Bleacher Report - Articles by Jay King

Sasha Got Cut: Athletes' Tweets, Starring Sasha Vujacic

Jay King — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 07:09:43 -0400

This article is brought to you by Celtics Town

This past week, Michael Beasley was admitted into rehab, Sasha Vujacic was cut from his country’s national team, and Hamed Haddadi called himself a “star.” With all that good stuff going on, I’d say it’s about time for another edition of Athletes’ Tweets.

Remember, these may or may not be true…

@MichaelBeasley Next time I take a picture, just remind me to clean off my table first.

@SashaVujacic I was cut in favor of Uros Slokar.

@MontaEllis So now Nellie wants to trade me ‘cuz he loves Stephen Curry? Last rook he fell in love with was Belinelli. Just sayin’.

@RamonSessions Can’t I just sign already? Even my mother’s getting sick and tired of seeing my name in the news.

@MichaelBeasley Trying to decide what’s worse for a career: going to rehab or playing alongside Chris Quinn.

@SashaVujacic I was cut in favor of Jurica Golemac.

@TarvarisJackson I must have some really loyal teammates if they still back me after the career I’ve had.

@HamedHaddadi When I called myself a “star,” I was way higher than Michael Beasley’s ever been.

@GregOden I’m the only third-year player older than Dikembe Mutombo.

@RickyRubio If I don’t stay in Europe, it’s because David Kahn is even more relentless than Reggie Miller with engaged women.

@SashaVujacic I was cut in favor of Jaka Lakovic.

@IsiahThomas I’ll be honest, we will get murdered if we play UNC.

@DerrickRose I thought my SAT score might have been a little higher than I expected.

@MateenCleaves Michigan St. fans, remember me? I was a LOT better in college.

@KhalidEl-Amin UConn fans, remember me? Still chowing down too much food for my own good.

@JoshMcRoberts Duke fans, remember me? I know you wish you didn’t.

@SashaVujacic I was cut in favor of Goran Jagodnik.

@TreyGilder File my signing with Memphis under “Nobody gives a damn” and “Who the hell is Trey Gilder?”

@TigerWoods First Y.E. Yang, now Heath Slocum. Don’t these no-names know who the f--- I am??

@DennisRodman Thinking about marrying myself again.

@JohnAmaechi If Dennis Rodman doesn’t marry himself, maybe…

@A-Rod Shaq stole Steve Nash’s idea for a show? Sounds like a worse teammate than even I am.

@A-Rod On second thought, nahhh.

@SashaVujacic I was cut in favor of Matjaz Smodis.

@MatjazSmodis HAHAH I made the Slovenian National Team and Sasha Vujacic didn’t.

@KobeBryant Never laughed so hard as I did when I heard “The Machine” got cut from the Slovenian National Team.

And, finally…

@AdamMorrison If I was from Slovenia, I bet even I would have made the national team.

Follow Celtics Town on Twitter @CelticsTown

'Sex Is Like Paintball': Athletes' Tweets Starring Ron Artest

Jay King — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 08:35:49 -0400

Brought to you by Celtics Town

Another week gone by, another edition of Athletes’ Tweets. Remember, these may or may not be true…

@RashardLewis Wanna know the only difference between me and Karen Sypher? She knew what was going into her body.

@BrettFavre Going to the grocery store soon

@MichaelVick Taking Andy Reid’s dogs for a walk.

@ChadOchocinco I wonder if Peyton Manning would call me a liquored-up kicker now?

@BrettFavre Not going to the grocery store anymore

@AllenIverson Probably getting reunited with Larry Brown - soon, we might be talkin’ ‘bout practice again

@RonArtest (*This one is real! From his account @96TruwarierQB) Sex is like paintball. U play hard for 30 mintes get hot & sweaty & when it's over just be glad your not the one who got shot in the face!

@JoshHoward Ron Artest just compared sex to paintball – let’s smoke a joint to that

@TimTebow I hope sex is really like paintball

@DirkNowitzki If sex was really like paintball, I’d be a pro

@JameerNelson Took a bunch of guys on the Magic to go play some paintball last week

@BrettFavre Grocery store trip’s back on

@MatthewStafford I know preseason doesn’t matter, but 5-13 with an interception? DAAMNN

@GregPaulus Maybe I should have played football from the start

@MikeKrzyzewski I wish Greg Paulus had played football from the start

@BenWallace Hope the Pistons know I’ve been washed up for a long, long time

@BrettFavre Not sure if I’m going to the grocery store or not

@LennyCooke What the hell ever happened to me?

@DajuanWagner No, what the hell ever happened to me?

@MilesSimon No, guys, what the hell ever happened to me?

@KevinMcHale I guess Kurt Rambis got the last laugh – but I still kicked his ass

@DwyaneWade Trading for Quentin Richardson wasn’t exactly what I meant when I asked for a commitment to winning

@TigerWoods Y.E. Yang! Y.E. MOTHERF---ING YANG!!!

@BrettFavre There’s no way I’m going to the grocery store

@PhilMickelson I’m down to a C-cup now!

@JJRedick Man, Shelden Williams and I used to be really good

@MarkMadsen Any NBA teams out there looking for a 15th man?

@RafaelAraujo I was drafted above Al Jefferson, Andre Iguodala, Josh Smith, Jameer Nelson, Andris Biedrins, Delonte West & JR Smith

And, finally…

@BrettFavre At the grocery store

Follow Celtics Town on Twitter @CelticsTown

John Calipari's Final Four Erased...Again

Jay King — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 11:55:57 -0400

Two Final Four appearances.

Two Final Four appearances wiped out of the NCAA record books forever.

ESPN has reported that John Calipari’s Memphis team will have to “vacate” its 38 wins from the 2007-2008 season, including five NCAA tournament wins.

The Tigers reportedly will have penalties imposed for a fraudulent SAT taken by one of its players, and for paying for more than $2,000 worth of travel for Derrick Rose’s brother, Reggie.

If you take a look at Calipari’s collegiate head coaching career, you will find victorious times marked by his successful rebuilding of two downtrodden programs, yet marred by scandals at both winning stops.

Coach Cal seems to have no qualms about leaving his teams in the midst of NCAA investigations, taking off in the face of adversity after both scandals.

In 1996, after his UMass team’s Final Four appearance was erased permanently from the NCAA’s records after Marcus Camby accepted gifts from agents, Calipari bolted for the New Jersey Nets.

Now, involved in his second major scandal, Cal left Memphis in his wake to accept the Kentucky head coaching position, leaving new Memphis coach Josh Pastner to deal with the negative effects.

The Tigers will not lose scholarships or have a postseason ban, but the sanctions will leave a dark cloud hovering above the program, changing some recruits’ feelings towards Memphis and skewing the team’s public perception.

Despite Calipari’s ominous record, Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear offered Calipari a vote of confidence.

“I'm not worried about it because they have never said Coach Cal did anything wrong at all,” Beshear said. “I think he's a very upstanding guy. I think that's his reputation and I think that reputation will be with him here. I really don't foresee any problems.”

Calipari, an upstanding guy?

This is the guy who has now been involved in two of the biggest scandals of the past two decades.

He is now the only coach to ever have two Final Four’s erased.

After he gets caught, Coach Cal then runs from the problems, leaving his old schools behind in favor of greener, less NCAA-mandated, pastures.

No matter whether Calipari had a hand in the problems or not, the scandals were going on directly under his nose.

When you are a head coach, it is not only your responsibility to be clean and rule-abiding yourself, but also to ensure that the rest of your program follows the rules.

While many programs, many coaches, operate firmly under the NCAA’s rules, Calipari’s programs seem to always function outside the realm of authority.

First at UMass, now at Memphis, Calipari has been the head coach during scandals big enough to delete entire seasons, great seasons, from official NCAA history.

Apparently, though, Calipari will once again see no fines or sanctions himself.

John Calipari has walked away unscathed from yet another bout with NCAA authority.

Brought to you by Celtics Town. Follow us on Twitter @CelticsTown.

Orlando Magic Shouldn't Expect White Chocolate with Jason Williams Signing

Jay King — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 16:26:52 -0400

Remembering Jason Williams brings back fond memories.

Check that; remembering White Chocolate brings back fond memories.

Jason Williams is the guy with two bad knees, the solid offensive point guard who couldn’t stay in front of my aunt if she wanted to drive to the hoop. He’s the player who helped the Miami Heat win the title in 2006.

Actually, "helped" might be the wrong word. It was more like the Miami Heat won a title in spite of having Williams as their starting point guard.

Jason Williams is bland, boring, and normal.

But White Chocolate? Williams’ alter ego, the player he used to be when he played for the Sacramento Kings, was a sight to behold on the basketball court.

He was never an elite point guard but, to me, a young fan looking for some exciting basketball, that never mattered. White Chocolate kept you on the edge of your seat, always ready for a highlight reel play, always waiting for his next great pass.

White Chocolate was unafraid to pull up for three on a three-on-two fast break. He was unafraid to throw around-the-back passes in traffic, and he certainly had no problem running and gunning for the exciting Kings.

With White Chocolate, it wasn’t a matter of if a highlight was going to happen, it was a matter of when.

He was a brash, cocky kid from West Virginia who grew up playing basketball with Randy Moss. He’d been kicked off his college team at Florida for smoking marijuana, but not before he made a lasting impression on all Gators fans, drawing comparisons to Pistol Pete Maravich for his flashy play and flair for dramatic showmanship.

Despite his off-court troubles, White Chocolate was drafted seventh by the Kings in the 1998 NBA Draft. From there, he took off running, becoming an instant hit in the NBA world.

For a few years at the beginning of his career, White Chocolate was the most colorful on-court performer in the NBA. Everyone remembers the off-the-elbow pass in the Rookie All-Star game, but White Chocolate made memorable plays like that every game.

He would make at least one play every night that would leave you scratching your head, wondering to yourself not only, “How the hell did he do that?” but also, “How the hell did he even have the balls to try that?”

Then, as quickly as White Chocolate entered the NBA scene, he was finished, morphing back into plain old Jason Williams. I blame former Memphis Grizzlies coach Hubie Brown for neutering White Chocolate. Under Brown’s tutelage, Williams became a more efficient point guard and a better player.

But he no longer showed the flashes of brilliance, no longer completed plays that no other player would attempt.

Williams, after being basketball’s greatest showman, became just another player. He was content to walk the ball up the floor, reluctant to pull the trigger on fast break threes, and satisfied with making normal bounce passes to his teammates.

Now, Williams has come out of retirement to sign with the Orlando Magic. I’m not sure what they see in him, and I don’t know why they signed him. With his old, creaky knees, I don’t see Williams being much help to any contender.

I know the Magic need a backup point guard desperately, but if I were their GM I would have gone in another direction.

Still, his signing brought back a lot of nostalgia, just not for Jason Williams—for White Chocolate.

Brought to you by Celtics Town. Follow us on Twitter @CelticsTown.

Bashing Rick Pitino: Coach's Heartless Apology Shows True Character

Jay King — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 09:21:55 -0400

This article is brought to you by Celtics Town.

I've always been taught to forgive somebody who apologizes to me.

But what if his apology is heartless? What if his apology has no more emotion than the cold and sinful act he committed? What if the way he apologizes makes me resent him even a little more than I already do?

I saw highlights of Rick Pitino's apology press conference yesterday, and I was ashamed.

Pitino, who should have been devastated by the publicizing of his affair and impregnation of his mistress, showed little to no remorse as he apologized to his family, his players, and—get this—his recruits.

Ever the opportunist, Pitino somehow found a way to transform his first public comments since his embarrassing and unfaithful behavior into another venue to reach out to prospective Louisville Cardinals.

On a day where Pitino should have broken down in front of a national audience, begging for forgiveness and revealing his deep sorrow to his wife and family, Pitino did ask for forgiveness, but he said it without any emotion, seemingly devoid of any passion at all.

In fact, I'm sure most Celtics fans will remember a press conference where Pitino was certainly far more emotional, far more caring. It was when Pitino, following a losing streak by his Boston Celtics, told Boston that Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish weren't "walking through that door."

Pitino blew his cool that day, losing his mind along with every bit of respect most of Boston had for him. Whatever admiration I still had for Pitino I lost that day, as he blamed all his failures on his personnel, throwing his entire team under the bus.

Pitino handled losing in Boston with the same grace, dignity, and class with which he has apparently handled his marriage—that is to say, none. The same way he once threw his Celtics' players to the wolves, Pitino has now done to his family.

Not only did he cheat on his wife, because that's bad enough, but he also impregnated a woman and paid her $3,000 to get an abortion (or for "health insurance," depending on who you're asking).

Two days ago, six years after cheating on his wife and being unfaithful to his entire family, including his five children, Pitino had a chance to at least apologize with class, apologize as if he truly understood the mistake he's made and felt bad for the mountain of pain he’s put his family through.

Instead, he came off as a callous, shallow asshole who couldn't begin to comprehend the grief his family must be facing right now.

His kids now have a father who is suddenly the most famous adulterer in the state of Kentucky, and they must live every day with the knowledge that their father's love for his family wasn't enough to keep him from making a deep mistake.

His wife now has a husband who is the most famous scumbag in the state of Kentucky, and she must live with the knowledge that she is not the only woman he's impregnated since their marriage, with the knowledge that a wild night in the back of a restaurant was enough to keep him from fulfilling his marital vows.

Their father couldn't even look sincere in his apology. The words that came out of Pitino's mouth were the right words, but he said them with the conviction of Roger Clemens during his Congressional hearing, when Clemens denied his usage of steroids, despite all evidence pointing against him.

Clemens was not believable in his denials, and Pitino was not believable as he uttered that he has apologized to his family every day for his indiscretions and that he feels so horribly about what he's done—especially after he decided to take the big stage granted for his apology and use it to speak to his recruits.

In fact, Pitino has a long history of tossing his loved ones aside on his way to attaining success. A Sports Illustrated article from 1996, written by William Nack, discusses the death of Pitino's son, Daniel, by congenital heart failure.

While Rick's wife, Joanne, mourned the loss of Daniel and prayed not to leave the home she had once shared with her sickly child, Pitino went against her wishes and accepted a job with the New York Knicks. According to the article, Joanne said that day, "I can't believe he's doing this to me again.

"We just got here! How can he ask me to pick up and leave again? I've been through this too many times. I can't believe, after all I've been through this year, that he is asking me to [move] again."

Later in the story, it appears as if Joanne became resigned to a life of being overrun by her husband, a life of having her opinions, dreams, and wishes count as nothing: "She would ultimately give in, of course, just as she always had, surrendering to the forces that drive her husband, because she loves him so dearly. 'I have accepted his ambition and his drive,' she says. 'I used to fight it, but I can't win, because it is a part of him.'"

Pitino has always been a snake and a rat. It just took something like an extramarital affair and a subsequent abortion for a lot of the country to finally figure that out.

Back in 1997, Pitino came to Boston intent on setting the NBA world on fire, on righting a proud franchise that had fallen on hard times.

Instead, Pitino himself ended up burning in flames of defeat, marked by a long string of losses and a failure to mount any playoff success, finally leaving town woefully short of meeting expectations.

Now, the flames engulfing Pitino are hotter than ever, a forest fire surrounding Louisville’s charismatic but deceitful head coach.

The smoke signals should have alerted everybody a long, long time ago.

Follow Celtics Town on Twitter @CelticsTown

Linas Kleiza Signs With Greece's Olympiakos

Jay King — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 10:50:49 -0400

This article is brought to you by Celtics Town.

Linas Kleiza, the 6'8", 245 lb. Denver Nuggets forward, has agreed in terms to a two-year deal with Greece's Olympiakos, according to Yahoo! Sports.

The deal, which continues a streak of mid-level type players signing deals overseas, is reportedly worth $12.2 million over two years.

Kleiza, who joins Josh Childress and Jannero Pargo as effective NBA players defecting to Europe from the NBA, averaged 9.9 points and 4.0 rebounds per game in 22.2 minutes.

Athletes' Tweets [HUMOR]

Jay King — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 07:39:36 -0400

This article is brought to you by Celtics Town.

A few days ago, the Boston Herald published a story about Glen Davis’ Twitter account. In it, they noted several of Big Baby’s “tweets,” including:

“Why is this (expletive deleted) taking so long!!! I really don’t understand!!!!

Anybody knows what’s going on with the Celtics? Cause I don’t!!!!!

Well I’m not worried about Sheldon!!! Great. Guy and great player!!! But we are different players you know!!!!!

I wonder how the weather (is in) Boston cause I haven’t been there in so long!!!!

I like some of you guys ideas!!!! I going to tell danny (ainge) about some of you guys ideas!!!!

I don’t know why then they sign (Williams) before me!!

Well I don’t know where I’m going to be!!! Where (you) guys think I’m going to be!!! Who needs a pf?”

Only the Twitter account wasn’t even Davis’. It was some random imposter claiming to be Davis, and Davis immediately called Danny Ainge to tell him it wasn’t really him making the tweets.

With the Big Baby Twitter fiasco in mind, here are some tweets from other noted athetes’ Twitter accounts, which may or may not be real…

@RashardLewis – Anybody know where I can get some syringes?

@MarcinGortat – Did the Magic really just pay me $34 million???

@JasonKidd – My son is gorgeous.

@DrewBledsoe – I still think I’m better than Tom Brady…

@JoshHoward – Burning one down, again…4th time today

@ShawnMarion – Doesn’t Cuban know I’m already washed up?

@AllenIverson – Guys, I won an MVP, four scoring titles & took E-Snow to the finals!!

@SebastianTelfiar – I hope the Clippers don’t think I can be a good backup point guard

@RashardLewis – They aren’t for me, for some other guy I know. Really

@ShawnMarion – Burning one down with @JoshHoward

@AntoineWalker – Looking for work. Desperately

@KobeBryant – $4 million apology rings go a long way

@DougChristie – Getting spanked by my wife. No, not fun - I am in trouble for talking to another girl. It was just my aunt!

