Hal’s Draft Thread

[JediMasterRevan]

In your scenario do they just magically snap their fingers and poof, Kemba and his contract disappear? He's under contract for 2 more years beyond this one and it'll be damn near impossible to find a team willing to take him in a trade.

Or are you just projecting a possible 2023-2024 celtics lineup? If so, I doubt Smart is still starting for this team 3 years from now..

Given the fact that we still have Kemba under contract for 2 more years, Smart under contract for 1 more year, we drafted Pritchard in the 1st round last year and also have Yam Madar stashed overseas, i really don't think we should pick a PG this year.

Only way I'm onboard with drafting a PG is if Giddey is still there at no. 16 since guys like him (the combination of what he's already accomplished at the professional level, the fact that he's a 6'8" PG combined with the fact that dudes with his type of passing ability, passing instincts, court vision and ability to create offense for teammates as good as he does, guys like that simply don't come around very often and he'd be a steal at the 16 spot)..

Smart can be gone. We have no idea on Kemba's longevity. Pritchard will probably max out to 6th man.

Ainge drafted Rozier after IT became an all star. He's going to go with BPA over fit

Ok, I'm watching more Mitchell footage here and like what I see. Some things I like most about him:

-A few people have talked in this thread about their preference for a guy who's more polished, more of a finished product, someone who's less raw, less of a project so they can help us get back on track sooner rather than later - I'm onboard with this strategy as well. Well, Mitchell is your guy. He's 22 and will be 23 when next NBA season tips off.
-He's got a fire, and intensity to the way he plays
-Defensive Player of the Year? Yes please
-6'2", ok that is solid for a PG since we need to get bigger at that position. Mitchell actually plays bigger than that too, though - he's got a 6'5" wingspan and a 41 inch vertical leap
-Shooting, 44.7% from 3 and he has a really smooth stroke, good mechanics, shoots with confidence, can shoot it well off the catch or off the dribble
-Also has good blow by speed to get by his man off the dribble and penetrate
-One thing I've noticed is that most PGs in today's NBA, their assist % is at least a few percentage points higher than their usage %. That's not the case however for Kemba or Pritchard. Both have them, their usage % is actually a few percentage points higher than their assist %. Clearly we need a PG who is more of a play maker so the ball is moving more and our PG can be more of a facilitator and setting up Tatum/Brown/Fournier/Rob for open looks.

Kemba = high usage % of 26.1 (teams that I've seen who are contending do not have 3 guys on the same team with usage % over 25% like we do) and low assist % of 23.8% (this assist % is lower than pretty much every starting PG I've looked up so far)
Mitchell = low usage of 20.3% and high assist % of 27.7% (yes, this is exactly what we need)

This guy would be a great pick if he's still there at 16. Yes, we would be super crowded at the PG position (Kemba, Mitchell, Smart, Pritchard and Madar waiting overseas) but this guy is too good to pass up. I'd be surprised if he's still there at the 16 spot, but you never know - NBC Sports latest mock has him going 16th to Boston..

Watch on YouTube

Mitchell is ideal. Grab todd in the second.

I love mitchell and never thought in any world he could be tuere at 16.

Mitchell/pritchard
Smart/fournier
Brown/nesmith
Tatum/todd
Timelord/thompson

Kemba equals gone for bench depth. Perhaps a pick if possible.

That starting lineup would be an absolute terror defensively.

[GoGreen]

I feel like Garuba is the guy. PF/small C, can drive, shoot a bit, pass a bit, and defend many positions. Plus, he'll prob be avbl at 16. Really not my first choice, but might be bpa there

[Hal14]

I feel like Garuba is the guy. PF/small C, can drive, shoot a bit, pass a bit, and defend many positions. Plus, he'll prob be avbl at 16. Really not my first choice, but might be bpa there

Yeah. I'd rather have Jones, Johnson or Mitchell, but it seems like a good chance all 3 of them will go in the top 15. If those guys are all off the board, I'm fine with us grabbing Garuba.

[playa-hater]

I think Mitchell is one tough SOB but damn. He is the type to "take matters into his own hands" (with his confidence) and ignore Tatum and/or Brown. That has the making of a disaster IMO. Especially if Kemba and Smart are still on the team. and with Stevens trying to control their Egos.

Nitro meet Glycerin

[playa-hater]

I feel like Garuba is the guy. PF/small C, can drive, shoot a bit, pass a bit, and defend many positions. Plus, he'll prob be avbl at 16. Really not my first choice, but might be bpa there

Yeah. I'd rather have Jones, Johnson or Mitchell, but it seems like a good chance all 3 of them go go in the top 15. If those guys are all off the board, I'm fine with us grabbing Garuba.

