Hal’s Draft Thread

[playa-hater]

I'll check our Sharpe.

If you want us to get a center, I would check out some Charles Bassey and Neemias Queta videos. I think you'll like what you see. I really like both of them. Queta is like Time Lord but with good post moves and 4 inches taller and less of an injury risk. Bassey is a lot like Evan Mobley, who's projected as a top 3 pick..

I have checked out Bassey and Queta. I like them both. After re-watching Bassey's Spinella video, I guess I would lean to him over Sharpe. They are comparable in many respects, but Bassey shoots free throws at a 77% clip. I will re-watch Queta's video. Sharpe, Bassey, and Queta, are big centers that could go head to head with Embiid and Joker. All look intriguing, and all should be available at pick #16. Which of the three would you go for, presuming your preferred players are gone by then?

Good question. I haven't seen enough of Sharpe. Queta vs Bassey is close - I like them both, and think both of them are super underrated. Seems like both are projected as early-mid 2nd round picks which is crazy to me - IMO there just as good (if not better) than a few of the guys projected to go in the top 20.

I would probably go Bassey slighty over Queta because a) he's a year younger so more of a window to keep developing and b) much better floor spacer with outside shot

With that being said, I'm in the "let's give Time Lord 1 more year (with a longer offseason this time) to prove he can stay healthy and prove he can be starting center in this league" camp so personally, I'd rather us go for more of a 4 (like Jalen Johnson, Kai Jones, Garuba, Roko, Robinson-Earl, Wagner, Todd, Thor) over a 5.

We still have a few weeks till draft time. If I'm stevens i'm having rob looked at by some doctors and specialists. and if I'm not feeling good about the chances of rob being able to stay healthy and be a starting center in this league, then yeah I would probably draft either Sengun, Queta or Bassey. All 3 of them do look really good..

Or you take Onu in the 2nd round..

definitely agree with bold

[return2glory]

Watch on YouTube

Luka hasn’t been mentioned much. Would you take him at 45. He has a lot of Vuc to his game. Wish he was more impactful on the defensive end.

[threrf23]

Luka hasn’t been mentioned much. Would you take him at 45. He has a lot of Vuc to his game. Wish he was more impactful on the defensive end.

Luke has become Luka. Gody has become Garza. I'll pass.

[winsomme2]

I just put it together watching Utah/CLips last night.

Josh Christopher has Donovan Mitchell potential. Strong, athletic, 3 level scoring, good handle, solid defender.

Now looking at his tape through that lens I'm realizing he's going to be a beast in the NBA. Definitely moved to the top of my list.

looked again at some videos . Do see a Bradley Beal "type" of game. Not as explosive as Mitchell But very smooth on all 3 levels (Beal lite)

But to draft him Boston better have a plan to trade Smart, Nesmith, Romeo and not resign Fournier )for a bigger player) Other wise he may not even get the chance to play.

yeah guard is definitely our deepest position. If Kemba gets moved:

Smart/Pritch
Fournier/Langford/Josh Christopher
Jaylen/Nesmith


Maybe package Romeo in the Kemba move too?


I think Christopher has a higher ceiling than Romeo. Just a more complete game. Definitely love Romeo's defense though.

[Hal14]

I just put it together watching Utah/CLips last night.

Josh Christopher has Donovan Mitchell potential. Strong, athletic, 3 level scoring, good handle, solid defender.

Now looking at his tape through that lens I'm realizing he's going to be a beast in the NBA. Definitely moved to the top of my list.

looked again at some videos . Do see a Bradley Beal "type" of game. Not as explosive as Mitchell But very smooth on all 3 levels (Beal lite)

But to draft him Boston better have a plan to trade Smart, Nesmith, Romeo and not resign Fournier )for a bigger player) Other wise he may not even get the chance to play.

yeah guard is definitely our deepest position. If Kemba gets moved:

Smart/Pritch
Fournier/Langford/Josh Christopher
Jaylen/Nesmith


Maybe package Romeo in the Kemba move too?


I think Christopher has a higher ceiling than Romeo. Just a more complete game. Definitely love Romeo's defense though.

I've got to check out some more Christopher vids, but from what I have gathered he is very similar to Bouknight. I think Bouknight is more explosive, quicker, more of a freak athlete who can simply take over a game at any time and just go off. With that being said, Bouknight is projected to go higher and there's a good chance he'll be off the board in the first 15 picks. Christopher it seems like will still be there at 16.

As others have mentioned though, I just don't know about taking a SG with our first pick for the 3rd year in a row (not to mention we just traded for a SG at the deadline a couple months ago)..

Plus, Bouknight and Christopher both seem to be ball-stoppers. High usage % and very low assist %. Black holes. A guy like that would be good for a team that is rebuilding and doesn't really 2 legit scorers already (like Orlando, Houston, Thunder, Detroit, etc.)..

[return2glory]

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Finally some video on a big that impressed me in the tournament. Sims is one of the best defensive bigs in the draft. But what separates him most from the other bigs is his switchabilty due to his good lateral quickness. He is a guy that can guard 3-5. He is also a good rebounder and a rim protector at 6'10 with a 7'4 wing span.