@TonyRomo – RT @DonovanMcnabb TO was the best teammate I’ve ever had – HAHAHA

@CharlieVillanueva – Not even my mom thought I was worth $40 million. Thanks Joe D.

@CharlieWeis – This coaching gig really isn’t as easy as it looks.

@DirkNowitzki – Looking for @JoshHoward, trying to burn one down. He’s not picking up my calls

@PedroMartinez – Wish I’d quit after 2004

@A-Rod – I hit a walkoff home run? Against the Red Sox? Are you sure?

@ZachRandolph – Why do teams keep trading for me? I’m a well-known clubhouse cancer!

@RudyGay – Why the hell did we trade for Zach Randolph??

@OJMayo – Isn’t Zach Randolph a clubhouse cancer?

@ChrisWallace – HAHAH screwed my team over yet again! Traded for Zach Randolph!!

@BenGordon – I’m not worth $55 mil, but can you believe how much they gave Charlie V?

@StephonMarbury – People just don’t understand me. I’m a good, normal guy. Really.

@JoshHoward – Nobody tell Dirk, but I’m about to smoke again. 5th time. By the way, it’s 11 a.m.

@DwyaneWade – Is Mario Chalmers really our starting point guard???

@RashardLewis – @MannyRamirez Thanks for recommending that syringe spot

And finally…

@DougChristie – If any females are following me, please stop. I'm not allowed to have female followers. I love my wife sooo much!!

Allen Iverson's Legacy in Decline

Jay King — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 11:26:25 -0400

We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will. – Chuck Palahniuk, author of "Fight Club"

Every great basketball player leaves behind a legacy.

Fair or not, that legacy is the way he will be remembered for the rest of time.

Some players’ legacies are carved throughout their entire careers. Michael Jordan, for instance, spent his whole basketball life becoming known as the greatest basketball player who ever lived.

With every championship he won, every MVP trophy he received and every gravity-defying move he made, Michael padded his glory and cemented his status as the best basketball player to ever walk the face of the earth.

Years from now, when our grandchildren’s grandchildren discuss the best basketball players to ever grace the hardwood, Jordan will still be mentioned. The memories of his career and the transcendent nature of his talents have led to Jordan’s lasting legacy as the best of the best.

Other legacies are set by a single moment that becomes a symbol for a whole career. Willis Reed, a New York Knicks great who averaged 18.7 points and 12.9 rebounds per game during an illustrious career, will never be remembered for any of his regular-season exploits.

Whether or not you like it, Reed will always be known for the most Herculean four-point effort in NBA history, when he hobbled onto the floor despite a torn muscle in his right leg, inspiring his team to its first NBA championship.

Willis averaged 33 points and 15 rebounds during the first four games of that series, but nobody ever remembers that. He will forever be linked to that four-point performance, when fate met circumstance and Reed became a legend. Reed is remembered for a great moment, but his incredibly solid career has been overlooked due to that one special night.

Every basketball player, every person, has a legacy that lasts after they’ve played their last game or taken their last breath.

Allen Iverson’s legacy is in trouble. His last few years, mired in selfish on-court play and divisive off-court demeanor, are threatening to mar a career filled with stellar accomplishments.

And it’s sad, because AI spent much of his career overcoming the prejudices that precluded his entrance to the NBA. He wore doo-rags, styled his hair in cornrows, and had bountiful tattoos.

Still, he earned the begrudging respect of even the most conservative observers by being a tough, tough bastard who brought 100 percent effort every night he took the floor.

I hope people can look past these few years and see Iverson’s career for what it was. For a time during the late 1990s and early 2000s, Iverson was the most stirring talent in the NBA.

He attacked the basket with reckless abandon, sacrificing his body and bouncing back time after time from contact that would have hurt players twice his size. During that time, Iverson was without a doubt the toughest player in the league, pound for pound.

With his daring drives to the basket and uncanny penchant for finishing at the rim, “The Answer” defied logic. He was a 6’0”, 170 pound shooting guard who didn’t even have a nice outside shot. But he had the heart of a heavyweight champion, and carried his teams to heights they never should have reached.

Do you remember those teams he played on in Philly? How about the team he brought to the NBA finals? The second- and third-leading scorers were Theo Ratliff and Dikembe Mutombo, respectively. When those guys are your best shot-blockers, your team probably has a pretty good defense.

But when they’re your top scorers? You’re team should be in big, big trouble.

Still, Iverson led them to the finals. He carried that team on his back and proved himself to be a rare player capable of leading a team almost single-handedly to the finals. Most teams need a second star, and maybe a third, to reach the finals.

But Iverson rolled solo, taking a bunch of role players to that finals berth. He was the premier scorer in the league—and a winner, too.

Undoubtedly, Iverson has faults. He has had brushes with the law, complained about going to practice, and is known as a tough player to coach. He’s been late for meetings, skipped practices altogether, and takes a lot of shots. He tends to dominate the ball and has struggled to fit in with other star players.

But let’s not let his flaws, nor these last couple down years, make us forget everything this man has accomplished. Let’s not forget the Allen Iverson who used a lightning-quick crossover, a devastating first step and explosive scoring ability to become the league’s MVP in 2001.

Let’s not forget the man who played every night with a chip on his shoulder, as if he had to prove himself all over again each time he took the court. Let’s not forget the warrior who played far bigger than his slight frame would suggest, who not only succeeded but stood out in a league of giants, through sheer will and utter determination.

We all die.

But Allen Iverson’s career and all his accomplishments should leave a lasting, positive mark that lives on forever.

Brought to you by Celtics Town.

NBA Summer League Awards, Pop Culture Style

Jay King — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 02:07:11 -0400

Brought to you by Celtics Town

The NBA Summer League is a fun time. Even though, many times, summer league performances are random flashes of greatness rather than signs of future stardom, it’s enjoyable to watch all the rookies and young players and see glimpses of who may emerge as the NBA’s next star.

Guys like Marcus Banks, though, have proven that summer league performances must always be taken with a grain of salt, as the summer league is a far different game than the NBA. Banks’ 42-point explosion was memorable for being completely un-indicative of how Banks plays in a real NBA game but—while we’re on the subject—can we talk about how Marcus decided after that outburst, which was in his first game, to sit out the rest of the summer league (blaming it on his “shoulder”)?

If I’m Marcus and I have 42, I’m coming back for more the next game. I’m coming back with a whole bunch of confidence to try to work on my clearly flawed game. But Marcus?

He sat out the rest of the summer league, in hopes of securing a big deal out of his one terrific summer league game (and he actually got one, worth $3.5 million a year).

And I guess Marcus’s reaction, not mine, is the spirit of summer league. These guys aren’t fighting for big point totals or even wins—they’re fighting for their futures. For the guys who weren’t first-round picks in this past year’s draft, they’re at summer league for a reason.

They’re there either because they want to earn more minutes for next year or because they don’t have a contract yet. Summer league basketball is a battleground moreso than a competition for wins.

When players are playing for their livelihood, sitting out a few games to get that first big contract of their career is nothing. After all, a big game or two in summer league doesn’t pay the bills. But that contract will.

At the same time, games are played and some players play well and others, well, don’t. And that means there are some 2009 NBA Summer League Awards to hand out.

The Dennis Green Award

Given to the player who “is who we thought he was,” Blake Griffin. Griffin was seen as far and away the best prospect in the draft, and failed to disappoint in the summer league.

All Griffin did was put up a ho-hum 19.2 points and 10.8 rebounds per game, even throwing in 3.2 assists for good measure. He still has some things to work on (his 45.9% free throws really stands out), but Griffin showed the athleticism, fearlessness and skills that make him such a cant-miss prospect.

The Ocean’s 11 Award

Given to the steal of the draft, DeJuan Blair. Blair, drafted by the Spurs with the 37th pick, apparently fell that low because he actually doesn’t have either ACL.

I don’t know how that works out, but I do know this—Blair is as good a rebounder as there is in this draft. At the very least, he will be like Reggie Evans—a rebounder who brings relentless effort and unparalleled rebounding off the bench.

But Blair is more talented than Evans, with super soft hands and a knack for carving out space down low to be able to finish against far bigger—ahem, taller—opponents. He should amount to more than just a designated rebounder.

The Harold and Kumar Award

Given to a very talented duo, but one that may not fare as well the next time around. For Harold and Kumar, the second time around was the sequel; for Anthony Randolph and Anthony Morrow, it will be the regular season.

The tandem from Golden State was truly impressive, as Randolph averaged a summer league-leading 26.8 ppg and Morrow was right behind him at 24.7 ppg. But the regular season likely won’t be as promising for Golden State fans.

Randolph, despite putting on some weight over the offseason, should still struggle with the NBA’s physicality. He has a bunch of talent and a long, athletic frame, but his thin build will haunt him until he puts on a little more weight. And Morrow?

He can score in a hurry when he’s on (note his 47-point summer league showing and 37-point show in his first ever NBA start), and can certainly shoot (46.7% 3pt% last year), but Don Nelson has a strange tendency to yank around his young players’ minutes.

If Morrow can ever get consistent minutes, he should be a dead-eye shooter for the Warriors, but getting those steady minutes under Nelson’s sometimes bi-polar coaching may be tough.

As time passes by, this duo could become great for the Warriors. But, for now, they are still a long way away from helping the Warriors become contenders.

The Frank Lucas Award

Remember in American Gangster, when Frank Lucas shot a rival drug lord right in the face, in the middle of a crowded street? The award in his honor goes to a player who is never afraid to fire, no matter what the circumstances—Steph Curry.

Curry scored 17.4 points per game in the summer league, but took 16 shots per game to get there. In order to succeed in the NBA, Curry will have to improve his efficiency and learn to take better shots. Nobody doubts that Curry has a spectacular shooting stroke, but he gets himself in trouble by taking tough, contested shots.

The Hangover Award

The award named in honor of my favorite summer movie is given to the summer league’s best story, an article about David Harrison by The Denver Post’s Chris Dempsey. You should really check out the article yourself, but I’ll give you a couple glimpses of the unintended comedy offered by Dempsey.

Harrison, on his life: “I'm not focused on the fame, the money, the women, anything really. It's just more now, what are people going to say about me when I'm dead?”

Harrison, on whether he’s a drug addict: “I don't think I'm a drug addict or an alcoholic or any of those things. I'm just very self-centered.”

Harrison’s brother D.J., on the Pacers team Harrison played for that got into the famous Palace Brawl: “He had the craziest group of characters assembled on one team. There was nowhere to hide on that team.”

In addition to providing all kinds of comedy, the story is actually a heartwarming piece that describes Larry Bird as a great friend to Harrison. Harrison gives Bird all types of credit for helping to turn his life around when everything was going downhill.

After reading this entertaining and emotional story, Harrison is a guy to root for in the future.

The Rocky Balboa Award

To a player who should have been done with summer league long ago, yet still put on a pretty good performance, Adam Morrison. Had Morrison lived up to the expectations he carried after a star-studded career at Gonzaga, he never would have participated in the 2009 NBA Summer League.

But he didn’t live up to expectations, so he was there, battling with the NBA’s rookies and journeymen, looking for a chance to revive his career. Morrison actually played very well, showing glimpses of the scoring machine he once was.

He put up 20.8 points and 5.0 rebounds per game, but—to be able to find a role with the Lakers—he will have to improve his efficiency.

The Green Street Hooligans Award

One of the most overlooked movies of the last decade, the award in Green Street Hooligans’ honor is given to one of the draft’s most overlooked players, Brandon Jennings.

An absolute athletic freak who is actually a pure point guard, Jennings has the talent to become a top-shelf point guard, yet fell all the way to tenth in the draft. I know Jennings failed to really make his mark during his year in Europe, but this guy oozes with talent. And he was just the fifth point guard taken in the draft.

A lot of NBA GMs are going to regret passing on Jennings, who averaged 14.6 points and 8.2 assists over five summer league games and flashed the potential that could make him an elite NBA point guard sooner rather than later.

So, there you have it—the first annual Celtics Town Summer League Awards.

Why the Boston Celtics' 17th Championship Meant So Much

Jay King — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 04:16:36 -0400

There are some things you know you’re never going to forget.

In my sports life, a few of those memories stick out.

There was my first trip to the Boston Garden, when I got to see Larry Bird and the Celtics take on the New Jersey Nets. I was very young at the time, but knew even then that I would never forget my first glimpse of the famous parquet floor.

There was the time I hit my first game-winning jumpshot and, even though it was only a summer league game played outside at a park, I was mobbed by my teammates and treated like a king. A young kid just doesn’t forget that.

There was the time the Red Sox won their first World Series, snapping an 86-year drought and sending me, and all of Red Sox Nation, into euphoria. I was a senior in high school, and when Foulke sent that final out over to first base, my whole childhood, spent rooting for a cursed team, was validated.

There was the time I missed two huge free throws in a game that could have extended my high school career and sent my team to the high school regional finals. In what ended up being my last high school game, I was the goat, and my greatest memory of the agony of defeat could not have come at a worse time.

And then there was June 17, 2008—the Boston Celtics’ first championship of my lifetime.

To understand just how much that championship means to any Celtics’ fan, you have to first understand the depths of despair that had encompassed the Celtics’ franchise since Larry Bird’s retirement.

Between his retirement, in 1992, and the 2008 season, the Celtics had only four winning seasons, and not even a single 50-win season. An organization used to at least contending for a championship every year, the Celtics had quickly become the dregs of the NBA.

For us fans, those years were brutal. To put it in persepective, I grew up watching guys like Brett Szabo actually start basketball games. Szabo was bad enough to be out of the NBA after one year, but good enough to start 24 games for the dismal 1996-97 C’s during that year.

My childhood is filled with memories of Szabo, Marty Conlon, Dwayne Shintzius, and Pervis Ellison. If watching those guys play basketball—in the NBA, no less—isn’t enough to scar somebody for life, I don’t know what is.

Still, true Celtics followers stayed fans. In a society that puts a premium on both winning and sports, having a bad team can really drag you down. Watching your team lose night after night and season after season can cause people to latch on to any hope for better days in the future.

Well, for the Celtics there was no hope. Even during their best season during the championship drought, the Celtics won only 49 games. They advanced all the way to the Eastern Conference finals that year, but any observer, even the most biased, knew the Celtics had no chance to win a title.

Had they gotten to the finals, the C’s would have been mauled by the Shaq- and Kobe-led Lakers, just as the New Jersey Nets they lost to were. There was never any hope for the Celtics.

Being a Red Sox fan, at least the Sox gave me hope. They, too, lost year after year, but it was exciting to be their fan because so many of those teams had championship aspirations.

Each spring, the Sox gave me joy by competing for championships. They may have crushed my hopes every year with their latest devastating loss but, along the way, those teams brought me so many great times.

With the Celts, each year seemed bleaker than the last, and any hopes were crushed by the knowledge that management would destroy any chance of developing into a true contender. Not only were the Celtics bad, but they made terrible move after terrible move.

There was the hiring of Rick Pitino, which started out in glorious fashion when the C’s took down the mighty Chicago Bulls on opening night. Everything was great until the next game, when the Celtics began a five-game losing streak and Pitino was exposed as a coach way over his head in the NBA game.

The Pitino era failed miserably, and a 36-win season was the best he could muster during his three and a half-year tenure.

Then there were the trades. Oh man, there were the trades. Just a hint for future GM’s —when your team is looking to rebuild, don’t trade away all your young talent for aging vets.

Well, the Celtics decided to go the opposite route, trading away any and all potential stars for decent, aging vets on the downside of their careers. First, the Celtics got rid of Chauncey Billups midway through his rookie season for the getting-older-by-the-day Kenny Anderson.

Chauncey had been the third pick in that year’s draft and has obviously developed into a hell of an NBA player, leading his teams to seven straight berths in the conference finals and earning the moniker “Mr. Big Shot” along the way. But that trade at least helped the Celtics that season, right?

In fact, Billups was averaging 11 points and 4 assists during his half-season in Boston. Kenny Anderson, the guy he was traded for, averaged 11 points and 6 assists. With Billups, the Celtics were 23-28. With Anderson, 13-18. Only the mismanaged Celtics could mortgage their future to get worse in the short term.

Next was the Joe Johnson trade. The C’s traded away Johnson for grizzled vets Rodney Rogers and Tony Delk. The Johnson trade actually did help in the short term, as the presence of Rogers and Delk helped the C’s into the Eastern Conference Finals.

But, with Shaq and Kobe out west, they had no chance of ever winning a title, so why give up a future star for role players just to help you win a few more games? The next year, Rogers was in New Jersey, Delk averaged a measly 9.8 points for the Celts, and Joe Johnson was in Phoenix—well on his way to becoming a star.

Finally, after all those bad moves left them with a young, inexperienced and not very talented roster, the Celtics bottomed out. They finished a terrible 24-58 season and had a 42.8 percent chance of landing the first or second pick in the draft.

In a draft that supposedly included two can’t miss superstars (Greg Oden has since become an utter disappointment but Kevin Durant has panned out), the Celtics were poised to finally add the needed piece to push them into the NBA’s upper echelon. Celtics fans, after such a long, dreary period in their franchise, finally regained hope.

That hope was crushed when the Celtics defied all odds and received the draft’s fifth pick, instead of the coveted one or two slots. You know the scene in Dumb and Dumber where Lloyd Christmas is in a restaurant with Mary Swanson and ends up getting into a fight with the cook?

Lloyd punched deep into the cook’s chest, ripped out his heart and put it in a doggy bag. Well, we as Celtics’ fans were the cook, and management, fate and the sports gods had been Lloyd Christmas, tearing out our collective heart and leaving it in a doggy bag.

Weeks later, and I am still shocked at how quickly the turnaround occurred, everything was cured. The Celtics had inexplicably turned Al Jefferson and a bunch of young, unproven players and draft picks into Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett. For a Celtics’ fan base yearning for a winner, the trade finally gave us the chance to root for a contender.