I have Kai and Johnson flipping back and for the for my top 2 right now. Sttill hoping one falls while trying to sort out the rest.

*Josh Giddey I haven't even considered since I believe he will be gone regardless of what Mocks may say.

[sportfan6197]

In your scenario do they just magically snap their fingers and poof, Kemba and his contract disappear? He's under contract for 2 more years beyond this one and it'll be damn near impossible to find a team willing to take him in a trade.

Or are you just projecting a possible 2023-2024 celtics lineup? If so, I doubt Smart is still starting for this team 3 years from now..

Given the fact that we still have Kemba under contract for 2 more years, Smart under contract for 1 more year, we drafted Pritchard in the 1st round last year and also have Yam Madar stashed overseas, i really don't think we should pick a PG this year.

Only way I'm onboard with drafting a PG is if Giddey is still there at no. 16 since guys like him (the combination of what he's already accomplished at the professional level, the fact that he's a 6'8" PG combined with the fact that dudes with his type of passing ability, passing instincts, court vision and ability to create offense for teammates as good as he does, guys like that simply don't come around very often and he'd be a steal at the 16 spot)..

Smart can be gone. We have no idea on Kemba's longevity. Pritchard will probably max out to 6th man.

Ainge drafted Rozier after IT became an all star. He's going to go with BPA over fit

Ok, I'm watching more Mitchell footage here and like what I see. Some things I like most about him:

-A few people have talked in this thread about their preference for a guy who's more polished, more of a finished product, someone who's less raw, less of a project so they can help us get back on track sooner rather than later - I'm onboard with this strategy as well. Well, Mitchell is your guy. He's 22 and will be 23 when next NBA season tips off.
-He's got a fire, and intensity to the way he plays
-Defensive Player of the Year? Yes please
-6'2", ok that is solid for a PG since we need to get bigger at that position. Mitchell actually plays bigger than that too, though - he's got a 6'5" wingspan and a 41 inch vertical leap
-Shooting, 44.7% from 3 and he has a really smooth stroke, good mechanics, shoots with confidence, can shoot it well off the catch or off the dribble
-Also has good blow by speed to get by his man off the dribble and penetrate
-One thing I've noticed is that most PGs in today's NBA, their assist % is at least a few percentage points higher than their usage %. That's not the case however for Kemba or Pritchard. Both have them, their usage % is actually a few percentage points higher than their assist %. Clearly we need a PG who is more of a play maker so the ball is moving more and our PG can be more of a facilitator and setting up Tatum/Brown/Fournier/Rob for open looks.

Kemba = high usage % of 26.1 (teams that I've seen who are contending do not have 3 guys on the same team with usage % over 25% like we do) and low assist % of 23.8% (this assist % is lower than pretty much every starting PG I've looked up so far)
Mitchell = low usage of 20.3% and high assist % of 27.7% (yes, this is exactly what we need)

This guy would be a great pick if he's still there at 16. Yes, we would be super crowded at the PG position (Kemba, Mitchell, Smart, Pritchard and Madar waiting overseas) but this guy is too good to pass up. I'd be surprised if he's still there at the 16 spot, but you never know - NBC Sports latest mock has him going 16th to Boston..

Watch on YouTube

I have to say, it's pretty cool to see people actually have an open mind on this forum and hear what others have to say. don't often see people saying they've changed their minds!

i agree as well.

[LewisnotMiller]

Josh Giddey for me. Is this Australian homerism at it's best? Damn-tootin'
It would be nice to have a pass-first something (let's call him a point) with size. Tatum AND Giddey would both be trying to get Tatum to 50.

At some point I will try and put some actual thought into the draft, but for now I think we need an injection of Aussie culture.

[joshuapending]

Fellow Aussie and Adelaide resident would also like him here, just don’t ask him to shoot it much.

[Hal14]

I think Mitchell is one tough SOB but damn. He is the type to "take matters into his own hands" (with his confidence) and ignore Tatum and/or Brown. That has the making of a disaster IMO. Especially if Kemba and Smart are still on the team. and with Stevens trying to control their Egos.

Nitro meet Glycerin

Yeah, that's why for this team - to better maximize the talents of Tatum and brown, Giddey would be the preference over Mitchell.

But IDK, Mitchell is a much better shooter, much better defensively, much stronger frame and a little bit quicker too, more athletic. If they're both available, I might actually go with Mitchell. It might seem like he's a take matters into his own hands kind of guy, but he actually had a pretty low usage % this past season (20.3%) compared to Kemba's usage % (26.1%), and despite significantly lower usage %, Mitchell posted a much higher assist % than Kemba (27.7% assist rate for Mitchell and only a 23.8% assist rate for Kemba)

With that being said, it seems pretty unlikely that either Giddey or Mitchell will still be there at 16. We can dream, though..

