Celtics Pre-Draft Summit

[APerna]

I apologize for the fact that the Celtics are no longer playing, but there is one bright side to the "unofficial" start of the offseason. It's time for the annual Pre-Draft Summit, led by myself (Andrew Perna). The pieces will be turned into articles, and will be part of a three-pronged attack of draft coverage on RealGM.

Thanks in advance for the answers, and please remember to try keeping the answers as tight and concise as possible.


1. What could the team have done different to advance further in the postseason?

2. Where were the team’s biggest strengths?

3. Who had a surprisingly effective season?

4. Who had a surprisingly ineffective season?

5. How confident are you in the front office heading into the offseason?

6. What are the team’s biggest needs in the draft?

7. Who would you like your team to select with the 58th pick?


Thanks for taking the time, and contributing answers. We appreciate that you all help make RealGM what it is today!

[DJToLarry]

7. Who would you like your team to select with the 58th pick?

What I would "like": Blake Griffin

[sully00]

1. Clone KG. We started the post season with all 3 PF's hurt only got the sucky one back.

2. The Starting unit did a great job of covering for the loss of KG. They held together as a team and played well closing out close games.

3. Big Baby and Scalabrine, maybe Ray Allen to some.

4. Stephon Marbury, Tony Allen, and Gabe Pruitt.

5. Very

6. I don't know that we can get any help for the upcoming season in the draft, especially at the 58th pick. You have to draft for the future but anyone with some size would be good we have to be the shortest damn team in the NBA.

7. Moses Malone c'mon now, anyone who can play.

[SonicYouth34]

1. What could the team have done different to advance further in the postseason?
Be healthy. With a healthy KG, Powe, Allen this team would've gone all the way again.

2. Where were the team’s biggest strengths?
Defense, just like last year. We also showed unity when KG went down.

3. Who had a surprisingly effective season?
Rondo was huge, he made the leap into the elite group of PG's. Perk was also huge. He showed no mercy against Howard and stayed out of foul trouble for most of the year. Honorable mention to Davis for his new jumper.

4. Who had a surprisingly ineffective season?
Tony Allen. I was expecting him to come in and duplicate Posey's production ala Tony of 3 years ago.

5. How confident are you in the front office heading into the offseason?
Danny is a great GM and minus last off season, he has been great. Plus we have expirings to work with.

6. What are the team’s biggest needs in the draft?
If we do keep the pick, then a athletic big man or some player to stash over seas with Semi.

7. Who would you like your team to select with the 58th pick?
No one. We have Walker, Pruitt, Giddens warming the bench as prospects already. Hopefully Walker gets PT and if we do keep the pick, then I like Dionte Christmas or Danny Green (if he falls).

[sunshinekids99]

1. What could the team have done different to advance further in the postseason?
They could have had a deeper bench? I think the starters gave it all they could, I really couldn't have done too much more.

2. Where were the team’s biggest strengths?
The heart is the biggest strength of this team. As far as basketball goes when KG is on the court it is defense.

3. Who had a surprisingly effective season?
Glen Davis is the easy pick. He really stepped up huge when KG went down.

4. Who had a surprisingly ineffective season?
I'm sure some with say Tony Allen, but I thought he was garbage before the season started. So I'll go with Stephon Marbury. I will say I loved his defense and at points his playmaking skills. But for a few games Marbury just could never get his offense going.

5. How confident are you in the front office heading into the offseason?
Ainge has proved he can get it done. He needs to really improve the depth on this team.

6. What are the team’s biggest needs in the draft?
Don't think they have a huge amount of needs from the draft. Draft a Euro and let him stay there for a couple years, unless somebody falls of course.

7. Who would you like your team to select with the 58th pick?
Milenko Tepic, has great size for a guard. Good shooter as well.

[BillessuR6]

1. What could the team have done different to advance further in the postseason?
Health, health, health...

2. Where were the team’s biggest strengths?
Heart

3. Who had a surprisingly effective season?
Glen Davis, Scal

4. Who had a surprisingly ineffective season?
TA

5. How confident are you in the front office heading into the offseason?
Semi. Offseason 08 was a huge disappointment...

6. What are the team’s biggest needs in the draft?
Height at every backup position...

7. Who would you like your team to select with the 58th pick?
The best international player left on the board. Although this year`s euro crop is horrible with the exception of Rubio...

[Pogue Mahone]

1. What could the team have done different to advance further in the postseason?

Played Eddie House and Brian Scalabrine more than Ray Allen and Glen Davis. Integrated Bill Walker into the team when he first came back from the D-League for good. Exploited Howard's inability to guard Perkins on the block, 1-on-1. Kept the ball in Rondo's hands and never, ever, never run Ray Allen off another staggered screen because he can't beat single coverage off the bounce, lacks the ability to find the picker on a dive to the tin and his overall decision-making is quite poor.

2. Where were the team’s biggest strengths?

On-the-block defense (Perkins), forcing the opposition to play to the clock (Rondo) and help defense (Garnett, Pierce, Scalabrine.) And, of course, heart.