From day one, the new-look C’s surpassed every expectation we had for them. While most newly-configured teams have a learning curve to gel and become truly elite teams, the Celtics played from opening night like they had been together for years and romped their way to an NBA-best 66-16 season.

But it wasn’t just the winning that made us so crazy about the team. In fact, it was far more than the winning.

We were crazy about the Celtics because of their adopted motto, “ubuntu”, meaning “I am because we are.”

I say the Celtics adopted the motto, but they didn’t so much adopt it as they made it a way of life. A team with three superstars who had never played together was supposed to go through growing pains, struggling to share the spotlight and the ball.

Instead, the team was a cohesive unit from day one, moving the ball with crisp precision for open shots on offense and making quick and seamless defensive rotations on defense.

We were crazy about the Celtics because of James Posey’s pre-game hugs. In an era where open displays of affection are frowned upon, Posey’s hugs were a sign of solidarity that most NBA teams just don’t have.

Before every game, when Posey wrapped his arms around the starters and held them, whispering something into their ear, it was never more clear that the Celtics were brothers working together towards the same goal—an NBA championship.

We were crazy about the Celtics because of our new stars. There was Kevin Garnett, whose intense ways worked the Garden crowds into a frenzy. His selfless play embodied everything the Celtics stood for, and his intensity wore off on all his teammates.

When KG smacked his head against the basket support, as he did before every game, we marveled at his passion and were in awe of his dedication to winning. And there was Ray Allen, the consummate professional with the smooth jumpshot and never-ending grace.

Allen was a class act, and everything that’s right with the NBA. When he released his picture-perfect three-pointers, the whole crowd just knew it was going in—every miss was a shock. Neither of our new stars had won a championship, but both thirsted after it with endless desire.

We were crazy about the Celtics because of our old star, Paul Pierce. Through the years, we had come to love Pierce and his tough, battling spirit. Pierce had always been the C’s lone ranger and, in 2008, was finally given the opportunity to play with worthy teammates.

He had gone through his ups and downs in Boston, but had done so much for the community and the organization that he had earned the city’s respect. We had come to love Pierce and rooted for him on his quest to finally bring a championship to Boston. We trusted him with the ball in the game’s final moments, and knew he’d do everything he could to take us to the promised land.

So on June 17, 2008, when Pierce did just that and the Celtics hammered the Lakers to win their 17th title, it was a jubilant night for all of us fans. But that moment was more than just that night. A moment isn’t merely a snapshot of time, it’s a culmination of all things that occur before it.

Looking back at all my special moments, none of them would have been so exceptional without the events leading up them. My first trip to a Celtics game wouldn’t have been nearly as important to me if I hadn’t first fallen in love with the C’s.

My first game-winning shot wouldn’t have mattered as much if I hadn’t spent so much time practicing to come through when my team needed me the most.

My first Red Sox championship wouldn’t have meant the same if the team hadn’t given me so much joy and so much heartbreak over the years.

My missed free throws wouldn’t have been a big deal if I hadn’t loved my teammates and wanted to win so badly, for me and for them.

And my first Boston Celtics championship wouldn’t have meant so much to me had it not been for all those disappointing years. It wouldn’t have meant so much if I hadn’t grown to love every player on the roster, if I hadn’t desperately wanted a championship for each and every one of them.

It wouldn’t have meant so much if I hadn’t been a Celtics fan since birth and worshipped every past and current Celtics star.

So when the Celtics finally earned that 17th banner, it wasn’t just the 131-92 victory that counted.

It was everything that led up to the championship, too.

Brought to you by Celtics Town.

Sam Jones: Sadly and Undeservingly Forgotten Over Time

Jay King — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 09:14:33 -0400

Once upon a time, the Celtics had a shooting guard who won 10 championships in 12 seasons. Not only that, but he didn't just ride the coat tails of the other players. Oh no, this shooting guard led the Celtics in scoring five times – and four of the season’s he led the team in scoring, his Celtics won the NBA title.

He made five all-star games, and was selected to the All-NBA second-team on three different occasions. In the 1965 playoffs, with the Celtics gunning for their seventh straight championship, this shooting guard played the best basketball of his career, averaging 28.6 points and leading the Cs to a tough series victory over the Philadelphia 76ers and a resounding rout of the Lakers in the finals.

Later, in 1969—his final season—this shooting guard hit a game-winning shot against the Lakers in Game Four of the finals, rescuing the Celtics from a sure loss and propelling them to a tightly-contested seven-game victory.

So it's safe to say that there are streets in Boston named after him, right? That people still talk about his exploits as if they were there when they happened? That any Bostonian could walk by him, immediately recognize him and think, "Man, oh man, that guy was unbelievable in his day?"

Wrong.

The passing of time has immortalized Celtics legends such as Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, Larry Bird, and Red Auerbach, but left Sam Jones forgotten in history's wake. While most players who have starred for the Celtics remain icons to this day, Jones' legacy has failed to survive through the years. For a player so gifted, so productive, and so exceptional, it's a shame that Boston has so easily disregarded his career, overlooked his excellence, and ignored his accomplishments.

And Jones worked so hard to get where he was. When Boston drafted Jones with the eighth overall pick in the 1957 NBA draft, Jones was actually devastated. Coming from North Carolina Central, a small Divison 2 college without a great basketball pedigree, the 6'4" shooting guard didn’t think he had what it took to cut it with the defending-world champion Celtics. Some players would react to that insecurity by losing confidence and letting their doubts negatively affect their play.

But not Jones.

Jones wasn't ready to contribute to the Celtics right away (averaging a paltry 4.6 point per game during his rookie season), but he never stopped working and never stopped believing in himself. According to Auerbach, Jones would "do anything you ask him. He's always in shape and ready to play, and nobody works any harder at basketball than he does."

With such an unrelenting work ethic, it wasn't long after Jones' unproductive rookie season that he transformed himself from a bench-warmer toiling in the shadows of better players to a contributing player destined for greatness.

It took Jones four seasons to join Bob Cousy in the starting backcourt but, when he did, he had already earned his teammates' admiration and his opponents' begrudging respect. According to Cousy, "Sam and Bill Sharman are probably most responsible for me getting into the Hall-of-Fame, because whenever I'd throw them the ball, they’d put it in the damn hole."

Sam could always make shots, and had an ability to score that rivaled any player in the league. About Jones' basketball abilities, Auerbach proclaimed, "I would like to thank Sam Jones for making me a helluva coach."

During their glory years, Jones was the Celtics’ best scorer. He could fill it up from any angle—a kiss off the glass, tear drops over big men's outstretched hands, pull-ups in transition, you name it—but still has never been granted the respect and admiration bestowed upon most Celtics greats.

And it's sad. When a deserving player fails to receive the undying gratitude granted to all the other Boston stars, one wonders what went wrong. Jones has rarely been back to Boston after his playing days, blaming his unwillingness to return on a lack of an invitation. He doesn't know why he has been so unaccepted in Boston since his retirement, but remembers Boston's racism and hopes the prejudice has "changed for the better."

So, next time you talk about the Celtics dynasty and their star players Russell, Cousy, Tom Heinsohn, and John Havlicek, don't forget the Celtics' best scorer from that era. For decades, Jones has been overlooked by the media and fans alike, staying mostly out of the spotlight and never being paid the reverence his career merited.

Now, it's time Jones finally receives his due for his part in making the Celtics the greatest organization in NBA history.

He earned it long ago.

This article is brought to you by Celtics Town.

Rasheed Wallace Signs with Celtics, Gives Boston Championship Swagger

Jay King — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 08:28:55 -0400

Swagger

v. To walk with an air of overbearing self-confidence. (Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary)

In most aspects of life, “walking with an air of overbearing self-confidence” wouldn’t be a good thing. To have swagger means you are a bit conceited, a bit pompous, a bit off-putting.

But to have swagger in basketball?

Swagger allows you to play at a level players who lack confidence just can’t reach. Swagger gives you the bravado to take on all comers, the audacity to challenge anyone, and the ability to thrive even when everyone else counts you out.

Swagger gives players a distinct edge, and those who don’t have it are often left in the dust. You can never count out players who have swagger, mostly because they’re too full of themselves to realize they aren’t as talented as the opposing team’s players.

Think about the all-time greats. They all had an abundance of confidence; all carried with them the knowledge that there was nobody who could stop them, nobody who could get in the way of their doing what they needed to do to win games.

Larry Bird was a lesson in swagger. Bird wasn’t the most athletic player on a basketball court—hell, he wasn’t even close. But Bird had an undeniable confidence in himself. He believed in himself no matter the circumstances.

His undying faith in his own play let Bird reach heights he otherwise never would have attained. Sure, Larry was a great passer, a terrific shooter, and an incredibly talented player, but it was Bird’s confidence that set him apart from the other stars of his era.

I bet you all remember, or at least have heard of, Bird’s fight with Dr. J in 1984. But did you know that the fight came after Bird had outscored the Doctor 42-6 through the first three quarters, chirping in his ear after every score to continuously let him know just how badly he was outplaying him? That’s swagger.

How about when the Celtics called a timeout in a tie game with the Seattle SuperSonics? Bird walked over to his defender, Xavier McDaniel, and told him not only that he was going to hit a game-winning shot, but also where he was going to hit it.

Then, after hitting a shot from that exact spot, Bird was actually upset with himself—he hadn’t wanted to leave time on the clock for the Sonics to have a last chance. Swagger.

Remember when he asked his competitors in the 1987 three-point contest who was coming in second place? Swagger.

Or the time documented in Reggie Miller’s book, I Love Being the Enemy—the Pacers and Celtics were in a close game with little time left on the clock and Bird shooting free throws. Miller, a rookie at the time, started talking trash while Bird was on the line.

In between the first and second free throws, Bird looked at Miller and said, “Rook, I am the best f------ shooter in the league. In the league, understand? And you're up here trying to f------ tell me something?” Then, Bird calmly canned the next free throw. Swagger.

Was Bird a great player? Obviously. Would he have been a great player even without his cocky nature? No doubt.

But his confidence, his cockiness, his swagger, enabled him to become one of the greatest players of all-time. Because Bird had such an overwhelming belief in his own talent, nobody could ever count him out of any game. Bird had an uncanny knack of rising to the occasion, and it can be directly linked to his never-ending confidence.

So why am I talking so much about swagger? I should be talking about the Celtics’ newest addition, Rasheed Wallace, right?

Well, in talking about swagger, I am talking about ‘Sheed, and I am certainly talking about the 2009-2010 Celtics.

Next year’s Celtics will have an unbelievable amount of bravado, an unparalleled confidence, and an unshakable trust in their capabilities. They may not have the most talented roster in the league, but the C’s will be second to none when it comes to championship swagger.

When Paul Pierce hits yet another big shot or carries his team to victory with another high-scoring fourth quarter? Swagger.

When Ray Allen comes off a screen and cans a three-pointer to tie the game or send it into overtime? Swagger.

When Kevin Garnett barks in people’s faces, crawls on all fours, and then drops 26 and 14 in the deciding game of the Finals? Swagger.

When Rajon Rondo takes charge of a team already featuring three superstars and becomes a triple-double machine? Swagger.

When Kendrick Perkins refuses to be intimidated by Dwight Howard and mostly bottles him up for an entire seven-game series? Swagger.

When Eddie House drops three after three and screams in his opponent’s face after every shot? Swagger.

But what about when Rasheed Wallace comes off the bench to provide the C’s with exactly the defensive presence, offensive versatility, and championship experience they need in their second unit?

Yup. You guessed it. That’s swagger.

Brought to you by Celtics Town.

'Sheed on Way in, Steph on Way Out, Big Baby Situation, and More

Jay King — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 01:21:16 -0400

With the Celtics firmly entrenched in the dog days of summer, basketball news has grinded to a virtual halt. Yeah, there’s the occasional free agent signing and the rumor mill, but this time of year sucks.

If you’re a guy like me, you miss basketball season desperately. You turn on SportsCenter and, where there was once slam dunks and no-look passes, there is now groundouts and pop flies.

The basketball offseason is truly depressing, and a fan can only look forward to the next basketball action. Thankfully, the Orlando Summer League begins on July 6—though it isn’t as good as the regular season, at least it isn’t any more f------- baseball.

To help myself, and you, get through the brutal dog days, here is the latest edition of the Celtics Town Mailbag!

At that place in the draft I think Hudson was a good pick and I agree the Celtics need to upgrade through free agents (buy or kidnap) but they can help themselves also by getting rid of Marbury!

He is a negative brooding divisive element when the key ingredient for a championship team is team work and working to be all that you can be and helping others to be that, too! I see he thinks he can start on another team!

What? He couldn’t even play backup and make a difference when that was what we got him for! He was pathetic and when we needed him in the playoffs he might have been better off finding a shrink because he needs someone to shrink his head!

Get rid of him and let the door hit him!!! Whatever it takes!!! What do you think? - Dennis Brooks (Rochester, IL)

Well Dennis, first and foremost you get the award as most interesting question of the week. Any time you can mention kidnapping, shrinks, and the long-time Army slogan (“Be all that you can be! Join the U.S. Army!) in one question, you know your question is definitely going to get published.

Now let’s talk about your question. The Celtics didn’t necessarily take your advice, but they didn’t accommodate Marbury’s requests, either. After the Celts offered him a one-year, $1.3 million contract (the veteran’s minimum), Marbury seemed as if he’s played his last game for the C’s.

Apparently, he was very disappointed in the offer, thinking a player of his caliber deserves more.

Really, Steph? You deserve more? Was it your 3.8 points and 3.3 assists over 23 regular season games last year that deserved more? Or your 34 percent field goals percentage? No, it wan’t either of those? Oh, then it must be your reputation as a clubhouse cancer.

Steph is lucky he’s even being offered a contract by any team. He should jump at the chance to play for the Celtics, where he can play meaningful minutes and contend for a championship.

Even if another team offers him more money or an extra year or two on his contract, Steph won’t get a better offer than the C’s. He should be jumping at the chance to return and change everybody’s mind about his entire career.

If he does somehow come back, I actually think the Celtics could use him. You have to remember this about last season—he was coming off a year and a half without basketball when he made his return last year.

He was rusty, out of shape, and hesitant trying to fit in with the defending world champs. Give Steph a year of training camp and I think he might turn some heads next season.

There have been some rumors about the Celtics in talks to acquire Rasheed Wallace, a talented but controversial big man. Do you think they should and what would he bring to the table? – John (MA)

John, I’ve actually written an article about the possibility of the combustible combination of Rasheed and KG. However, that one’s more of a funny article describing the personalities of the two stars rather than discussing the effect Wallace will have on the Celtics if he signs.

As a player, Wallace is exactly what the C’s need. Last season, they sorely lacked a center to come off the bench and give them solid defensive minutes. Leon Powe and Glen Davis were both undersized power forwards, yet they still had to guard centers on many occasions last year and, of course, struggled.

Mikki Moore and Brian Scalabrine were, well, Mikki Moore and Brian Scalabrine. Neither of them will probably ever be a rotation player on a championship team, and both lack what it takes to be consistent low-post defenders.

Rasheed, on the other hand, is a proven commodity on both ends of the floor. He will be able to guard any power forward or center in the NBA. He is a very good post defender and a tough rebounder. Offensively, he will step out and hit a jumper, but can also be very effective scoring on the blocks.

I’ve heard more than a few people worried about how the addition of Wallace would impact team chemistry, but Wallace is a proven winner and an unselfish player. I think he would fit right in with the Celtics, who care about nothing but winning ball games.

The Celtics have their own power forward they have yet to resign. Glen Davis just averaged 16 point and 6 rebounds for the playoffs, and he’s only 23 years old. Why are the Celtics so focused on signing Rasheed Wallace? – Gary (Billerica, MA)

The Celtics are so singularly focused, it seems, on signing Rasheed Wallace because they realize how much his abilities mesh with their team. Glen Davis had a great year, and is a young, up-and-coming player, but his shortcomings really hurt the Celtics last year. He isn’t a great low-post defender, and can be scored over by any decent big man.

Because Big Baby isn’t a good matchup for a lot of people, it really hurt the Celtics when he was forced to guard Rashard Lewis or other perimeter power forwards. Wallace will make the Celtics a far better defensive team, and defensively is how the Celtics win games.

Big Baby will be a productive scorer in this league for a long time to come, but his deficiencies on the glass and matching up with certain players haunted the Celtics at times last year.

Still, he can be a very productive power forward, and the Celtics still seem likely to resign him. Right now, the Celtics can afford to play the waiting game with Davis because they have the ability to match any contract he is offered. And THAT, more than anything, is why you’ve heard a lot more about ‘Sheed than you have about Davis.

All I’ve heard about the Celtics this past week is Rasheed, Rasheed, Rasheed. Are they targeting any other free agents? – Petey (MA)

According to Danny Ainge, the Celtics have begun talks with at least 10 free agents. One of them, obviously, is Rasheed Wallace. Ainge said the Celtics contacted 10 guys the first night of free agency, to see what they were looking for in terms of a contract.

Outside of spending most of his time recruiting Wallace, Ainge seems content to play the waiting game and scoop up whatever free agents fall through the cracks and will be available for the veteran minimum.

It seems to be the same strategy Ainge used last year that really didn’t work out. He tried to hang back and wait for the cheap free agents, but the Celtics were spurned and ended up losing Posey and every other player they targeted. I hope Ainge isn’t as nonchalant this offseason and realizes the urgency to sign a few capable subs.

Guys Danny might be interested in are Grant Hill, Anthony Parker, Marcin Gortat, Shawn Marion (for the right price), Chris Anderson, Antonio McDyess and Matt Barnes.