[Hal14]

I feel like Garuba is the guy. PF/small C, can drive, shoot a bit, pass a bit, and defend many positions. Plus, he'll prob be avbl at 16. Really not my first choice, but might be bpa there

Yeah. I'd rather have Jones, Johnson or Mitchell, but it seems like a good chance all 3 of them go go in the top 15. If those guys are all off the board, I'm fine with us grabbing Garuba.

I have Kai and Johnson flipping back and for the for my top 2 right now. Sttill hoping one falls while trying to sort out the rest.

*Josh Giddey I haven't even considered since I believe he will be gone regardless of what Mocks may say.

Yeah. I'm a little torn on Jones and Johnson as well. With that being said, from mocks I'm seeing and from what I'm hearing, we'll be lucky if 1 of them is still on the board at 16. It seems pretty unlikely that they both will still be there, but you never know.

Here's how I compare Jones to Johnson:

Johnson = MUCH better passer
Both = about equal in terms of usage % compared to turnover %
Both = similar BPM, both very good BPM
Johnson = higher defensive rating
Jones = higher offensive rating
Jones = 2 inches taller
Johnson = quicker
Johnson = better handle
Both = good rim protection (similar blocks %)
Both = good at defending the perimeter
Jones = more explosive rim runner
Johnson = better at leading the break, pushing it up the floor with dribble or pass
Johnson = better rebounder (pretty distinct advantage in rebounding %)
Jones = has MUCH less character/work ethic/leaving teams for sketchy reasons red flags
Johnson = stronger build
Both = very athletic
Both = good dribble drive moves
Both = good 3 point shooters (44% from 3 for Johnson, 38% for Jones but Johnson had really small sample size so I call it a wash)

So if we cancel out the categories where they're about even, and we cancel out the 2 categories where Johnson is MUCH better in 1 category but Jones is MUCH better in the other category and just look at the others, that leaves us with 9 remaining categories. Johnson has the edge in 6 of them, and Jones has the edge in 3.

So gun to my head, I'd probably pick Johnson over Jones right now, but that could change as we still have over 2 months before the draft - and again, it seems unlikely that both of them will be available at 16 anyways - I'd be pretty excited if just 1 of them is still there.

FWIW, 2 recent mocks I saw NBA Draft Room had us picking Johnson 16th with Jones going 17th, and YardBarker had us picking Jones 16th (Johnson went 9th) but not sure about that site since they had Giddey going 24th and I'll be shocked if he goes that late..

[Curmudgeon]

Why draft a pg when you have Yom Madar waiting in the wings? Either find competent size or trade the pick.

[Hal14]

Why draft a pg when you have Yom Madar waiting in the wings? Either find competent size or trade the pick.

Fair question. While I like Madar's game and what he could potentially bring to the team...

1) He's stuck in a contract with his Israeli team and there's a war going on over there so it's certainly up in the air if/when he might actually join the Celtics

2) Even if he comes over and joins the team for next season, what I've seen from him on film and in his stats I like what I see and think he could be our PG of the future. But we just don't know - he's less of a sure thing. There's a chance he might turn out to be just a backup PG. Giddey and Mitchell meanwhile (between what you see on film, scouting reports, stats) look like absolute sure thing legit starting PGs in this league (maybe not from day 1 as a rookie, but definitely eventually)..

[playa-hater]

Why draft a pg when you have Yom Madar waiting in the wings? Either find competent size or trade the pick.

Fair question. While I like Madar's game and what he could potentially bring to the team...

1) He's stuck in a contract with his Israeli team and there's a war going on over there so it's certainly up in the air if/when he might actually join the Celtics

2) Even if he comes over and joins the team for next season, what I've seen from him on film and in his stats I like what I see and think he could be our PG of the future. But we just don't know - he's less of a sure thing. There's a chance he might turn out to be just a backup PG. Giddey and Mitchell meanwhile (between what you see on film, scouting reports, stats) look like absolute sure thing legit starting PGs in this league (maybe not from day 1 as a rookie, but definitely eventually)..

wouldn't the "war" make it more likely he may come over? will his league even continue if the War escalates further?

[sportfan6197]

Why draft a pg when you have Yom Madar waiting in the wings? Either find competent size or trade the pick.

I'm not going to avoid taking a BPA on the draft board for yam madar lmaoooo

[playa-hater]

Yeah. I'd rather have Jones, Johnson or Mitchell, but it seems like a good chance all 3 of them go go in the top 15. If those guys are all off the board, I'm fine with us grabbing Garuba.