[return2glory]

There is a lot of good bigs this year. I hope we get one if not 2 of them. The Celtics need size and toughness in a big way.

[Half-Full]

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Luka hasn’t been mentioned much. Would you take him at 45. He has a lot of Vuc to his game. Wish he was more impactful on the defensive end.

OK, I checked him out. From what I see, his pros trump his cons. Yeah, he's not so athletic or quick, but there must be a reason for all the honors he has received. He was a Naismith Player of the Year trophy finalist — a big deal, considering that award is handed out to the country’s best player. He was the 2020 Big Ten men’s basketball Player of the Year as well as being a unanimous consensus First-Team All-American. He was the runner up for the AP National Player of the Year. He certainly has a decent shot, and can stretch the floor, a looked for skill. While his lack of mobility may hamper him in the NBA, scouts think that his “elite skill level and brute strength” should compensate. Add to that, he "is a creative player on the offensive side with great fundamentals who has a soft touch close to the basket." All of this is evident in his scouting videos. He looks to be a great value for a second round pick.

[Bad-Thoma]

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Luka hasn’t been mentioned much. Would you take him at 45. He has a lot of Vuc to his game. Wish he was more impactful on the defensive end.

OK, I checked him out. From what I see, his pros trump his cons. Yeah, he's not so athletic or quick, but there must be a reason for all the honors he has received. He was a Naismith Player of the Year trophy finalist — a big deal, considering that award is handed out to the country’s best player. He was the 2020 Big Ten men’s basketball Player of the Year as well as being a unanimous consensus First-Team All-American. He was the runner up for the AP National Player of the Year. He certainly has a decent shot, and can stretch the floor, a looked for skill. While his lack of mobility may hamper him in the NBA, scouts think that his “elite skill level and brute strength” should compensate. Add to that, he "is a creative player on the offensive side with great fundamentals who has a soft touch close to the basket." All of this is evident in his scouting videos. He looks to be a great value for a second round pick.

I find this hard to argue with, that's a lot of touch for someone that big

[Hal14]

Watch on YouTube

Luka hasn’t been mentioned much. Would you take him at 45. He has a lot of Vuc to his game. Wish he was more impactful on the defensive end.

OK, I checked him out. From what I see, his pros trump his cons. Yeah, he's not so athletic or quick, but there must be a reason for all the honors he has received. He was a Naismith Player of the Year trophy finalist — a big deal, considering that award is handed out to the country’s best player. He was the 2020 Big Ten men’s basketball Player of the Year as well as being a unanimous consensus First-Team All-American. He was the runner up for the AP National Player of the Year. He certainly has a decent shot, and can stretch the floor, a looked for skill. While his lack of mobility may hamper him in the NBA, scouts think that his “elite skill level and brute strength” should compensate. Add to that, he "is a creative player on the offensive side with great fundamentals who has a soft touch close to the basket." All of this is evident in his scouting videos. He looks to be a great value for a second round pick.

I find this hard to argue with, that's a lot of touch for someone that big

I'll check out the vid, but in that thumbnail he looks like a buffer Wally Szczerbiak..

[Half-Full]

Trolling through some mocks of the second round, I was intrigued to see RaiQuan Gray, from Florida State. What caught my eye was his size, 6'8" and 260lbs! Checking out some scouting videos, I was a bit shocked to see a guy this big (he sure does stand out on the court) performing so well. He really looks good in all aspects, but particularly driving to the hoop from the top of the key when he has a head of steam. He's like a charging rhino. His weight does not seem to hamper him at all either offensively or defensively. Very strong, and surprisingly skilled. I like him.

Watch on YouTube

[Curmudgeon]

Well, the NBA has become a charging rhino league, as evidenced by LeBron and Zion. So let's draft this guy. The rhinos rarely get called for charging, and even if they do, the poor defender has trouble getting up off the floor.

[playa-hater]

There is a lot of good bigs this year. I hope we get one if not 2 of them. The Celtics need size and toughness in a big way.

There really is no excuse to not getting one. Even if many are more projects than NBA ready, too many good projects available IMO.

[Hal14]

There is a lot of good bigs this year. I hope we get one if not 2 of them. The Celtics need size and toughness in a big way.

There really is no excuse to not getting one. Even if many are more projects than NBA ready, too many good projects available IMO.

I'm thinking we can have our cake and eat it too.

You give Time Lord one more year to prove he can stay healthy and be our center of the future - so you don't pick a center in the 1st round. 16th overall pick, ideally you're picking a guy who could be a starter eventually - especially in a deep draft like this one.

But in the 2nd round, you pick EJ Onu. He played at NAIA level so really needs a season playing against some better competition before he's ready for the NBA - so you draft him and put him on Maine Red Claws g-league team for a year. That gives him a year of being in a better weight training program and playing against better competition. Now, by 2022-2023 season, he's probably ready to be a strong contributor to this team - he may even be able to start at center if it turns out Time Lord really can't ever stay healthy. But, if Onu doesn't pan out - who cares, you had nothing to lose taking him with 45th pick.