I really liked your (2010 NBA Mock Draft) rankings, but my only question is do you really think that there is that big of a gap between Lance Stephenson and Xavier Henry? I personally think Henry is the better player because he is a better shooter and slightly bigger. – Scott (MA)

I really think Stephenson’s game is far more suited for the NBA than Henry’s is. Both players are supremely talented and have dominated the high school ranks for years, but Henry doesn’t have the athleticism that Stephenson does.

I have had the pleasure of watching both of them in person, and came away impressed with both players. I am just higher on Stephenson because his physical makeup shouts NBA superstar, while Henry, for such a stud, lacks the explosiveness to truly become an outstanding pro.

Don’t get me wrong, I think Henry will be a very good pro—he already has an NBA-ready body and a great shooting stroke. I just don’t see him as having superstar potential. I know Xavier is ESPN’s top-rated player, but he just doesn’t have that extra speed most NBA superstars possess.

Stephenson will be drafted ahead of Henry because of his better upside. He is a scintillating performer who can go by almost any defender and has great strength to finish at the rim. He isn’t yet as consistent as he will need to be to be an NBA star, but Stephenson has every skill you’d want in a swingman.

That’s it for today’s edition of the Celtics Town mailbag. If you have any questions for the next edition, just submit them using the form here.

Brought to you by Celtics Town.

Powe Must Go, Says Celtics' Front Office

Jay King — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:18:57 -0400

Unfortunately, the NBA is a business.

We received the latest evidence yesterday, when the Boston Celtics declined to tender a qualifying offer to Leon Powe, most likely ending his stay in Boston.

A fan favorite, Powe has defied odds his entire career, battling homelessness, injuries, and his lack of size (for an NBA power forward). The NBA is a cruel world, though, and, when Powe tore his ACL and meniscus in his left knee, the Celtics decided to cut him loose.

How do you let Powe go, Danny, Wyc, Doc, or whoever the hell made the decision? This is a guy who was once a homeless kid on the streets, a guy who became a father-figure and the man of the house at the youthful age of seven.

In case you didn’t know, that was when his little brother accidentally lit his house on fire, and the house burned down, taking with it the Powe’s last semblance of a normal life.

The family was left without a home, without a father (who had left the family when Leon was two), and without any hope, either.

His family bounced from one place to the next, vagabonds and nomads not by choice, but by necessity. Leon took on far greater responsibility than a kid his age should be forced to shoulder, becoming the de facto father of his five siblings.

When their mother was out working long hours to make ends meet, it was Leon at home watching the children. When the children were taken away from the mother, whose long hours at work got in the way of her parenting, and they were placed into foster care, it was Leon who kept the children hopeful and together.

When Leon’s mother died of a heart condition when he was only a junior in high school, it was Leon who comforted and consoled his siblings—it was Leon who made them continue to function through the brutally rough times.

Meanwhile, Leon was given a lifeline by his basketball talent. A consensus top-10 player in the 2003 high school class, Leon was poised to change his life by the skills he demonstrated on the 94’ x 50’ hardwood.

Still, the young power forward from Oakland, California just couldn’t catch a break. Powe had his first knee injury during his junior year of high school, and it nearly destroyed his college prospects and certainly ended the ideas he had entertained about going straight to the NBA out of high school.

His fierce determination refused to let the injury keep him down. He ended up accepting a scholarship to play at the University of California, where he was the Pac-10 freshman of the year, leading the conference in rebounding along the way. Powe was once again well on his way to the NBA, a great prospect with terrific potential.

If you haven’t been able to tell already, it just wasn’t meant to be that easy for Leon. Just when everything was starting to look up again, Leon’s world once again came stumbling to a halt when an ACL injury ended his sophomore season before it even started.

NBA scouts wondered how Powe would return from his second major knee injury, but Leon didn’t disappoint. He rehabbed maniacally and returned for his junior season better than ever.

Averaging over 20 points and 10 rebounds per game, Powe made his way back into the picture for the NBA Draft, and was rewarded for his outstanding recovery when he was drafted in the second round of the 2006 NBA Draft by the Denver Nuggets and subsequently traded to the Boston Celtics.

Powe had finally made it, but he still had to battle once he came into the league. Leon didn’t immediately receive playing time, but fought and fought until Doc Rivers had no chance but to give the young, bruising power forward minutes.

The following year, when Powe erupted for 21 huge points off the bench in Game Two of the NBA Finals, he solidified his reputation as a tough scorer and one of the NBA’s more productive post options off the bench.

When Kevin Garnett went down in the 2008-2009 season and the Celtics needed someone to fill in for his production, Powe became a monster. He had the best stretch of his career just when the Celtics needed it the most, becoming a double-double machine and scoring with amazing efficiency down low.

Sadly, he couldn’t maintain his production, and once again, it was through no fault of his own. Powe had yet another knee injury, a strain this time, and it sidelined him until just before the playoffs.

Leon wouldn’t let the injury keep him down. He’d fought much bigger problems, and he couldn’t allow a simple knee strain to hold him back. He returned to the Celtics' lineup and immediately proved himself healthy enough to contribute to the Celtics' championship defense.

Four games after Powe returned, his season was done. His knee had once again given out on him, his luck once again proved to be inexplicably bad. It was a contract year for Leon, and his injury would keep him from earning the big bucks his play had warranted.

Do you want to know the sad part about the Boston Celtics’ letting Powe go? He sacrificed his entire career to help this team win. Powe must have known his injured knee hadn’t fully recovered, yet he still came back to help his team try to win its second-straight championship. He knew it was his contract year and just sitting out for the playoffs would have made him millions.

But he didn’t care. All he wanted to do was help his team win basketball games. He was willing to flush his next contract down the drain for the Boston Celtics, and now they won’t go to bat for him. They won’t tender him a qualifying offer, not even after all he’s done for the organization.

So, where’s the loyalty, Celts? Don’t you remember what this kid's been through to get to where he is? Don’t you know what he gave up just to help your team in the playoffs?

Here’s a quote from Doc Rivers about how he was lobbying for Powe’s return next year:

“Oh, I lobby all the time. I just don’t do it publicly. I lobby for all my guys. Any guy that has your team at heart, I’m lobbying for him. It’s good to have soldiers in your locker room.

“Forget the basketball. For me, that’s a huge loss. I look at the big picture sometimes, and forget the basketball, he’s going to be a free agent this year. He’s going to have reconstructive surgery, there’s a chance he’s not going to get a contract. He’s done everything right for his coach, and everything right for his team. This kid was homeless, so that hurts. He’s everything that’s right about our league.’’

And the Celtics have demonstrated everything wrong with the league. Money-hungry owners failing to show loyalty, even to the players who have remained most committed to their team.

Powe gave up his contract just to help the C’s. He lost guaranteed millions by demonstrating the loyalty, passion, and devotion to a franchise that turned around and stabbed him in the back.

Leon Powe is everything that’s right about the NBA.

But his story shows everything that still needs to be fixed.

Brought to you by Celtics Town.

Rasheed Wallace and Kevin Garnett: A Potentially Frightening Combination

Jay King — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 01:36:36 -0400

So, in case you guys didn’t know, Rasheed Wallace is rumored to be headed to Boston.

I’m not sure if there is any truth to the rumor, and, two days before the rumor surfaced, I actually read that Boston would not be on Rasheed’s list of teams to choose from.

However, the thought of Rasheed Wallace joining the Celtics makes me absolutely giddy.

I’m not even talking about how Wallace is exactly what the Celtics need on their team. I’m not talking about how his length down low and terrific post defense are precisely what the Celtics lacked during this year’s postseason.

I’m not talking about how he is a great team player and a fantastic shooter for a big man. And, I’m definitely not giddy because I will get a nightly vision of that bald spot, birth mark, or whatever the hell that weird thing is on the back of his head.

No, why I’m so excited goes beyond how Rasheed will help the Celtics win games—and he would most certainly do that. I’m so eager for a potential Rasheed Wallace Era, because Rasheed coming to the Celtics would pair two of the most insane basketball players of all-time—Wallace and Kevin Garnett.

Really, can you imagine a frontcourt tandem of the technical-foul receiving, perennially scowling Wallace and the basket support head-butting, four-legs crawling, constantly trash-talking Garnett?

I don’t think there has ever been a pair of teammates in NBA history that would rival the insanity of those two.

Sure, Stephen Jackson and Ron Artest were nuts, but in a violent, I-may-snap-at-any-time-but-most-of-the-time-I’m-kind-of-normal way. The Jackson-Artest Era culminated in the immortalized “Palace Brawl”, and, after Artest left for Sacramento, Jackson firing gunshots into the air after being hit by a car.

Since those two incidents, the two players have actually been somewhat normal. That ridiculous combination of individuals produced some great highlights of insanity, but still lacked the daily madness that could be next year’s Boston Celtics.

Seriously, just imagine Wallace and Garnett playing together next year.

Those nutjobs would make the Celtics a daily circus. Just listen to this story about Wallace, which is true, by the way.

Rasheed Wallace’s son’s mother once kidnapped his son. When Rasheed was trying to find the kid, he used a Sports Illustrated article to help him publicize the incident and find his child.

Which is all fine.

I suppose that if I had a child and my child’s mother kidnapped my son and went into hiding, I would certainly use a Sports Illustrated article to try to find them.

Right.

Anyways, that isn’t even the juicy part of the story. Wallace had an interview for the story with SI’s L. Jon Wertheim, but decided to put off the interview (which, in case you didn’t already know, was SUPPOSED TO HELP HIM FIND HIS KIDNAPPED SON!) in order to go bowling.

That’s right, bowling.

Meanwhile, he got lost on the way to the bowling alley and stopped directly in the middle of the street to try to determine where the bowling alley was. While Wallace was stopped in the middle of the road, one of the cars behind Wallace’s car started beeping (what a shocker).

So, what does Wallace do?

He hurries up, gets into the car and drives off, hoping he can find the bowling alley, right?

Umm, guess again.

Wallace watches as his passenger, Isaiah “J.R.” Rider, proceeds to step toward the beeping car and spit directly on its windshield.

To paraphrase Billy Madison: “The part of the story I don't like is that Rasheed gave up looking for his son before he even started. He didn't put posters up or anything. He just went bowling like a goon and waited. That man’s gotta think 'You got a son. You got a responsibility.' If your son gets kidnapped by his mother, you don't go bowling then call it quits. You get your ass out there and you find your f------- son.”

Besides his obviously quirky (to say the least) off-court behavior, Wallace is an absolute headcase on the court. He almost never shuts up while he plays and holds the NBA record for most technical fouls.

After the Pistons won the NBA championship in 2004, Wallace not only had WWE championship belts made for himself and all his teammates, he also wore the belt to games during the whole next season.

But Wallace hasn’t gotten crazier with age, he’s been wild his whole career. In a forecast of things to come, Sheed was kicked out of the McDonald’s High School All-American Game.

He once said about referees, “Them cats are felonious, man.” He has been ejected time after time from games, and, most of the time, says he didn’t deserve the overtly blatant technicals.

Now, I hope you’re as ecstatic as I am about pairing him with Kevin Garnett. After all, Garnett is the Celtic who gets so wrapped up in games that he blacks out during the middle of them.

He also spews profanity-laced comments more or less the entire game, crawls on all fours during games and used to share a strange, prolonged hug with James Posey before every game.

Truly, the Wallace-Garnett Era—if it ever happens—has the potential to be the most ludicrous duo in NBA history, surpassing even Jackson and Artest.

Do us all a favor, Rasheed, and sign with the Celtics.

This article is brought to you by Celtics Town.

2010 NBA Mock Draft by Celtics Town: Version 1

Jay King — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:21:05 -0400

Celtics Town 2010 NBA Mock Draft. Click here to see all our NBA draft columns, or here to see our team-by-team draft grades. This is only our first look at the 2010 NBA draft - there will be lots more to come.

1. Derrick Favors 6’10” 220 lbs., Georgia Tech

Derrick Favors is an absolute athletic freak in the mold of a Dwight Howard. Look for him to be a monster in the NBA, using his world-class athleticism to dominate. Favors is about as can’t-miss as a prospect can be, and whatever NBA team gets him will have a future superstar.

2. John Wall PG 6'3"; 175 lbs., Kentucky

Wall will instantly be the most athletic guard in college basketball. Besides being a superb athlete with long arms and explosive quickness and leaping ability, Wall possesses a tremendous basketball IQ and terrific court vision. Similar to Derrick Rose, Wall is an outstanding athlete and polished player. He should be a superstar in the NBA.

3. Greg Monroe PF/C 6’11” 245 lbs., Georgetown

Monroe had an up-and-down freshman season at Georgetown, but even during the downs his talent shone through. The big center is a great talent, with a face-up game abnormal for a player his size. Monroe is also a fantastic passer and has nice post footwork, but so far lacks the aggressiveness he will need to become an NBA star. Still, he has all the tools and is still developing.

4. Lance Stephenson SG/SF 6’5” 215 lbs., Undecided

The controversial Stephenson has been looked upon as by some people as a malcontent, trouble-making player who has too big of an ego. Still, Stephenson’s talent is undeniable. A physical, powerful and explosive guard/forward, Stephenson can overpower his opponents or go by them. He is a terrific penetrator, underrated passer and a wonderful scorer. If he ever gets his head on straight, Stephenson could make an unbelievable pro.

5. Al-Farouq Aminu SF/PF 6’8” 215 lbs., Wake Forest

The versatile Aminu is a very interesting prospect. A Shawn Marion-type athlete, Al-Farouq’s basketball skills have not yet caught up to his athleticism, but he still manages to impact a game in many ways. Aminu’s boundless energy and athleticism have allowed him to get by without a developed skill set, but he will need to improve his ball-handling and shooting in the NBA. Defensively, Aminu projects to be a very versatile defender capable of guarding a wide variety of players.

6. Willie Warren SG 6’4” 210 lbs., Oklahoma

Stuck in the shadow of Blake Griffin for his freshman campaign, Willie Warren didn’t get to show his entire game. Look for him to become Oklahoma’s go-to-guy during his sophomore season, using his advanced scoring skills to lead the Sooners near the top of the Big 12.

7. Ed Davis PF 6’9” 215 lbs., UNC

Davis is slated to be a high draft pick based on his potential rather than his production. A long, wiry 6’9”, Davis has the long arms, agile feet, and leaping ability to be a great player. However, he will need to fill out and work on his offensive repertoire.

8. Donatas Motiejunas PF/C 215 lbs., Zalgiris Kaunas

A rather typical European big man, Donatas Motiejunas makes a living outside rather than inside. Even at 7’0” tall, Motiejunas possesses great shooting range that extends to the NBA three-point arc. The downfall to Motiejunas is that he is considered somewhat soft and may not have the “intestinal fortitude” to compete on the blocks in the NBA. Still, he is a very skilled seven-footer.

9. Cole Aldrich C 6’11” 250 lbs., Kansas

After playing behind the talented frontcourt of Sasha Kaun, Darrell Arthur and Darnell Jackson during his freshman year at Kansas, Cole Aldrich truly came into his own during his sophomore season. A good jump-shooter despite truly hideous form, Aldrich has a pretty developed offensive game. He really shines on the glass, where he is an excellent rebounder, and defensively, he has the ability to block shots and play physical post defense.

Click here to read the rest of this article, which continues through the end of this first round. This 2010 mock draft is brought to you by Celtics Town.

A Quiet Draft, a Bright Future, and Kevin Garnett's Recovery

Jay King — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 08:04:53 -0400

After the Boston Celtics rightfully failed to pull the trigger on any draft-night trade, the Celtics look like they will bring back the championship starting five from two years ago.

There's no doubt that Danny Ainge will still be looking to make any additions to improve the team but passing the draft without a trade most likely means that any changes to come will be made via free agency.

This is undoubtedly a great thing, as the Celtics’ starting five should still be tops in the NBA.

The continued improvements of Rondo and Perkins, as well as the final peak years for the Big Three, should mean incredible production from the starters, but the bench is another story altogether. The Celtics really need to make big upgrades to their bench in order to once again challenge for NBA supremacy.

To discuss the state of the Celtics and the 2009 NBA Draft, here is Celtics Town’s weekly mailbag.

If the Celtics are trying to get a point guard, why don't they try and lure Mike Bibby? He might want a chance to stick it to the LA Fakers and ballhog Kobe Cry-ant. And maybe a backup for KG would mean trying to get Zaza Pachulia, or maybe even Rasheed Wallace to backup for KG or Perks—but we don't need the drama. Hopefully we’ll see if Grant Hill will back up Paul Pierce.—Steve Perez (La Puente, CA)

Of the three positions the Celtics look to improve this offseason, I think point guard is the least important to upgrade.

The Celts already have Rondo, a young guy capable of playing a lot of minutes, and will probably still have Eddie House (he still has a player option on next year’s contract), a guy who, despite a poor handle, has still shown the ability to be a solid backup point guard.

In fact, he received the brunt of the minutes behind Rondo in the 2008 Finals when we beat the “L.A. Fakers”. With the point guard position the least pressing of Boston’s bench needs, I doubt we’ll see them dish out the kind of money it would take to acquire Bibby. I think Lester Hudson may actually be the only new addition we bring in at point guard.

Instead of getting an expensive point guard, I’d prefer to see the Celtics use their money to go after a long, defensive-minded big man and a playmaking small forward. It looks like Rasheed Wallace doesn’t want to sign with the Celtics, but the Celtics could still get a great contributor from the likes of Antonio McDyess, Chris Anderson, Marcin Gortat or Pachulia.

I would really like it if they signed Pachulia. He is a tough big man who knows his role—defending and rebounding—and doesn’t mind doing the dirty work to help his team win. Also, it likely wouldn’t cost as much to sign Pachulia as it would to sign any of those other guys.

At small forward, the C’s are reportedly looking to Grant Hill, Anthony Parker and Linas Kleiza. Any of those guys would be an enormous upgrade over the Celts’ current backup small forwards (Bill Walker, J.R. Giddens and Tony Allen).