I have Kai and Johnson flipping back and for the for my top 2 right now. Sttill hoping one falls while trying to sort out the rest.

*Josh Giddey I haven't even considered since I believe he will be gone regardless of what Mocks may say.

Yeah. I'm a little torn on Jones and Johnson as well. With that being said, from mocks I'm seeing and from what I'm hearing, we'll be lucky if 1 of them is still on the board at 16. It seems pretty unlikely that they both will still be there, but you never know.

Here's how I compare Jones to Johnson:

Johnson = MUCH better passer
Both = about equal in terms of usage % compared to turnover %
Both = similar BPM, both very good BPM
Johnson = higher defensive rating
Jones = higher offensive rating
Jones = 2 inches taller
Johnson = quicker
Johnson = better handle
Both = good rim protection (similar blocks %)
Both = good at defending the perimeter
Jones = more explosive rim runner
Johnson = better at leading the break, pushing it up the floor with dribble or pass
Johnson = better rebounder (pretty distinct advantage in rebounding %)
Jones = has MUCH less character/work ethic/leaving teams for sketchy reasons red flags
Johnson = stronger build
Both = very athletic
Both = good dribble drive moves
Both = good 3 point shooters (44% from 3 for Johnson, 38% for Jones but Johnson had really small sample size so I call it a wash)

So if we cancel out the categories where they're about even, and we cancel out the 2 categories where Johnson is MUCH better in 1 category but Jones is MUCH better in the other category and just look at the others, that leaves us with 9 remaining categories. Johnson has the edge in 6 of them, and Jones has the edge in 3.

So gun to my head, I'd probably pick Johnson over Jones right now, but that could change as we still have over 2 months before the draft - and again, it seems unlikely that both of them will be available at 16 anyways - I'd be pretty excited if just 1 of them is still there.

FWIW, 2 recent mocks I saw NBA Draft Room had us picking Johnson 16th with Jones going 17th, and YardBarker had us picking Jones 16th (Johnson went 9th) but not sure about that site since they had Giddey going 24th and I'll be shocked if he goes that late..

like your breakdown. Regardless of mocks, I have a hard time seeing a center desperate team like Charlotte letting Kai get by them. Obviously could happen. but between team need and talent, unless someone else rises up, there aren't many other options available in the draft for them.

[playa-hater]

On a side note, what about signing this guy as an undrafted free agent?

At first I thought he was just a look alike player for a nice meme. Then I looked up highlights and was blown away. the man has some nice offensive game decent size for sure. Thought he would e a great 2nd rd pick. But I don't see him anywhere in any draft. Then I read something that he is transferring to NC????? but he is a senior. what am I missing???

Watch on YouTube

[Hal14]

I have Kai and Johnson flipping back and for the for my top 2 right now. Sttill hoping one falls while trying to sort out the rest.

*Josh Giddey I haven't even considered since I believe he will be gone regardless of what Mocks may say.

Yeah. I'm a little torn on Jones and Johnson as well. With that being said, from mocks I'm seeing and from what I'm hearing, we'll be lucky if 1 of them is still on the board at 16. It seems pretty unlikely that they both will still be there, but you never know.

Here's how I compare Jones to Johnson:

Johnson = MUCH better passer
Both = about equal in terms of usage % compared to turnover %
Both = similar BPM, both very good BPM
Johnson = higher defensive rating
Jones = higher offensive rating
Jones = 2 inches taller
Johnson = quicker
Johnson = better handle
Both = good rim protection (similar blocks %)
Both = good at defending the perimeter
Jones = more explosive rim runner
Johnson = better at leading the break, pushing it up the floor with dribble or pass
Johnson = better rebounder (pretty distinct advantage in rebounding %)
Jones = has MUCH less character/work ethic/leaving teams for sketchy reasons red flags
Johnson = stronger build
Both = very athletic
Both = good dribble drive moves
Both = good 3 point shooters (44% from 3 for Johnson, 38% for Jones but Johnson had really small sample size so I call it a wash)

So if we cancel out the categories where they're about even, and we cancel out the 2 categories where Johnson is MUCH better in 1 category but Jones is MUCH better in the other category and just look at the others, that leaves us with 9 remaining categories. Johnson has the edge in 6 of them, and Jones has the edge in 3.

So gun to my head, I'd probably pick Johnson over Jones right now, but that could change as we still have over 2 months before the draft - and again, it seems unlikely that both of them will be available at 16 anyways - I'd be pretty excited if just 1 of them is still there.