[threrf23]

OK, I checked him out. From what I see, his pros trump his cons. Yeah, he's not so athletic or quick, but there must be a reason for all the honors he has received. He was a Naismith Player of the Year trophy finalist — a big deal, considering that award is handed out to the country’s best player. He was the 2020 Big Ten men’s basketball Player of the Year as well as being a unanimous consensus First-Team All-American. He was the runner up for the AP National Player of the Year. He certainly has a decent shot, and can stretch the floor, a looked for skill. While his lack of mobility may hamper him in the NBA, scouts think that his “elite skill level and brute strength” should compensate. Add to that, he "is a creative player on the offensive side with great fundamentals who has a soft touch close to the basket." All of this is evident in his scouting videos. He looks to be a great value for a second round pick.

I find this hard to argue with, that's a lot of touch for someone that big

While Garza is two inches taller than Luke Harangody was, there are legit lots of parallels, stats/strengths/weaknesses are very similar. Harangody was too considered a leading candidate for national player of the year as a senior, although I think he was slowed a bit by injury. Garza is maybe a more modern Harangody (i.e. a better three point shooter, although Harangody was also a capable three point shooter in college). If Harangody didn't work out 10+ years ago, I'm not liking Garza's fit in today's NBA.

Breaking out the search feature...

Notre Dame-U Conn Harangody is written off as a "under-size,under athletic player"
He IS a player. Not a whole lot seperates Harangody and Kevin Love. That he's not "athletic" relative to what's the ideal lotto guy...true, but I rant a LOT about how SKILL gets too underrated in the draft...then a few years later-everyone fusses that Mr Vertical Leap has the "basketball IQ" of a cabbage. Harangody....has a retro look as if he's a 50's guy, but he's got TOUCH...he's got HANDS..he's got TOUGH. Think a BIG Chris Mullin. No major hops but KNOWS how to make what he has work really well.

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=835990&p=18368920&hilit=harangody+touch#p18368920

Harangody displayed all of the skills he has grown a reputation for, including an incredibly high basketball IQ, a nice outside touch and a high level of confidence. He struggled a bit on Day 1, when he was faced with a day of travel along with attempting to learn the Celtics' offensive and defensive schemes on the fly, but looked very comfortable at both ends this morning.

"I felt better; I felt like yesterday I was just trying to soak everything in and I was rushing a little bit," Harangody said as he packed away his practice gear and got ready for the bus ride back to the hotel. "But today I kind of just relaxed more and just kind of played the game and I felt kind of like myself out there."

He was consistently the best player on the court, nailing quick-release jumpers from up to 22 feet on a regular basis, and he even dropped in a Rajon Rondo-esque running floater in the paint. While his offense stood out, Harangody wasn't afraid to admit that he needs his play at the other end to catch his coaches' eyes.

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=1028370&p=24072046&hilit=harangody+touch#p24072046

4. Luke Harangody, Celtics
Summer-league stats: 16.6 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 1.6 apg

He doesn't pass the eye test as far as NBA players are concerned, but he passes everything else. He shot the ball well, rebounded like a beast and played just about as well as any rookie could hope to. I'm not sure he'll play in the NBA at all this season, but he certainly showed that he has a future.

viewtopic.php?f=21&t=1040021&p=24494933&hilit=harangody+touch#p24494933

But I rather go for Dexter Pitman for Luke Harangody if they are available at 52. It seems like everyone is sleeping on Harangody. I have a feeling he will be as good as Matt Harpring, if not better.

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=996038&p=23838903&hilit=harangody#p23838903

[Parliament10]

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[playa-hater]

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)

It's probably not but I am wondering if there are any relations to legendary NYC
Point Guard Duane The Pearl Washington..

[Curmudgeon]

It's probably not but I am wondering if there are any relations to legendary NYC
Point Guard Duane The Pearl Washington..

No, but he's Derek Fisher's nephew. Good career at OSU but nothing special.

[playa-hater]

Looking at the playoffs (Nets Clippers especially) makes me want a NON center even more in RD1. We can get a pure center in RD 2 for sure. I want another floor spacing forward (not 2-3 combo) with shooting and switch-ability.

I am not opposed to a lineup of Smart - Nesmith - Brown -Tatum + RW. to start. The worst defenses are ones that you always have top cover for and get caught up in rotations. If Romeo continues to improve his shooting I wouldn't mind him being 6th man.

"Switching everything" works great when there are no glaring mismatches (Kemba Fournier TT etc.)

But I don't want anyone that can't shoot at a respectable clip either. I no Longer want Tatum and/or Brown to be crowded every time. I want the most make you pay type of players. Will look again at my top 5 choices tonight.

[Half-Full]

Just watched Adam Spinella's scouting video on Luka Garza. I had previously said that I thought his positives outweigh his negatives, but I have to take that back. Yes, he is a decent shooter/scorer, and a good rebounder, but his lack of athleticism is a huge negative, particularly as a defender. Lumbering is the word that comes to mind. If he ever sees the court in an NBA game, he will be picked on relentlessly, as he is marginally better than a chair. He will be abused. Players will blow past him at will.