In the NBA draft what team do you think was the most successful, and what team made the biggest move in the draft?—Chris (Springfield, MA)

There were a couple teams I thought really helped themselves out in the draft. First, the Sacramento Kings – the Kings were more or less the least athletic team in the NBA last year, with a starting lineup including Beno Udrih, Francisco Garcia and Spencer Hawes. I don’t want to bash that lineup too much, but they leave me no choice. That combination wass a brutal trio of starters, and that’s being generous.

Well, not all of those guys will be starters anymore—the Kings made two picks to really improve their athleticism, adding the freakish Tyreke Evans, a guy with all the potential in the world, and the solid Omri Casspi. They also added the tough Jon Brockman in the second round.

I also liked Utah’s draft a lot. They didn’t have any very high picks, but they utilized their two picks (20th and 50th) very well.

Selecting Eric Maynor and Goran Suton, the Jazz really picked up two guys who will fit right in with Jerry Sloan’s schemes. They are both hard-nosed players, and Maynor will provide a steady hand at backup PG while Suton will provide rebounding and perimeter shooting.

I think both of Utah’s picks will end up being very solid contributors, even next year.

While we’re on the topic of team’s drafts, one team whose draft I didn’t like was Minnesota. They drafted three point guards and a shooting guard. The T’Wolves wound up shipping Ty Lawson to Denver, but were still left drafting three guards. For a fantasy team, those draft choices might have been okay. But for an NBA team? Not even close.

For a team with a gaping hole at small forward, I felt the Wolves should have tried to address more than one of their needs rather than selecting two point guards. I feel they must be trying to trade either Jonny Flynn or Rubio, but until they do Minnesota is my draft day loser.

As far as the biggest move in the draft, it didn’t happen during the actual draft. The biggest move was the Cavs’ trade for Shaq. The Big Aristotle is still a force inside and still commands double teams. For the first time, LeBron will have a true low-post presence beside him, and it should benefit him greatly.

Shaq will also help the Cavs’ interior defense, which was good most of the year but got shredded by Dwight Howard in the playoffs. It won’t be so easy for Dwight against Cleveland next year with O’Neal manning the middle.

Is there any KG update so far? How’s the Big Ticket looking in his comeback?—Rob Murray (New York)

Here’s a quote from Danny Ainge discussing Garnett’s recovery.

“Kevin, it was amazing. His entire countenance over the last six weeks of the season, he was just kind of down and grumpy and uncomfortable. I think he felt pressure to try to come back and he had all this pain in his knee.

"Right after the surgery—I mean three days after the surgery—a smile on his face, he can bend his knee all the way. He can straighten it out all the way. He just went back to the West Coast the other day. Before he left, I saw him doing full weight workouts. He was doing squats—one-legged squats, two-legged squats—he was doing most of his whole routine again. His spirit is returned: his enthusiasm for the upcoming season, his hope.

"All of a sudden, he’s back to being the real Kevin Garnett. His personality has returned. You could just see that once he had that bone spur on the back of his knee, that that was really bothering him.”

That Garnett is already capable of completing full workouts is a great sign. That he is once again happy, focused and enthusiastic about the upcoming season?

Even better.

What are your thoughts on the C's championship prospects in 2012?—Bradford Scudder (Springfield, MA)

This is a tough one. I’m not even sure what the Celtics’ roster will look like to begin training camp in September, never mind what they’ll look like a few years down the road.

I will tell you this, though—The C’s are in much better shape than most people think for the long-run. Everyone assumes that their run near the top of the East will be over when the Big Three declines, but I think they’re in great shape to maintain a solid foundation even after the Big Three slows down.

First off, they have Rondo and Perkins, two budding stars in this league. To surround them, the Celtics will have incredible flexibility. Ray Allen’s contract (almost $20 million) is off the books after the upcoming season and Paul Pierce’s (another $20 million) is off the books the following year.

That will give the Celts $40 million to spend on improving their roster, a whole lot of flexibility, and two young studs as building blocks. They are in far better shape than most fans think.

But let’s not think too far in advance yet.

Let’s just try to win banner No. 18 in 2010.

Read this and more at Celtics Town.

Click here to leave a question to be answered in Celtics Town's mailbag.

Phew: My Reaction To the Boston Celtics' 2009 NBA Draft

Jay King — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 01:16:44 -0400

That was easily the most stressed I’ve ever been on draft night. After the Cavaliers picked up Shaq to bolster that frontcourt and the Magic traded for Vince Carter to get even better than they already were, I was worried the Celtics might do something drastic in order to keep pace with the other Eastern Conference powers that be.

Usually, throughout my entire Celtics’ fanhood, I have watched the draft with the hope that the Celtics will improve. When your team is nothing special anyways, the draft inspires merely hope. There’s always the hope that your team will get better and finally become a championship contender.

Last year, I watched the draft with peaceful serenity. The Celtics had only the final pick in each round and I wasn’t worried about their improvement or anything else. My Boston Celtics were the defending champions and whoever they picked with the 30th and 60th picks in the draft wasn’t going to change that.

But this year? Man, oh man, all these rumors scared the hell out of me. Nearly every day there would be a new trade rumor sending Rajon Rondo away from my beloved C’s.

The only one that might have made any bit of sense for the Celts was the potential Pistons trade that would have sent Rondo and Ray Allen to the Pistons for the trio of Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince and Rodney Stuckey.

I still wouldn’t have been in love with that trade, but at least it didn’t scare the hell out of me like most of the other ones did.

Parting ways with Rondo would have been a big mistake. The man is a 23 year old just starting to fulfill his limitless potential. Right now he is a more-than-capable point guard with the ability to take over some games.

Pound for pound, he is the best rebounder in the NBA. He is a great playmaker and can beat any defender to the hoop. Add to that his selection to the NBA’s All-Defensive Second Team and I would say the Celtics have an up-and-coming superstar.

Apparently, they also have an up-and-coming asshole. Rondo has been called out for being late to games, including the season-ending Game Seven against Orlando, and news is that he has his problems with his teammates as well as his coach.

In a rare move from Danny Ainge, he has publicly criticized Rondo and discussed how Rondo needs to mature and the Celtics don’t find him to be a maximum-contract player.

Ainge also pinned the Magic loss at least partly on Rondo, saying that his presence on the floor hurt the Celtics because the Magic were able to leave the poor-shooting Rondo and send double teams at the Celtics’ primary scorers.

With Ainge saying all those things about Rondo and new rumors surfacing left and right, I entered the 2009 NBA draft with an anxiety I’ve never had before for the draft. I didn’t want to see my Celtics destroy any chance we had of winning another title, closing our already slim window of opportunity just because of a little disciplinary problem.

If Rondo or Ray had gotten traded for the unproven Tyreke Evans or Ricky Rubio, I would have thrown my computer through the TV. Seriously.

To dismantle a possible title team and get a little younger and a little more inexperienced would have sent the Celtics right back to the NBA’s version of no-man’s land. You know, the place where a team is a pseudo-contender, constantly battling to advance into the second round of the playoffs, maybe even the conference finals, but still very far from being a true championship team.

Kind of like the Boston Celtics from the 2001-2002 season through the 2005-2006 campaign. No team with Antoine Walker as the second-best player was going to ever win an NBA championship, but the Celtics fared just well enough that they continually mortgaged their future to try to bring in veterans to help them win right away.

In the process, the C’s sent a young Chauncey Billups away in return for Kenny Anderson and the rookie Joe Johnson for Rodney Rogers and Tony Delk. None of the guys they got in return ended up helping the team get any better, and meanwhile the Celtics had gotten rid of all their young talent to acquire the aging, over-the-hill vets.

So that was why I was so anxious watching the draft. I could see the Celts itching closer and closer to no-man’s land, and I dreaded it. What fan wants to live in that perilous area caught between rooting for your conference-finals bound team and simultaneously hoping the team gets blown up and starts from scratch because they don’t ever have a real chance to win the title?

As the draft moved farther and farther, I gradually started to loosen up. Not only had the Celtics not yet made a trade, but there weren’t even any rumblings.

When the Pacers picked Tyler Hansbrough to solidify their spot as the whitest team in recent NBA history (Travis Diener, Mike Dunleavy, Troy Murphy, Hansbrough, Rasho Nesterovic, Josh McRoberts, and Jeff Foster) and the Suns selected Earl Clark, I was almost comfortable that the Celtics weren’t going to make a trade and I would see the Celtics I know and love get another shot or two at the Larry O’Brien trophy.

About an hour later, the Cavaliers selected the complete unknown, Christian Eyenga, to round out the first round and I was almost in the clear. There were no more trade rumors and the quiet made me joyous. I heard Adam Silver finally announce the Celtics’ selection of Lester Hudson and, two picks later, the draft was over.

The Celtics managed to dodge all trades and emerge victorious from the draft by doing more or less nothing. Hudson was a good value pick at 58, a strong, tough guard with shooting ability and a scorer’s mentality, but I’m definitely not as excited as I am about the draft just because we picked the best player ever to come out of UT-Martin.

I’m excited because Danny Ainge did the first thing he had to do to keep us contenders, which was staying away from hastily making a trade.

Now, Danny, all you need to do is use the mid-level exception to sign a backup small forward, a backup center and, hopefully, a backup point guard.

Good luck.

This article is brought to you by Celtics Town.

Assessing the 2009 NBA Draft

Jay King — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 02:50:31 -0400

I’ve read that the 2009 NBA Draft is the worst draft in a long time, and after hearing all the analysts, you would think this draft class was just a horrible collection of inferior talent.

Marc J. Spears of the Boston Globe recently wrote an article about the draft that was really my source of inspiration for this response to all the 2009 NBA Draft’s naysayers. Not to criticize Spears, who I find to be a very good writer and an excellent reporter for the Globe, but his take on this draft is all wrong.

In his article, “Give This Year’s Draft a One-Star Rating,” Spears wrote that the draft was one player deep, completely divided between one great star (Blake Griffin) and the rest of the players.

If you listen to Spears, picks two through 60 might as well not even be selected. He actually quotes Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace, whose team owns the second pick in the draft, as saying, “We are thinking about forfeiting our selection because Griffin is the only player in this draft worth a damn.”

OK, I made that part up, but Spears did write, “This draft is so weak that someone selected at No. 12 could end up being as good as someone drafted No. 4.”

To me, this draft’s depth is its greatest strength.

The fact that someone selected at No.12 might be as good as the player drafted No. 4 speaks more to the fact that this draft is rather deep with probable contributors than to the collective weakness of the prospective draftees.

In our mock draft, we had Ricky Rubio being drafted fourth and Gerald Henderson taken 12th. I can see both players being contributors right away.

Rubio is a point guard who has already performed at a very high level in the best league in the world not named the NBA. He projects to be a solid point guard right away and certainly has star potential.

Henderson, unlike Rubio, may not have star potential, but he's projected to be a terrific role player with terrific athleticism and tough defense.

My point is, this draft is very deep, with potential star power at the top and bountiful role players in the later stages.

Even the top of this draft is underrated.

Griffin isn’t the only player in the draft with the potential to become a star in the NBA.

Hasheem Thabeet is a 7’3” center whose athleticism has never before been seen in someone at that height. The aforementioned Rubio is a steady point guard who has already won the Spanish ACB League’s Defensive Player of the Year and started for the Spanish National Team, despite being only 18 years old.

James Harden is a pro’s pro capable of being a go-to-scorer and dependable defender, while Tyreke Evans is one of the most physically talented point guards to enter the draft in recent history, with a 6’11” wingspan and the ability to create his own shot at will.

Then there is Brandon Jennings, who is often overlooked because of his year spent in Europe, but he is a jet with the basketball and can penetrate the lane against any defender. DeMar DeRozan is probably the best athlete in the draft, with elite NBA athleticism similar to a young Vince Carter.

After the top, there are plenty of players who will help a team right away or will almost certainly develop into worthy role players.

Point guards alone include Jonny Flynn, Stephen Curry, Jrue Holiday, Eric Maynor, and Ty Lawson. I could see all those players getting solid minutes during their rookie seasons and helping their teams win games.

But it doesn’t stop at just point guards.

Players who I am almost positive will become valuable, if maybe limited players in the NBA, include: Jordan Hill, Dejuan Blair, Earl Clark, Chase Budinger, Jeff Teague, Terrence Williams, and Tyler Hansbrough.

This draft has gotten an unfair assessment of being a very weak draft. Will it be as good as the 2003 draft, where Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh were picked in the first five picks?

Probably not.

But will it be a dud like the 2000 draft, which is what everyone has been saying?

No way.

See this article and more at Celtics Town.

The Possibilities, The Potential, The Death of Len Bias

Jay King — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 02:47:17 -0400

June 18, 1986 The Washington Post-

The world turned green for Len Bias today.

Every time he turned around, somebody seemed to be shoving something leaf-green or forest-green or money-green at him, whether it was a green felt cap or a green silky jacket or a green nylon bag.

Make that Boston Celtic green.

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The night those words were printed, Len Bias returned to his dormitory to celebrate his draft choice with his friends.

They hung out into the wee hours of the morning, rejoicing because Bias had finally made it to the greatest basketball league in the world.

They celebrated as much for the draft choice as for what was to come; Bias was destined to be an NBA superstar, destined to take the torch from Larry Bird as the preeminent NBA organization’s leading man, destined to win NBA MVP’s and NBA championships.

And then, without warning, he was dead.

While all the other Celtics legends are considered legends for what they did, Len Bias is a legend for what his cocaine overdose never allowed him the chance to do.

The second pick in the 1986 draft, Bias was poised to help the rich get richer; the 1985-1986 C’s had just stormed through the NBA, easily taking the organization’s 16th championship. Still, they had the second pick in the draft because of their 1984 trade sending Gerald Henderson to the Seattle Supersonics.

With a frontcourt that already held Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish and Bill Walton, the Celtics’ added Bias and were instantly the deepest, most talented frontcourt of all time. They had length, height, rebounding, passing, athleticism and shooting—and that was just in the frontcourt.

Bias was set to bring a blast of youth into an aging but incredibly skilled and talented ballclub. According to Celtics’ scout Ed Badger (via the Washington Post), Bias was “maybe the closest thing to Michael Jordan to come out in a long time.”

In fact, he had physical talent not even Jordan possessed. 6’8” with the long reach of an octopus and the sculpted, lean build of a heavyweight champion, Bias was seemingly born to play basketball.

And he could jump. Boy, could he jump. The rumors about Bias were that he could soar into the air and take quarters off the top of the backboard.

But Bias wasn’t just an athlete—he knew how to play basketball, too. Len was great at utilizing the bounty of athletic tools at his hands and was able to breathtakingly combine the speed to get by his man, the strength to finish at the rim and the finesse to escape would-be defenders.

With all those tools, playing for the NBA’s top team and lucky enough to have Larry Bird as a mentor, what could possibly stop Len Bias from reaching the NBA’s pinnacle?

It sure wasn’t his attitude. Bias had the heart of a champion, playing every play with the ferociousness of a caged pit bull. He had the swagger limited mostly to the all-time greats, that unwavering confidence in his abilities and the knowledge that his opponent could not and would not stop him.

Len Bias had it all; talent, charisma, and an incredible work ethic raved about by none other than the great Red Auerbach. There was no doubt he was going to be one of the NBA’s all-time greats.

But it wasn’t to be.

Call it fate, call it destiny, call it God or just call it death. Whatever it was, Len Bias would never capitalize on his newfound fame.

He would never walk onto the Boston Garden’s parquet floor to 15,000 fans chanting “Lenny, Lenny, Lenny!”

He would never sit on a float in a parade as one million Bostonians came to cheer their newly crowned champions.

On June 19, 1986 Len Bias passed away and, with his death, the Celtics seemed to die, too. They valiantly struggled through the 1987 season, watching as injuries and old age derailed their championship defense. For 21 long years after 1987, the Celtics failed to make the finals, a shocking lull for a team that had won 16 titles in the 30 seasons prior to 1987.

Nobody knows how a healthy Bias would have changed the Celtics. Would his presence have added years onto Larry Bird and Kevin McHale’s careers? Would he have been the star he was supposed to be? Would he have been able to lead the Celtics to championships even as Bird, McHale and Parish faded into the twilights of their careers?

Instead of a lasting image of Len Bias lifting a championship trophy, or lifting an MVP trophy, we are stuck with the picture of Bias at the NBA draft, wearing his cockeyed cap halfway off his head, smiling and proud to be a Boston Celtic.

Bias spent only two days as a Celtic but in those two days he invigorated the Boston fan base and inspired the Celtics’ community. He was going to be our next savior, our next champion, our next leader.

Bias never became any of those things, but he will always be a Celtics legend.

It's weird. The Celtics' 22-year championship drought from 1986 to 2008 seemed like such a long time.

But for Len Bias, 22 years was far too short.

See this article and much more at Celtics Town.

Instant Reaction to Celtics-Pistons Trade Rumors

Jay King — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:44:44 -0400

Today, news came afloat that the Celtics apparently offered Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen to the Pistons for Tayshaun Prince, Richard Hamilton, and Rodney Stuckey.

Out of all the Celtics rumors that I’ve heard this season, this is the first and only one that seems like it might be true. Ray Allen for a draft pick? No way. Rondo for a draft pick? Nope. But Rondo and Ray for two all-stars and a possible future all-star? Maybe.

If it’s true, and the Celtics somehow pull the trigger on this trade, I wouldn’t be nearly as furious as I would have been with any of the other proposed trades this summer.

Tayshaun and Rip are both established players in this league. We could start either of them besides Paul Pierce and bring the other off the bench, solidifying our bench and maintaining our strength at starting shooting guard.

They are both solid, defensive-minded players with offensive versatility. Over the past eight or so years, Hamilton has been as solid as players come and has a terrific midrange jumper. Tayshaun is a jack-of-all-trades with a nice post game and good perimeter shooting.