FWIW, 2 recent mocks I saw NBA Draft Room had us picking Johnson 16th with Jones going 17th, and YardBarker had us picking Jones 16th (Johnson went 9th) but not sure about that site since they had Giddey going 24th and I'll be shocked if he goes that late..

like your breakdown. Regardless of mocks, I have a hard time seeing a center desperate team like Charlotte letting Kai get by them. Obviously could happen. but between team need and talent, unless someone else rises up, there aren't many other options available in the draft for them.

Charlotte could take Sengun. That's of course, if he's still there..

[playa-hater]

Yeah. I'm a little torn on Jones and Johnson as well. With that being said, from mocks I'm seeing and from what I'm hearing, we'll be lucky if 1 of them is still on the board at 16. It seems pretty unlikely that they both will still be there, but you never know.

Here's how I compare Jones to Johnson:

Johnson = MUCH better passer
Both = about equal in terms of usage % compared to turnover %
Both = similar BPM, both very good BPM
Johnson = higher defensive rating
Jones = higher offensive rating
Jones = 2 inches taller
Johnson = quicker
Johnson = better handle
Both = good rim protection (similar blocks %)
Both = good at defending the perimeter
Jones = more explosive rim runner
Johnson = better at leading the break, pushing it up the floor with dribble or pass
Johnson = better rebounder (pretty distinct advantage in rebounding %)
Jones = has MUCH less character/work ethic/leaving teams for sketchy reasons red flags
Johnson = stronger build
Both = very athletic
Both = good dribble drive moves
Both = good 3 point shooters (44% from 3 for Johnson, 38% for Jones but Johnson had really small sample size so I call it a wash)

So if we cancel out the categories where they're about even, and we cancel out the 2 categories where Johnson is MUCH better in 1 category but Jones is MUCH better in the other category and just look at the others, that leaves us with 9 remaining categories. Johnson has the edge in 6 of them, and Jones has the edge in 3.

So gun to my head, I'd probably pick Johnson over Jones right now, but that could change as we still have over 2 months before the draft - and again, it seems unlikely that both of them will be available at 16 anyways - I'd be pretty excited if just 1 of them is still there.

FWIW, 2 recent mocks I saw NBA Draft Room had us picking Johnson 16th with Jones going 17th, and YardBarker had us picking Jones 16th (Johnson went 9th) but not sure about that site since they had Giddey going 24th and I'll be shocked if he goes that late..

like your breakdown. Regardless of mocks, I have a hard time seeing a center desperate team like Charlotte letting Kai get by them. Obviously could happen. but between team need and talent, unless someone else rises up, there aren't many other options available in the draft for them.

Charlotte could take Sengun. That's of course, if he's still there..

wow, totally blanked on him. you're right. Hope is in he house!

[Hal14]

Why draft a pg when you have Yom Madar waiting in the wings? Either find competent size or trade the pick.

Fair question. While I like Madar's game and what he could potentially bring to the team...

1) He's stuck in a contract with his Israeli team and there's a war going on over there so it's certainly up in the air if/when he might actually join the Celtics

2) Even if he comes over and joins the team for next season, what I've seen from him on film and in his stats I like what I see and think he could be our PG of the future. But we just don't know - he's less of a sure thing. There's a chance he might turn out to be just a backup PG. Giddey and Mitchell meanwhile (between what you see on film, scouting reports, stats) look like absolute sure thing legit starting PGs in this league (maybe not from day 1 as a rookie, but definitely eventually)..

wouldn't the "war" make it more likely he may come over? will his league even continue if the War escalates further?

Maybe it would make him more likely to come over since he wants to GTFO out of there.

But, maybe it'll be a situation like Arvydas Sabonis (Yes, that was a long time ago, but still...) where his country literally would not let him leave the country and come to the US. As a result, Sabonis was drafted in 86 but his country wouldn't allow him to come and play in the NBA until 95. Although, now realizing Sabonis may have been a different situation since his country was at War with the US so makes sense they wouldn't let him come here. Madar's country is at war, but not with the US..

[aporel18]

At first I thought he was just a look alike player for a nice meme. Then I looked up highlights and was blown away. the man has some nice offensive game decent size for sure. Thought he would e a great 2nd rd pick. But I don't see him anywhere in any draft. Then I read something that he is transferring to NC????? but he is a senior. what am I missing???

Watch on YouTube

The kid is almost 23 y.o., it makes no sense, but looks like he's headed to NC.

Is there any loophole in the rules that allows Danny to select him as a "Junior" like Red did with Larry Legend?

Looking at the prospect rankings, there seems to be some interesting prospects projected to be late seconds/undrafted, Manek looks decent. We'll see in 2022.