA spread it out standards I am guessing he will only be able to defend the 5 position

He projected more like a Saric than a Zizic, he's always played like a SF but a bit taller, so SF/PF, he isn't a big.

In the NBA, he might not be able to defend anyone but Jianlian's chair... it's hard to say because he's been two years playing against weak competition (probably advice comes from his dad, a former player). He was one of the best 2001 International players before going to the NCAA, he might be a pleasant surprise or a bust, but at #46 it's not a big deal.

We'll see.

I don't see Aldama playing the 4 in the NBA. He's not quick enough laterally to defend smaller/quicker wings out on the perimeter.

There's a couple of clips here where wings easily get by him off the dribble, and this is facing really weak low-D1 competition:
http://jtmbasketball.blogspot.com/2021/02/diggin-in-tape-part-1-santi-aldama.html

I see Aldama as a 5. A stretch 5...5 who's 6'11" and can shoot 3's like a Myles Turner / Vucevic / Towns type..

With that being said, A guy like Aldama who can handle the basketball well, has good dribble drive moves, good passer, good motor, can score and rebound at will, can score inside and is a 36.8% shooter from 3 and decent rim protector at 6'11" and only 20 years old, is arguably a top 20 prospect in this draft but since he seems to be so unknown, seems like a good chance he'll still be there with our 45th pick so might be hard to pass up.

Aldama is kind of like EJ Onu - a dude who came out of nowhere, wasn't on any big boards or mock drafts and then people realize he's 6'11" and shooting over 36% from 3, smooth form from 3, blocking shots, moves well on the court for a guy that size but kinda hard to gauge just how good he is due to weak competition. Can shoot the 3 but projects as a stretch 5 rather than a stretch 4 due to questions about defense / lateral quickness / switchability.

I think you'd have to rank Aldama over Onu though because a) 2 years younger so more of a window to develop b) better handle, better dribble drive moves c) more agile/nimble around the basket d) better passer and e) Patriot League is better competition than NAIA

Both are really intriguing players. Both could turn out to be a steal for a team that nabs them late 1st or early-mid 2nd round, puts them on the G-league team for a year as they refine their skill and get into a strength/weight training program and after that they could both turn out to be really good stretch 5's..

[aporel18]

Skill wise often sively speaking maybe he can be a solid pick and pop for men but at 6:11 and today's NBA spread it out standards I am guessing he will only be able to defend the 5 position

He projected more like a Saric than a Zizic, he's always played like a SF but a bit taller, so SF/PF, he isn't a big.

In the NBA, he might not be able to defend anyone but Jianlian's chair... it's hard to say because he's been two years playing against weak competition (probably advice comes from his dad, a former player). He was one of the best 2001 International players before going to the NCAA, he might be a pleasant surprise or a bust, but at #46 it's not a big deal.

We'll see.

I don't see Aldama playing the 4 in the NBA. He's not quick enough laterally to defend smaller/quicker wings out on the perimeter.

There's a couple of clips here where wings easily get by him off the dribble, and this is facing really weak low-D1 competition:
http://jtmbasketball.blogspot.com/2021/02/diggin-in-tape-part-1-santi-aldama.html

I see Aldama as a 5. A stretch 5...5 who's 6'11" and can shoot 3's like a Myles Turner / Vucevic / Towns type..

With that being said, A guy like Aldama who can handle the basketball well, has good dribble drive moves, good passer, good motor, can score and rebound at will, can score inside and is a 36.8% shooter from 3 and decent rim protector at 6'11" and only 20 years old, is arguably a top 20 prospect in this draft but since he seems to be so unknown, seems like a good chance he'll still be there with our 45th pick so might be hard to pass up.

Aldama is kind of like EJ Onu - a dude who came out of nowhere, wasn't on any big boards or mock drafts and then people realize he's 6'11" and shooting over 36% from 3, smooth form from 3, blocking shots, moves well on the court for a guy that size but kinda hard to gauge just how good he is due to weak competition. Can shoot the 3 but projects as a stretch 5 rather than a stretch 4 due to questions about defense / lateral quickness / switchability.

I think you'd have to rank Aldama over Onu though because a) 2 years younger so more of a window to develop b) better handle, better dribble drive moves c) more agile/nimble around the basket d) better passer and e) Patriot League is better competition than NAIA

Both are really intriguing players. Both could turn out to be a steal for a team that nabs them late 1st or early-mid 2nd round, puts them on the G-league team for a year as they refine their skill and get into a strength/weight training program and after that they could both turn out to be really good stretch 5's..

Aldama might be a 5 in the same way Kelly Olynyk is a 5... I'd say he'll probably be a slow 4, though his offensive skills could make up for that as a rotation player. But there's a chance he will grow and develop into a (poor man) Pau Gasol type of player who can hold his own on the defensive side of the ball while thriving on offense.

Aldama was the MVP in the 2019 U18 Eurobasket, so he's coming out of nowhere because he chose to join the Patriot League and that means no exposure. The NCAA isn't a good environment to project what a player can be at the next level. In that regard, it's a low level league, even if lots of American kids (and some from abroad) are hugely talented, so I find it difficult to predict how they will adapt to the NBA. IMO, is easier to know with kids from Euroleague. If Aldama competed, like Garuba did, against the best in Europe, he would've boosted his development and rank higher in the mock drafts, but instead he's stuck in a weak competition. Again, there's the educational side, so I guess in the long run he took the right decision even if he'll lose some millions in the process.

If Celtics pick him, I hope he shocks the world and develops into an unstoppable two-way beast, like with every Celtic rookie.