Stuckey would certainly be a downgrade from Rondo, but he’s a player with vast potential. I’m sure most C’s fans remember his big series against the Celtics in the 2008 playoffs. He spelled Chauncey that series for some very impressive minutes, showing nice touch on his outside jump shot and a relentless motivation to get to the hole.

At his best, Stuckey is a pit bull capable of getting to the rim at will and accumulating a lot of layups and free throw opportunities, but at his worst he is a turnover-prone point guard with a tendency to over-dribble (actually, come to think of it, that sounds a lot like Rondo.)

Making this trade would neither be a trade that would catapult the Celtics into certain title winners nor a trade that would necessarily make them any worse for the long run or for right now.

Count me as a guy who still hopes we keep our starting five intact for a run at another title, but this is the first trade mentioned that might actually make sense.

Danny, our future is in your hands...don’t mess it up.

See this reaction and more at Celtics Town.

The Essence of Sports

Jay King — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 08:00:08 -0400

I looked to my right, through the waterfall of tears clouding my eyesight, and saw Mac. We’d played together since fourth grade and I knew him on the court as well as I knew myself. I knew he almost never missed an open mid-range jumper and I knew he was tenacious on the boards.

If you were going to get in a fight on the basketball court, Mac was the guy to have by your side. He wasn’t the strongest kid in the world, but he was one of the toughest. I knew he was happy-go-lucky off the court and had a good-natured spirit that contradicted his incredible toughness.

I looked past Mac and saw Matt. Matt was our leader, someone who was always willing to take charge of our team and lead us in the right direction, whether things were good or bad.

While some kids were in it for the personal glory, Matt was willing to do all the dirty work to get wins. What he lacked in athletic ability, Matt made up for in spades by knowing his limitations and possessing a very high basketball IQ.

I looked to my left and saw Dan. Dan had been my teammate for years, too. He started off as a whiny kid with a huge temper, but by the time we were seniors he was as mature as anybody else on the team.

As a senior he lost playing time to an inferior player but he kept working hard every day, and it paid off when he had a great game for us in the opening round of the playoffs.

I looked across the room at TJ, tears still blurring my vision. I’d never had a better friendship than TJ. Since he started playing for my AAU team in sixth grade, we'd become inseparable. He came over my house every day after school and we’d shoot the shit, play video games, and talk about basketball.

We lived, ate, and slept basketball, and my house was our headquarters. TJ was the best player around, a monster on the boards and a weapon offensively. He was too big, powerful and quick for anyone in our area to guard.

They were all crying, and they were all my best friends.

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The final game of my high school basketball career still haunts me.

Clank. Clank. Swish.

The third shot went mercifully through the hoop, and I tied the game.

But I’d only tied it. Given three foul shots and down only one point, I should have given us the lead.

Twenty-five seconds later, after the other team scored a basket and we missed one at the buzzer, my high school career was over. My teammates were all my best friends, but I’d never play another meaningful game with them.

We’d played hundreds of games together and won most of them but our last game shouldn’t have ended like that. Not like that.

I put the loss all on my shoulders. I guess it was unfair, but it’s what you do when you miss crucial shots. I was an 80 percent free throw shooter, and almost never missed clutch ones.

Earlier in the season, I’d stepped to the line down one against Sci-Tech, a neighboring high school, and canned both of them to win by one. Time after time, I’d made big free throws in the closing moments of games to tie games, put us in the lead or pad the lead we already had.

But nobody, myself included, would ever remember the clutch free throws from my career. I’d be remembered as the guy who missed the big ones, the guy who blew the biggest game of his life with two choke jobs, the guy who kept his best friend TJ, only 10points short of 1,000 for his career, from reaching a milestone, and the guy who kept his high school team from winning its first ever regional title.

Those free throws will always haunt me.

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TJ walked out of the locker room, tears dripping down his face like Mom’s spaghetti on her one-year-old boy. Even after the most devastating loss of our lives, TJ had to go talk to the media about our game.

The loss for TJ was somewhat different. TJ was good enough to play college basketball, and good enough to be one of his college team’s best players. For him, there would be more opportunities to win championships, more chances to band together with his teammates and come out on top.

For the rest of us, the loss was the end of our basketball careers as we knew it. A few of us would go on to play college basketball, but the greener pastures were behind us and we knew it. I played college basketball , but was never able to recapture the joyous feeling of brotherhood nor the spectacular emotion of fierce competition I enjoyed in high school.

TJ would be able to recapture that feeling, yet he still wept that day for our loss. When a team has played together for so long, you become best friends. As a team, we did everything together.

We practiced three hours every day during the season and most of us practiced even more in the offseason. We had team lunches every weekend, playing poker and eating pizza as the lunch inevitably turned into dinner and a day-long team bonding session.

TJ, like the rest of us, knew that while basketball would continue, he could never replicate our team’s solidarity, nor the brotherhood that had been forged by so many hours in the gym and in the locker room.

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Now, we come back once every year to play in our high school’s annual alumni game. The school never had an alumni game until our team begged our coach to implement one so we could lace them up together one more time every year.

So we return and it’s like we’re getting ready for the state playoffs all over again. Most of us have lost contact over the years, yet when we’re together we’re still brothers.

We sit in the locker room and tie our shoes, shooting the shit and cherishing every second of being together. We get on the court and move the ball seamlessly, still knowing where each other are going to be on every trip down the floor, as if we’d never stopped practicing together.

After the game (which we always win, by the way), we go out for our lone team lunch of the year and its as if we’re back in high school. We play cards and eat pizza as the lunch inevitably turns into dinner and a day-long team bonding session. We are no longer a team, yet we always will be.

Later in the night, when the night is almost over, someone undoubtedly asks me, “Jay, remember those free throws you missed against Pittsfield?”, and I cringe in remembrance of the day I missed my free throws.

I guess some things will always haunt you.

And other things never change.

You can view this article and much more at Celtics Town.

Danny Ainge: Don't Trade Anyone...Please

Jay King — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 05:43:12 -0400

The following is brought to you by Celtics Town...

With all these rumors swirling around the Celtics like the winds of Hurricane Katrina, I’ve had to step back and think to myself, “What if the Celtics do trade someone?”

I don’t think there is anyone in the draft worthy of parting ways with any of the starters, but Danny Ainge may feel differently. I would be shocked to see them trade anyone, but it could happen. And if it does, I’ll be incredibly disappointed.

It’s great to think about trades when you’re team stinks. Remember when the C’s were 24-58? I fell asleep every night praying for them to make a trade. On draft day in 2007, when they traded for Ray Allen, I thanked my lucky stars—Paul Pierce finally had somebody to play with.

Then I heard that Kevin Garnett might be on his way to Boston and I broke my web browser refreshing Hoops Hype for constant updates on the news—I was that excited for the trade.

When you’re bad, your team needs trades.

You can’t fall in love with a team when they win 24 games. I certainly liked all those young guys we traded for Garnett and still root for them to this day, but you can’t fall in love with a team that specializes in finding ways to lose games.

I was still a huge Celtics fan and I loved the C’s, but I wasn’t in love with them.

But you did fall in love with the 2007-2008 Celtics—a team that won a championship with, above all else, guts, heart, and defense. You can fall in love with a team that immediately gels, rising to the top of the NBA despite no experience playing with each other.

You can fall in love with Paul Pierce, a Celtics lifer who shed tears when receiving his championship ring, remembering the journey of winning his first NBA championship. You can fall in love with Kevin Garnett, the maniacal warrior who gave James Posey bear-hugs before every single game and never fails to maintain the utmost intensity.

You can fall in love with Ray Allen, the smooth but cold-blooded assassin with a propensity for hitting big shots.

You can fall in love with Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins, the two developing youngsters during the 2008 championship run, two guys who were supposed to be the Celtics’ downfall but turned into essential pieces to the puzzle.

And you certainly stayed in love with them during the 2008-2009 season, when they gamely surpassed all expectations after the debilitating injuries to KG and Leon Powe. The Celtics were no longer one of the most talented teams in the league and their bench was about as deep as your local swimming pool’s baby pool.

Still, you stayed in love with them. With the hearts of champions, the Celtics won their fair share of games after Garnett went down and refused to let his loss deter them from their ultimate goal—winning the NBA championship. You couldn’t help but become even fonder of the Celtics, as every player proved his worth time after time.

They weren’t as good as the prior year’s team had been, but they played every bit as hard. Fighting through the injuries, the Celtics pushed forward, securing the second seed in the east and beating the Bulls in an epic first round series.

Watching them play, I thought two things almost every night. First, I thought, “Damn. If this team still had Garnett, and maybe even if they just had Powe, they would have won the championship.”

Next, I thought, “No matter what happens to this team, I’ll always love this collection of individuals that fought and persevered together as a true team.”

When they finally got ousted from the playoffs, I was drained and beaten but still proud. I love the Celtics, and I love the team they have right now.

That is why I don’t want them to trade anyone.

I want the starting five to return intact and hungry for their second championship in three years. I want to see Kevin Garnett pounding his head against the basket support before every game. I want to see Paul Pierce cement his legacy as one of the all-time Celtics greats.

I want to see Ray Allen rain down jumpers from the perimeter. I want to see Rajon Rondo continue his evolution into an elite point guard and Kendrick Perkins become one of the leagues top centers. And I want to see them all do it together.

Because let’s face it...kicking the Lakers’ asses next year just wouldn’t be the same without those five leading the way.

Click here to see more from Celtics Town.

Celtics Town Mailbag: Will Rondo Get Traded?

Jay King — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 01:09:51 -0400

Welcome to the first edition of the Celtics Town Boston Celtics mailbag. Starting this website in the offseason, I thought the news would be dead and the Celtics would remain mostly out of the rumors.

Shows how stupid I am.

Since losing to the Orlando Magic, all hell has broken loose in the Boston Celtics organization. First, Ray Allen was going to get traded for the second pick in the draft. Then it was Rondo getting traded for the second pick. Next, the rumor came that Kendrick Perkins and Bill Walker were headed to Memphis in return for that same second pick.

The Celtics wanted to get rid of Ray Allen’s contract, then they wanted to get rid of Rondo’s contract; now, Danny Ainge is claiming that the Celtics are fine with their current roster and have no need to clean it up.

Meanwhile, the Celts still have to decide what to do with their free agents. Do they keep Glen Davis? What about Leon Powe? What free agents are the Celtics targeting outside guys who played for them last year?

Man, it’s a good thing I’m here to help you guys sort all this stuff out.

How are things where you are? Where I live sucks right now because even though I live near LA. I can't stand the Fakers or BallHog Cryin Bryant. I think it sucks they won our title because the Big Ticket and Powe The Show were hurt. Have to love the way Big Baby really stepped up and when we resign him and Leon they are going to be so much better.

Can’t believe on Sports Tonight they are saying trade Rondo, no way he just needs to work on his midrange jumper and freethrows. Are they really going to trade him? – Steve, California

For a while, it seemed as if the Celtics were really going to trade Rondo. Rumors were swirling about Rondo, all kinds of stories were written about Rondo’s bad attitude and poor relationship with Doc and his teammates, and Danny Ainge was apparently shopping Rondo and lusting after Tyreke Evans.

But let’s just step back and take a look at the situation.

Rondo is 23 years old. He just averaged 16.9 points, 9.7 rebounds and 9.8 assists for the entire postseason.

And he did all that despite having the jumpshot of my dog Montana. Once he develops a halfway decent jumper (and he will, his shot has already improved a lot, he just needs to gain confidence in it), Rondo will be more or less completely unstoppable.

Now do you think they’re going to trade him just because he has a few problems with Doc Rivers? Just remember, this is the same Danny Ainge who decided it would be a great idea to sign the insane Stephon Marbury in the middle of last season.

With a track record like that, I don’t see Ainge getting rid of Rondo for anything less than pulling a Latrell Sprewell on Doc. And certainly not for a pu-pu platter highlighted by Tyreke Evans.

But if Ainge does decide to go off the deep end and gets rid of one or more of the Celtics’ starters…

Who would you be more willing to part with, Ray-Ray or Rondo? – Tim, Boston

This one’s an easy one.

Though Ray is one of my favorite players and certainly invaluable to the team, his best years are most likely behind him. He’s played 942 regular season games and 77 postseason games and will be 34 years old on July 20.

Don’t get me wrong; Ray was our most consistent performer this year and when you factor in his unbelievable clutch shooting, Ray was the 2009 Boston Celtics’ MVP.

But this isn’t last year. Unfortunately, the NBA is a business and you have to decide who you’re going to keep and who you’re going to let go.

If the Celtics need to let a player go for monetary reasons, I’d rather have it be Ray, an aging veteran in the twilight of his career, than Rondo, a budding superstar ready to take the next step to truly become one of the NBA’s elite point guards.

Are you concerned with KG’s knee and his return next year? Will he be healthy enough to bring the Celtics their 18th championship? – Ben, New Hampshire

Of course I'm concerned. As a Celtics' fan, how could you not be?

All the reports out of Boston are that the surgery went well and K.G. should be completely ready to play come training camp.

Still, you HAVE TO BE concerned. Garnett has played over 1,100 games in his career and was obviously in pain throughout the entire season.

There’s a possibility, which is probably pretty high, that Garnett has just had too much wear and tear on his body to continue playing at such a high level. All aging stars reach a point where they begin to fall apart physically, and I fear KG may have reached that point.

On the other hand, if the surgery actually did the job and Garnett can return to his 2008 form the Celtics are my favorites to take home the title in 2010.

There is no doubt in my mind they would have won the championship this year with a healthy Kevin Garnett. Watching the playoffs, I couldn’t help but notice a significant dropoff in the level of play from last year’s playoffs to this year’s.

The Lakers that won the title this year were actually worse than last year. Sure, they got Andrew Bynum back, but he did absolutely nothing for them in the playoffs.

At the same time, Derek Fisher, Sasha Vujacic, and Jordan Farmar all took significant steps back and the Lakers bench was forced to rely on Shannon Brown, a player who couldn’t even get a sniff of playing time in Charlotte.

You’re telling me a healthy Celtics wouldn’t have destroyed that Lakers team? The Celts would have been head and shoulders better than every other team, and should be next year if Garnett returns to form and Ainge decides not to make any crazy moves.

Can you believe these Rondo rumors? I really hope they don’t let him go. Anyways, that isn’t even my question. My question is this… What free agents should the Celtics sign for next year? Randy Mack, Chicago

The first question the Celtics and Danny Ainge have to answer is what to do with Powe and Big Baby. The Celtics actually may be really lucky with both of them. Powe should come cheap because of the injury and Big Baby should come cheap because any team with cap space is looking forward to the free agent bonanza in 2010.

I would love to see them resign both of those guys, but I don’t think the Celtics should be done after just those signings.

In a perfect world, the Celtics would sign a capable backup point guard, a playmaking small forward capable of spelling Paul Pierce and a defensive-minded big man in the mold of P.J. Brown. Do I think they’ll be able to sign guys at all those positions? No.

So they should focus first on finding Pierce a backup. Last year, he had to play way too many minutes because the dropoff when Tony Allen subbed in was incredibly severe. Tony has proven to be too dumb on a basketball court to play many minutes and J.R. Giddens and Bill Walker aren’t ready yet.

I would love to see the Celtics sign a free agent from the group of Grant Hill, Trevor Ariza, Anthony Parker, or Matt Barnes. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a little trust in our backup small forward? It’d be way better than cringing in fear every time they came to the scorer’s table, which is what happened to me last year.

Their second priority should be to sign a big. Even if they do resign both Powe and Davis, the Celtics could still use a defensive stopper to man the middle. Powe and Davis are both very undersized and don’t give the Celts much on defense.

They could use someone to come in and do the dirty work—rebound, contest shots, and play post defense. I would love to see them sign Chris Anderson, but would certainly settle for Antonio McDyess, Rasheed Wallace, or Marcin Gortat.

Point guard should be the final priority, because Eddie House (who will most likely exercise his player option to return next year) could always move back to point guard if necessary.

I’m not a Celtics fan, but I read your site anyways, and I love the draft stuff you guys do. Who are your sleepers for the draft? – Todd, Massachusetts

My top sleeper is Eric Maynor, the point guard from VCU. Every time I saw him play in college, I liked him a little bit more. He has great poise and patience, and knows how to change gears very well. I think he’ll be a solid point guard from day one.

Another guy to watch is Terrence Williams. NBA teams don’t necessarily like him as much as they should because he isn’t a great scorer, but he can do everything else for his team. He is a great athlete and should be able to be a great distributor in the NBA, too.

While we’re on the topic, my choice for biggest bust is Stephen Curry. Why the NBA thinks a 6’2, pretty slow shooting guard will succeed in the NBA is beyond me. He will develop into a decent player in time because he can flat-out shoot the rock, but I don’t ever see him being better than decent or worthy of a top-10 pick.

I’m also going to name a sleeper choice for Rookie of the Year: James Harden. With the way he methodically works his way past his defenders and into the lane, he reminds me a lot of Paul Pierce. Who, by the way, will help the Celtics win the 2010 NBA title next year.

Want to ask your own question for the mailbag? Click here to ask Celtics Town your question.

NBA Mock Draft: Full Version

Jay King — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 09:26:30 -0400

For the last part of Celtics Town’s pre-draft coverage, here’s our first full mock draft. We’ve already ranked every position (see point guards, shooting guards, small forwards, power forwards, centers), and now it’s time to put it all together and finally project which team will select what player. Enjoy.

If you have any questions regarding the Celtics or the mock draft, please write to our mailbag, and we will respond to your question in our mailbag, which will be published Sunday morning.

1. Los Angeles Clippers - Blake Griffin, Oklahoma (Last year’s stats: 22.7 points, 14.4 rebounds)

The biggest sure thing the 2009 NBA Draft has to offer, Blake Griffin is an absolute freak of an athlete.