3. Who had a surprisingly effective season?

Most might say Rondo or Perkins but neither their performance nor production surprised me. I am going to say Paul Pierce. Pierce faced double-teams since Garnett went down yet he still managed to have a heck of a season and kept teammates involved.

4. Who had a surprisingly ineffective season?

Davis and Ray Allen. Sure, their personal efficiencies were high but they mainly played hot potato with one another and didn't impact the game in other areas.

5. How confident are you in the front office heading into the offseason?

Very. Just don't let Doc buy the groceries.

6. What are the team’s biggest needs in the draft?

Unless they make a deal to alleviate dead wood on the roster and somehow finagle a late first out of it and/or purchase a earlier second, there isn't much that can provide straight improvement with a 58th pick.

7. Who would you like your team to select with the 58th pick?

At the 58th pick, I might take a flyer on a Ben Woodside, John Bryant or Luke Neville. Of course, if Danny Green is still available, that's my pick.

[Papa Irish31]

1. This offseason they needed to address the bench, they went into last season with no back up point guard, small forward, or center. The backups they were able to acquire midseason, stephon and mikki were extremely disappointing, although the situation they faced was different than that was anticipated when we acquired them, as KG and Leon went out. I believe adequately replacing the backup small forward, point guard and center positions would have taken this team further into the playoffs regardless of the injuries we suffered

2. Veteran leadership, discipline, hard work, team chemistry, defense

3. Big Baby obviously had a break out season, although if i do remember correctly, many celtic fans were none to impressed about three quarters through the season. Eddie House was great this year, he set the celtic mark for 3 point % in a single season, that was definitely surprisingly effective. Finally the progression of Rondo and perks games impressed all.

4. Mikki and the young guys, I never really expected much from Tony, he has proved in his time with us that he will show flashes of greatness only to disappoint, and im not sure anyone knew what to expect with stephon, he hadnt played in a year and was known as a "cancer" the great debate in bringing him here was whether or not he would destroy are locker room, he did not; i guess im chalking him up as a success.

On the other hand Mikki was supposed to be are back up center, provide the length that big baby and powe did not have coming off the bench, and on top of that he was supposed to have an effective 15 foot jumper, what we got instead was a guy that could not crack the rotation in the playoffs even with the absence of leon and kg, or stay on the court in the off circumstance where he was put in the game

After the draft we were told that Danny and Doc really loved the young guys on the team, bill walker, jr giddens, and gabe pruitt, after this season it is clear they were lying, JR and Bill could not crack the rotation as small forwards on a team that had one small forward on the whole roster, gabe was given a chance to steal minutes but proved to be greatly ineffective

i find the C's fans who call for bill to play more next year hilarious, the guy has no jump shot, and couldnt play this year, if there was ever a time for a rookie forward to steal minutes on a championship caliber team it was this year, he couldnt, i want no part of him moving forward

5. after last season i was over confident, this year i have no confidence danny will get the job done, he lost my trust now he will have to earn it back

6. getting a player with potential for the future, or a guy that can contribute immediately. hopefully danny is able to move up into the first round and get a guy like chase budinger with a late first round pick

7. AJ price, if he falls he could be a very serviceable backup to rondo next year, would be ecstatic to get him with this pick

[Celtics_Champs]

1. What could the team have done different to advance further in the postseason?
Not much. They were unhealthy, What are ya gonna do?

2. Where were the team’s biggest strengths?
They never gave up. Sure game 7 against Orlando some might say was a let down. But without KG this team wasn't picked to go far. I remember before the KG trade, when it was just Ray and Paul. Everyone said that the C's were gonna be a lottery team. Well, no KG, and look what they did, played with heart down the stretch, in some tough OT, double OT games against Chicago, and a tough, good magic team.

3. Who had a surprisingly effective season?
Glen "Big Baby" Davis. Going into the season I wanted to keep Powe if I had the choice between him and Baby. But now I want to retain both.

4. Who had a surprisingly ineffective season?
J.R. Giddens. It's very early in his career. But I expected him to have some pop coming out of college. Look at what Courtney Lee is doing.

5. How confident are you in the front office heading into the offseason?
Very. On a scale of 10, I am at 8. Ainge knows how to make a championship team.

6. What are the team’s biggest needs in the draft?
58th pick? Eesh, getting a steal would be just fine with me. They have Walker, Pruitt and even Giddens as their projects for the future.

7. Who would you like your team to select with the 58th pick?
Red Buttons. Nah, I don't know, anyone, it's a late 2nd rounder, they rarely pan out.

[APerna]

Thanks gang, we'll be getting the Boston edition up tomorrow.

You may not have a high pick, but at least you guys have Nick Green

[Marley2Hendrix]

YESSSS POGUE YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

BEN WOODSIDE FTW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!






otherwise I kind of want ainge to draft semi erden again just for **** and giggles

[sox839]

With the 58th pick the guy I would pick is john bryant. He is a big guy with some skill and could be a comptent backup to perk . If he is available at 58 he is a steal this late in the draft.