6’10” tall, built like an ox, and with a much smaller man’s quickness and coordination, Griffin was a man amongst boys in college basketball, attacking the rim with a ferocious fire and competitive nature which likens him to Amare Stoudemire and a young Shawn Kemp.

Offensively, Griffin has a lot more than merely his superb athleticism. He is far more skilled than most men his size, with a legit handle and the ability to go coast-to-coast after a defensive rebound.

Additionally, Griffin has great court vision, allowing him to make passes that most big men wouldn’t even think of. Still, his best attribute on the offensive end remains his rim-shaking ability to finish. Griffin was by far the best finisher in the country, and should be able to be a terrific finisher in the NBA.

On the other side of the ball, Griffin still has a lot more work to go to become a polished defensive player. Griffin blamed his tendency to get scored on to not wanting to get in foul trouble but, whatever the reason for his defensive inadequacy, Griffin needs to get better.

Despite being incredibly strong, Griffin somehow gives up tremendous position on the block, failing to keep his opponent away from the hoop.

However, it’s tough to nitpick the young beast’s game, as Griffin is both the best player in this draft and the player with the most potential to develop into a superstar. Look for Griffin to be a prime-time player from day one, and to take home the 2010 NBA Rookie of the Year.

The Clippers won’t pass up the opportunity to get the league’s next great power forward, nor should they.

2. Memphis Grizzlies - Hasheem Thabeet, UConn (Last year’s stats: 13.6 points, 10.8 rebounds, 4.2 blocks)

A lot of rumors lately have had the Grizzlies shopping this pick around the league, but it is still likely, according to ESPN’s Chad Ford, that the Grizzlies will hold onto the pick. If they do, expect them to take the 7’3” Thabeet, the 7’3” shot-blocker out of UConn.

Thabeet is a super-long, athletic big that will be able to impact the game on the defensive end immediately. Thabeet is a better fit for the NBA game than the college game for a variety of reasons.

For one, he will not see as many teams playing zone defenses, which will enable him to play more one-on-one down on the blocks. Secondly, the NBA game is not as guard-oriented as its college counterpart, with more isolations in the low post that can be attributed partially to the college game’s super-close three-point line.

At Connecticut Thabeet dominated games from the defensive end, which is extremely impressive seeing as they played in the best conference in the country last season.

Offensively is where he will have to improve if he wants to truly separate himself from the rest of the centers in the league. Showing some ability to finish around the basket, Thabeet was actually fairly efficient when he caught the ball in the post last year.

If he can continue to develop a reliable jump hook and mid-range jump shot, Thabeet could become a very good offensive player, in addition to his already game-changing defensive skills.

3. Oklahoma City Thunder - James Harden, Arizona St.(Last year’s stats: 20.1 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 4.2 apg, 1.7 spg 48.9 FG %)

Imagine the Thunder starting a lineup of Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, and Nenad Kristic. That lineup would be an unbelievable collection of speed, length, and skill that I’m sure Sam Presti is raving about.

While Ricky Rubio would be the best player available at this pick, Harden would be a better fit for the Thunder, who already have Westbrook to man the point guard position.

The things I like about Harden the most are his play-making ability and his old school savvy. It’s almost like he plays like a modern day crafty veteran. Harden doesn’t possess blazing speed, but he knows how to get past his defender and to the hoop.

He reminds me of Paul Pierce in the way he seems to be going in slow motion as he goes by his defender, all the way to the hole for a layup or dunk. Harden is strong, and utilizes his strength greatly.

Some people will knock him for his underwhelming (to say the least) performance in the NCAA tournament, but seeing Harden for the rest of his college career tells me not to doubt him. He is, in my opinion, the most NBA-ready player in this year’s draft.

He has a great understanding of the game of basketball, and should be ready to step right into an NBA starting rotation.

4. Sacramento Kings - Ricky Rubio, DKV Joventut (Last year’s stats: 10.0 points, 6.1 assists, 2.2 steals)

Like a lot of the picks in the top five, the Kings have been rumored to be looking to trade their fourth pick. If they don’t and Ricky Rubio is still on board, the Kings will certainly snatch him up to improve their situation, where the incumbent Beno Udrih failed to live up to expectations last year after signing a big contract.

Rubio burst onto the basketball scene in 2006 at the U-16 World Championships, where he accumulated three triple-doubles, one quadruple-double, and put up 51 points, 24 rebounds, 12 assists and 7 steals to beat Russia in the finals in a double-overtime thriller.

Rubio, is the most can’t-miss prospect in this year’s point guard class. A basketball prodigy since his teenage years, Rubio is also, far and away, the top Europen prospect in the draft.

He is a long, skilled player with tremendous basketball IQ. He has terrific court vision, with the ability to make the simple pass as well as the home run pass.

Unlike most young players, Rubio is already a terrific defensive player, winning the 2009 Spanish ACB League Defensive Player of the Year, averaging 2.2 steals per game in only 23 minutes.

Despite his youth, the young Spaniard is already very accomplished overseas, where he has played professionally since the age of 14. Already, Rubio has won the coveted Mr. Europa Award (in 2008), given to the best European basketball player in the world, regardless of where they are playing, and was also named the ACB League’s top point guard for 2008.

Last year, at only 17 years old, Rubio played on the silver medal-winning Spanish National Team, starting over the second half of the tournament over NBA veteran Jose Calderon.

With his pedigree, potential, and basketball IQ, Rubio should have a long, storied career in the NBA, and should not slip past the top four choices as long as his $8 million buyout does not affect his stock.

5. Washington Wizards – Stephen Curry, Davidson (Last year’s stats: 28.6 points, 5.6 assists)

There has also been talk of the Wizards moving their pick in hopes of acquiring a veteran. If they don’t, the Wizards should pick up Stephen Curry, teaming the sharp-shooting Curry with the returning trio of Gilbert Arenas, Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison.

The most prolific scorer in recent NCAA history, Stephen Curry is being projected right now as a mid-lottery pick. I wish I could tell NBA scouts not to get awed by his tremendous college stats, and instead focus on Curry as a player.

He has many flaws in his game that I think will hurt him at the next level. First off, Curry is not a true point guard. While he showed a decent ability to play the point during his junior season at Davidson, he is very turnover prone.

Do you really trust him dribbling the ball upcourt against super-quick defenders like Rajon Rondo? I don’t. Curry is also short, super-thin, and doesn’t matchup well defensively with any position. I don’t see him possessing the strength or height to guard shooting guards, nor lateral quickness to guard point guards.

Nonetheless, his production over the past three years was remarkable. He is an amazing shooter, and his great touch and quick release should translate well to the NBA.

Still, I doubt he will ever be a standout performer in the NBA. I am sure his shooting ability will find him playing time and give him a long career in the NBA, but I don’t see star potential.

6. Minnesota Timberwolves – Tyreke Evans, Memphis (Last year’s stats: 17.1 points, 3.9 assists, 5.4 rebounds)

According to sources, the Timberwolves may include the No. 6 pick and Al Jefferson in a deal to acquire Amare Stoudemire. If they don’t trade it away, the Wolves will look to add more talent to their team.

A team attempting to transition away from the Kevin McHale era, the Timberwolves already possess a lot of good, young talent, including Kevin Love, Al Jefferson, and Randy Foye. The only position they are really lacking young talent is at the wing position, a hole that will immediately be filled by the addition of Memphis’ Evans.

Tyreke Evans, in my eyes, is the most interesting point guard prospect in the draft. Though still raw, he is blessed with an incredible combination of height, strength, athleticism, and basketball skill.

Evans is an absolute physical specimen with a 6’11” wingspan to go with 6’5” height and a strong frame. On top of his physical attributes, Evans possesses the ability to create his own shot at any time.

Right now, his jumper is uglier than Tyrone Hill, but Evans’ ability to create his own shot should lead to his becoming a terrific NBA scorer as soon as he fixes that jumper.

He’s not just a scorer, though—Evans excels at getting into the lane and creating scoring opportunities for others, too. He tends to be a bit too ball-dominant, but should improve on that with good coaching.

I see Evans blossoming into an absolute stud down the road, and should produce in transition right away.

7. Golden State Warriors – Jordan Hill, Arizona (Last year’s stats: 18.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, 1.7 blocks)

According to the latest reports from the Golden State Warriors, the Warriors have promised Monta Ellis not to draft another play-making guard, and are looking to either trade their pick or draft a player at another position.

If these rumors are false, expect them to pick up Jonny Flynn, who most teams feel has proved himself to be the top point guard in the draft behind Rubio. If the rumors are true, Jordan Hill will be the Warrior’s guy.

Before this past season, I called Hill one of the more overrated players in college basketball. Boy, did he prove me wrong.

Possessing a solid array of post moves and a great motor around the basket, Hill was very productive during his junior season at Arizona. He is a very long, athletic player who can beat almost any big man down the floor.

Still, Hill has a long ways to go before he can become a great contributor on the NBA level.

Right now, he reminds me a lot of Joakim Noah, a player who relies a lot on his superior athletic ability and outstanding hustle to make plays and produce for his team.

Down the road, Hill has the potential to develop into a far better offensive player than Noah, and already has a decent jump hook with both hands.

If he can continue to improve, Hill could be a stud in the NBA, but he still has his work cut out for him. Even without improvement, he should be a good energy guy capable of providing hustle points and solid defense to go along with solid rebounding.

8. New York Knicks – Brandon Jennings, Lottomatica Roma (Italy) (Last year’s stats: 7.6 points, 1.6 assists, 19.6 minutes)

Sitting at the 8th pick, the Knicks are certainly a team rebuilding, centered around the incredible free agent class of 2010, looking to shape their roster to be able to acquire a superstar after next season.

For now, they could use an upgrade at just about every position, so they will certainly be drafting based on who they feel is the best player available rather than searching for help at a certain position. The player who fits most into their plans and has the potential to be a game-changing superstar down the road is Brandon Jennings.

Despite not receiving too much playing time while playing for Lottomatica Roma in Italy, Jennings made it known that he can produce against great competition.

Jennings is a lightning-quick player with the handle and speed to blow by defenders and the athleticism to finish in traffic. Probably the most explosive point guard in this year’s draft, Jennings possesses terrific potential as a playmaker in the NBA.

That said, he’s not there yet. His struggles overseas have pointed out the flaws of his game. He has poor shot selection, is not yet a good shooter, and has some issues with being out of control.

Playing at the highest level in Europe should definitely help Jennings in the long run. It should force him to mature as a player and give him solid experience heading into the NBA.

Whereas most prospects have been playing against guys their own age, Jennings has played against grown men, and lived to tell about it. He should be a star in the league down the road, but I’m not sure how much he’ll contribute immediately.

9. Toronto Raptors - Demar DeRozan USC (Last Year’s stats: 13.9 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 52.3 FG%)

“With the 9thpick in the NBA Draft, the Toronto Raptors select…Demar DeRozan.”

Looking to improve on last year’s 33-49 record, the Raptors desperately need to improve their athleticism. They took steps by trading for Shawn Marion, but their roster is still on the slow, plodding side as far as NBA teams are considered.

Demar Derozan would instantly help make them far more athletic.

In his first season at USC, DeMar showed why he still has a ways to go, but he also showed just how tantalizing a prospect he is. The first half of the year, DeRozan largely disappeared, unwilling or unable to take control of a game.

Once he became acclimated to the college game, DeRozan showed why critics have been raving about him, becoming USC’s best player, a force on offense, defense, and the boards. This athletic freak-show defies gravity when he attacks the basket.

Add to that a great work ethic and you have the formula to create an NBA All-Star. He is not the best defender in the country, however with his size and strength he could become one of the top perimeter defenders in the league.

The sky is the limit for this kid but he will need some time to come into his own in league.

10. Milwaukee Bucks - Jonny Flynn, Syracuse (Last year’s stats: 17.4 points, 6.7 assists)

The Milwaukee Bucks are pleased with the development of Ramon Sessions at point guard, but will have to go with the best player available at this point in the draft. If they do that, they’ll have to draft Jonny Flynn.

Probably the most confident point guard in this year’s draft, Flynn should be even better in the NBA than he was in college. Because of his outstanding athleticism and world-class quickness, Flynn should be able to penetrate at will even in the NBA.

Of all the players I saw play college basketball last year, no other player impressed me more with the ability to break down a defense. Once inside the lane, Flynn can still do a lot of things with the basketball. He is a good passer and, especially for a point guard, an outstanding finisher.

With the NBA’s handcheck rules that have made it easier than ever for point guards to get to the hole, Flynn should thrive at the next level. He is a good scorer with the heart of a lion.

I’ll never forget Flynn’s performance against UConn in the epic six overtime game; Everybody else was too tired to do anything, but Flynn kept relentlessly attacking the basket, unwilling to let his team fall.

Flynn should be a contributor right away, and I see him as being the most NBA-ready of all the point guards in this draft.

11. New Jersey Nets – Dejuan Blair, Pittsburgh (Last year’s stats: 15.7 points, 12.3 rebounds, 1.5 steals)

A young team with solid young building blocks in Devin Harris and Brook Lopez, New Jersey still needs help as far as depth and quality big men. Needing a good big man, the Nets should look no farther than the undersized man-child, Dejuan Blair.

An absolute beast at the college level, Blair was a force of nature on the glass at both ends. Possessing great hands and an unbelievably long wingspan (7’2”) to go along with his preternatural strength, Blair carves out space in the lane like a Mack Truck, attacking the ball like a hawk attacks his prey.

Though he was a terrific rebounder in college, Blair still has to show he will be able to translate his game to the NBA, where he will be facing taller, stronger opponents than he’s ever faced on a nightly basis.

In college, Blair showed the ability to perform against much taller players, thoroughly destroying the draft’s top center prospect, Hasheem Thabeet, in both of their matchups.

Still, standing only 6’6” tall, Blair will be up against much bigger players every night, and must prove that his rebounding, low-post scoring, great defensive footwork, and solid face-up game will translate to the NBA. I believe it will, and Blair should be a devil to keep off the NBA boards for a long time to come.

12. Charlotte Bobcats – Gerald Henderson, Duke (Last year’s stats: 16.5 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 1.2 spg, 45% FG)

Narrowly missing out on the playoffs last year, the Bobcats and coach Larry Brown are probably looking for someone to help immediately, looking to bring Charlotte to the playoffs for the first time. Gerald Henderson would be a guy who would be able to step in right away and help any team, especially defensively.

Henderson has all the credentials to be a star in this league. He played at Duke, under arguably the greatest basketball coach of all-time. He has a real defensive mindset to go along with superior athleticism.

He can be a force in the NBA on the defensive end for years to come if he fulfills his full potential. He has a good mid-range shooting ability. He can score in a variety of ways including creating his own shot.

He is already matured coming out of college as a junior and he is the type of player willing to do the intangibles. The only knock on Henderson is the range on his jump shot and the fact the he doesn’t posses a killer instinct offensively.

This can easily be fixed as NBA workouts can truly help a player like Henderson. Henderson has a high ceiling and he should certainly be a lottery selection. I must note in this that Gerald Henderson has an array of dunks that I have not seen out of such a complete player.

13. Indiana Pacers – Jeff Teague, Wake Forest (Last year’s stats: 18.8 ppg, 3.5 apg, 1.9 spg, 48.5 FG % 44.1 3P %)

Nobody wants to play for the Pacers as badly as the Indiana-born Jeff Teague. In an interview following his workout for the Pacers, Teague said that in five years he would love to be playing for the Pacers in his hometown state.

He doesn’t fit the Pacers most pressing needs (which are at center and power forward), but this draft is deprived of good big men.

When I see Mr. Teague play, I can only imagine what it would be like to be guarding him. He terrorizes defenders by using his quickness and his ability to get to the rim. He is built more like a point guard, which could hurt his stock in the draft.

He is similar in a way to Allen Iverson when you actually think about it. He is not a natural point guard. but can score in bunches in a variety of ways. He is fearless attacking the basket and he will finish above the rim on defenders. All of his weaknesses come into effect when he is put into the roll of point guard.

His only weakness at the shooting guard position is the fact that he is too small to guard the position in the NBA. Ideally, he is the best fit for a team that has a bigger point guard that can defend the shooting guards.

Teague possesses the tools that NBA scouts love at the shooting guard position. His quick release and ability to get to the free throw line should land Teague somewhere in the lottery. Indiana will find it tough to take a pass on the player born right down the road.

14. Phoenix Suns – Earl Clark, Louisville (Last year's stats: 14.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.2 assists)

With the fourteenth pick, the Suns will likely attempt to improve their depth and add a replacement for the possibly departing Grant Hill, the aging Steve Nash, or the old Shaq. Look for the Suns to pick up Earl Clark, a multi-talented player with an incredibly versatile skill set.

A tantalizing prospect, Earl Clark has oodles of athletic ability and a myriad of skills. Nonetheless, he's frighteningly inconsistent, fading from production throughout a lot of games.

When he puts his package together, Clark can be devastating, with the ability to create more or less any shot he wants, and a pretty good mid-range game.

Clark is a lot like Julian Wright, a multi-talented player who oozes talent but doesn't necessarily bring his "A" game every night. In the NBA, Clark could either struggle to get minutes, like Wright, or he could learn to bring constant effort for the full 48 minutes and become an instant impact player with his skills, height, and energy.

Clark has all the talent in the world, but he has yet to fully utilize it. Whether he does will determine how productive an NBA career he has.

15. Detroit Pistons – B.J. Mullens, Ohio St. (Last year’s stats: 8.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.1 blocks)

After fading from the top of the Eastern Conference in 2008-2009, the Pistons are at a critical juncture for their franchise. The trade of Chauncey Billups for the washed-up Allen Iverson shows that the Pistons are looking to rebuild, hoping to cash in on the 2010 free agency bonanza.

For now, though, the Pistons need to focus on the draft, where they have an unenviable position—their main needs for next year are big men, which the draft has very little to choose from. Look for the Pistons to select the top big man left on the board, B.J. Mullens.

At this time last year, Mr. Mullens was a definite lottery selection and potentially a top five pick in this year’s draft. Then his freshman season happened, and Mullens produced lackluster numbers, especially for a player who came to school surrounded by so much hype.

Even though Mullens didn’t produce much at all during his freshman season, he will still likely be drafted in the first round, based solely on his potential.

Mullens has good hands, good touch, the ability to establish early post position, athleticism, and can run the floor really well for a post player—all great qualities for a potential first round center to have.

Still, I doubt that Mullen will put it together in the NBA. For someone to produce so little in the NCAA, there must be something wrong. To add to his offensive struggles at Ohio State, B.J. is not good on the defensive end of the court at all.

He will need to make improvements there before he sees any playing time for any team that actually wants to win ball games. Mullens is a project, and for a team looking to stockpile talent for the future, he is the perfect selection.

16. Chicago Bulls – Chase Budinger, Arizona (Last year’s stats: 18.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists)

After a captivating series with the Celtics, the Bulls are looking to capitalize this offseason and prove next season that they are a team of the present as well as a team of the future.

With young, athletic players at almost every position and a budding superstar in Derrick Rose, look for the Bulls to select a player they know can become a solid role player. Enter Chase Budinger.

As a scorer, Budinger has every talent you’d want. He is super smooth with solid ball-handling skills and a soft touch from the outside. He moves very well without the basketball and has a nice vertical leap to be able to finish inside.

However, Chase lacks the mentality of a star, preferring to get his points in the flow of the game rather than truly taking over and forcing his imprint upon the game. Budinger could be a very good role player in the league, but the true questions about him reside on the defensive end of the floor.

Defensively, Budinger hasn’t shown the lateral quickness to guard a soul in the NBA. He is a good positional help defender but often fails to stay in front of his own man.

If Chase can become tougher and learn to keep his man from scoring, whichever team drafts him could have a huge steal.

17. Philadelphia 76ers – Jrue Holiday, UCLA (Last year’s stats: 8.5 points, 3.7 assists)

With Andre Miller expected to leave Philly after skipping their mandatory postseason meeting, the Sixers will have a hole at point guard that backup Louis Williams may or may not be ready to fill.

With new coach Eddie Jordan looking to push the pace, the Sixers will likely look to draft a more pure point guard than Williams, who is more of a scorer. Look for them to draft UCLA’s Jrue Holiday.

I really don’t know why Holiday is climbing draft boards around the country. He did nothing, repeat: NOTHING, in his time at UCLA. Averaging 8.5 points and 3.7 assists per game in his lone college season, I am still very skeptical of Holiday’s skills.

Yeah, his stats might be low because he had to share the backcourt with Darren Collison, but he’s going to be playing with much better point guards in the NBA.

Holiday clearly has a lot of holes in his game, which he will need to fill to become an NBA contributor. Anyways, after bashing him for a little while, now I’ll tell you the other side of the story. I realize why NBA scouts are drooling over the guy.

He is an unselfish point guard offensively, with the tools to be a lock-down defender and a pure distributor. He has an NBA-ready body, even though he just turned 19. He has as much upside as just about anybody on this list.

Despite all his physical tools, I am not sure an NBA team would be making the right choice drafting Holiday. They would likely have to wait at least a couple years to see him develop into the player he can be. At the 17^th pick, though, the gamble is well worth it.

18. Minnesota Timberwolves – Eric Maynor, VCU (Last year’s stats: 22.4 points, 6.2 assists)

With their second of three picks in the first round, the Timberwolves will attempt to continue stockpiling young talent. Right now, while starting the combustible Sebastian Telfair, point guard is the Timberwolves most pressing need.

They can’t go wrong with Eric Maynor. Whenever I watch Maynor, I’m struck most of all by the patience in his game. He takes his time, seems to play slow, and then somehow he ends up blowing by his defender into the lane. In that way, he reminds me a lot of Brandon Roy.

I’m not saying that he’s going to be as good as Brandon Roy, or even that they play similarly, but the poise and deliberate nature of their games is very comparable.

Maynor is a very good shooter, and was a tremendous scorer in college, but I think he can make the transition to become more of a distributor in the NBA. Maynor changes speeds so well that it’s very difficult to stay in front of him.

Maynor is already a crafty offensive player, great off the pick-and-roll, and as productive in college as any player on this list. Look for his skills to translate well to the NBA, and for him to be a solid player from day one, wherever he ends up.

19. Atlanta Hawks – Wayne Ellington, UNC (Last year’s stats: 15.8 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.7 apg, 48.3%FG)

The Atlanta Hawks are one star away from being a true championship contender, but they won’t be able to add a star with the 19th pick. Instead, they will draft a player who can contribute as a role player to their team, and Wayne Ellington is a player who matches that description.

The NCAA tournament MOP will not let down, I repeat will not let down, the GM that decides to take him. I have seen him all over draft boards but honestly he is the type of player that will make an impact immediately at the next level.

He possesses a skill set that can drive NBA scouts wild, he just did not get to show it as much as some other guys, as he was on a loaded UNC team that rolled through most of their opponents.

I saw Wayne four years ago and he has improved his all-around game. He can shoot in a variety of ways from off the dribble, coming off screens and spotting up anywhere on the floor.

Ellington really knows how to play the game which should translate to solid minutes for someone next season. He should make an immediate impact in the NBA solely off his shooting ability. In some ways, I see a little bit of Joe Johnson in him, and if the Hawks are smart, they won’t pass on him if he is still on the board at No. 19.

The dude is simply a winner and he knows what kind of work he must put in to be successful at the NBA level. I believe that Ellington is an underrated athlete, as a lot of scouts say that is one of his weaknesses.

20. Utah Jazz – Tyler Hansbrough, UNC (Last year’s stats: 20.7 points, 8.1 rebounds)

According to rumors, Carlos Boozer will decide to opt out the last year of his contract and will join either the New Jersey Nets or the Detroit Pistons. If that’s the case, Paul Millsap will move into the starting lineup and the Jazz will need a new backup power forward. There’s a power forward who comes to mind who Jerry Sloan would love because of his tenacious play : Tyler Hansbrough.

One of the most celebrated NCAA performers in recent history, Hansbrough had an absolutely marvelous college career, winning every award a college player can possibly win.

After three straight All-American years to start his storybook college career, Hansbrough could have easily rested on his laurels over the offseason. Instead, he took it upon himself to develop a dependable mid-range jumper to go along with his bruising low-post repertoire, making himself even more difficult to guard.

Because of his improving mid-range game, I am no longer as skeptical about Tyler Hansbrough’s professional prospects. Before, when his only means of scoring were bulling into or through his defender for either a layup or two free throws, I felt his NBA potential was very limited.

Now, as his skill level increases, Hansbrough should be able to carve out a very solid career in the NBA.

Hansbrough will be able to score in the NBA, but his success at the next level will depend on how much he can improve defensively. Not possessing great quickness or leaping ability, Hansbrough will have to rely on his basketball IQ to make improvements defensively.

If he can show the ability to defend NBA post players, Hansbrough should see a lot of playing time early on and throughout his NBA career.

21. New Orleans Hornets – Terrence Williams, Louisville (Last year's stats: 12.5 points, 8.6 rebounds, 5.0 assists)

The Hornets had a big hole at small forward last year, where Rasual Butler tried his best to fill in but just isn’t a starting-caliber NBA player. At this point in the draft, only one small forward will be able to come in and challenge Butler for the starting position, Terrence Williams.

Williams possesses every skill you would want in a player besides a go-to scorer's mentality and a consistent jump shot.

Coming into last season, the only knock on Williams' game was his ability to shoot the three-pointer, but he vastly improved his shot, finishing at 38.5 percent from beyond the arc.

Still, Williams has a lot of work to do in order to complete his improvement from three, as his form isn't very consistent, and he remains a streaky shooter from deep.

Despite his two shortcomings, Williams should be able to help any team. With the ability to play point-forward, T-Will has amazing playmaking ability and the explosiveness to translate that area of his game to the next level.

If he ever develops a consistent jump shot with NBA range, Williams will be hell to guard, and he should already produce as a great passer and energetic defender in his rookie year.

22. Dallas Mavericks – James Johnson, Wake Forest (Last year’s stats: 15.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.5 steals)

The Dallas Mavericks, despite a strong end to the season, still have plenty of questions regarding their roster. First, will Jason Kidd still be able to play at a high level even though he’s another year older?

Also, the Mavericks desperately need an upgrade at small forward, where James Singleton and Antoine Wright played the bulk of the backup minutes. At this point in the draft, the Mavericks’ surest bet is to improve their small forward position by drafting James Johnson, Wake Forest’s versatile playmaking power forward.

Johnson is a highly skilled, physical player with the ability to create offense for himself or others.

He has a very good handle for someone as strong as he is and also possesses above-average court vision, making him a good passer. Johnson isn’t an amazing athlete, but makes up for what he lacks in athleticism with physical strength, great toughness, and versatility.

He opens up the floor for others and is very unselfish.

Johnson has tons of skills but must improve on his shooting to be a truly effective pro. On the defensive end of the floor, Johnson lacks elite quickness but still manages to do a pretty good job guarding either small forwards or power forwards. He projects to be a solid NBA defender, but not a lockdown one.

If the Mavericks select him, look for them to be happy with his performance and lucky to have such a versatile player.

23. Sacramento Kings – Sam Young, Pittsburgh (Last year’s stats: 19.2 points, 6.3 rebounds)

The Kings are a team urgently in need of an infusion of athleticism. With perhaps the least athletic team in the league, the Kings need somebody at this point in the draft who can help them match up with the more athletic swingmen in the league. For that, the Kings should select Sam Young, the seasoned, proven veteran out of Pittsburgh.

If you’re looking for the most NBA-ready small forward, look no further than Young.

Possessor of an incredibly lethal shot fake (where he nearly comes off the ground himself), Young has a very advanced offensive game.

He is a strong, physical player able to score in the post, off the dribble, or in catch and shoot situations. He knows what he can and can’t do and plays to his strengths rather than his weaknesses.

A jack of all trades but a master of none, Young can do a little bit of everything offensively and showed go-to-scoring ability in college. In the NBA, however, Young will likely never be a No. 1 option, but should still be a solid performer capable of putting up big numbers on any given night.

Defensively is where Young should really shine in the NBA. He has great quickness, strength, and a nearly seven-foot wingspan, giving him the ability to cover a wide array of offensive players. Young is also super-tough, demonstrating his readiness to get down and dirty throughout his college career.

With his complete package on both sides of the ball, Sam Young should be an instant impact player and could develop into a special player down the road.

24. Portland Trailblazers – Derrick Brown, Xavier (Last year’s stats: 13.7 points, 6.1 rebounds)

Over the last few years, the Trailblazers have stockpiled draft picks and become a team for the future, loaded with talent at every position. With such a deep and talented team, the Blazers should look to acquire a player who is willing to do the dirty work, someone who can compete for spot minutes and perhaps develop into a serviceable pro.

The Blazers should pick Derrick Brown, who’s athleticism and defensive versatility should be coveted.

One of the least polished players in the draft, Brown relies almost solely on his outstanding athleticism for his production. Standing 6’8” with an outrageous 7’3” wingspan, Brown attacks the rim with reckless abandon, resulting in 73 dunks over last season.

Other than his athleticism, Brown has few skills that are ready for the NBA. His jump shot needs major work, only making 11 total three point shots last season and only attempting those shots when the defense left him no choice.

Defensively is where Derrick Brown is ready to make his greatest contributions. Because of his great physical attributes, Brown is a truly versatile defender, quick enough to stay in front of smaller players and strong enough to guard larger post players.

Brown is not yet ready to make contributions at the NBA level, but his outstanding athleticism make him a very intriguing prospect looking into the future.

25. Oklahoma City Thunder – Ty Lawson, UNC (Last year’s stats: 16.6 points, 6.6 assists)

With Russell Westbrook already established as their point guard of the future, I don’t think the Thunder should select a point guard with their first selection, the third pick in the draft. If Ty Lawson is still around at the 25th pick, though, the Thunder will have a tough time passing him by.

Before last year, I felt Lawson was an overrated, mistake-prone point guard who couldn’t hit a jumpshot. Boy, was I wrong. Lawson proved me, and all his detractors, wrong during an incredible junior season that saw him completely take the reigns of college basketball’s top team.

Tyler Hansbrough got a lot of the credit for North Carolina’s championship, but Ty Lawson was the guy who made them go. Because he played for North Carolina, Lawson gets compared to Raymond Felton, but I see a lot more Jameer Nelson in him.

Like Nelson, Lawson is a strong, physical guard with a lot of strength, and he developed a jumpshot during his junior season. This past year, he became a far better player than he ever had been, continuing to push the tempo to breakneck pace but still playing controlled basketball.

It was beautiful to watch Lawson play this season although, being a Duke fan, it wasn’t fun to see Greg Paulus, Elliot Williams and Nolan Smith try to guard him. I look for Lawson to be a starter in the NBA, and he could have a very good rookie year depending on where he gets drafted. With the Thunder, he wouldn’t be a starter, but he could be a nice sparkplug to bring off the bench.

26. Chicago Bulls – Dajuan Summers, Georgetown (Last year’s stats: 13.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.1 steals)

With the 26th selection, the Bulls still need a low-post scorer more than anything, but will be hard-pressed to find one in the paltry collection of big men in this draft.

With that said, they should look to increase their depth and athleticism, adding a versatile, talented player in the process. Expect them to pick Dajuan Summers.

I could never really get a good read on Summers’ game. At times, I was struck by his NBA-ready physique, terrific athleticism, and smooth jump shot.

Summers put together streaks within games where he would make a great block, grab the rebound, outlet, sprint the floor, and finish with a dunk at the offensive end. During those plays, Summers would look like a future NBA All-Star, capable of igniting his team with his energy and leading with his skills.

However, Summers had a tendency throughout his career of disappearing for large portions of games, somehow failing to impact the game despite his vast array of skills and physical attributes.

Summers still has all the physical tools you’d want in a small forward, but he has to learn to put it together for the entire game.

He could start by improving his ball-handling skills, which are more or less nonexistent. Because he has a poor handle, Summers can’t create his own offense and has to rely on hustle plays and his jump shot to score.

Based on his physical tools, Summers should still be a solid player in the league, but he’ll have to work to round out the rough edges of his game.

27. Memphis Grizzlies – Taj Gibson, USC (Last year’s stats: 14.3 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.9 blocks)

After drafting mammoth center Hasheem Thabeet with their first pick, the Grizzlies will be very pleased with their starting lineup of the future—Mike Conley, O.J. Mayo, Rudy Gay, Marc Gasol and Thabeet.

At their second pick, the Grizzlies will look to get a defensive-minded player who will be able to affect games even when he isn’t scoring.

Extremely effective in and around the paint, Taj Gibson possesses some physical skills that will be very attractive to NBA GMs. Super long, with above-average athleticism, Gibson will have prototypical athletic ability for a power forward if he can add some weight to his 6’9” frame.

Offensively, Gibson possesses the makings of a very nice post game. He has a good arsenal of back-to-the-basket moves, with the capability to turn to either shoulder and make plays. Gibson has also shown signs of a decent face-up game.

If he can ever fully develop his face-up game to match the level of his post game, Gibson will be a very well-rounded offensive performer.

Still, without a developed face-up game, Taj has been an incredibly efficient scorer throughout his college career, shooting a scorching 60.1% from the field this past year.

On the other end of the court, Gibson also displays his immense physical tools. With great timing while blocking shots and a long wingspan, Gibson averaged almost three blocks per game for the past season.

Despite his great shot-blocking ability, Gibson could struggle guarding defenders in the post at the next level because of his frail frame. If Gibson can add weight, he should be able to develop into a game-changer defensively, and could be a very complete player in the NBA.

28. Minnesota Timberwolves – Austin Daye, Gonzaga (Last year’s stats: 12.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.1 blocks)

Minnesota has the enviable position of having three draft picks in a draft that looks to be a lot deeper than people imagined. After selecting Tyreke Evans and Eric Maynor to play guard, look for the Timberwolves to pick a versatile swingman to help them add depth to their young roster.

This late in the first round, there is at least one small forward remaining with the talent to potentially become a great player in the NBA.

Probably the most talented small forward in the draft, nobody questions Austin Daye’s skills.

At a legitimate 6’10”, Daye can handle the ball, pass the ball, and shoot the ball like a smaller player. He has great jab step moves and a highly advanced offensive repertoire. He has incredible size and an amazing skill set to go with it.

Still, Daye wasn’t as productive as he should have been at Gonzaga. While he was an impact player, Daye was nowhere near the star his size and skill say he should be. Daye needs to become physically and mentally tougher in order to compete in the NBA, but he might be the only remaining small forward who has star potential at the next level.

If Daye can get in the weight room and had 20-30 pounds to his frame, he could immediately be an impact player and a huge mismatch similar to Rashard Lewis. Otherwise, look for him to fail to live up to his tremendous potential.

29. Los Angeles Lakers – Omri Casspi, Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel) (Last year’s stats: 8.8 points, 3.1 rebounds)

After the Timberwolves take Austin Daye, look for the Lakers to be very excited about picking Omri Casspi. The Lakers will have the opportunity to stash Casspi overseas for a couple years if they’d like, or they could bring him over to help their team right away.

Apparently, Casspi and Daye both took part in the same workout for the New Jersey Nets, and Casspi just murdered Daye, muscling him time and time again.

Playing for a European powerhouse, Casspi has yet to play major minutes overseas. Only 20 years old, Casspi has a ton of potential, but like almost everybody at the small forward position, he looks to be more of a role player in the league than a star.

Like the rest of the small forwards on this list, Casspi is more of an opportunistic scorer than a guy who creates offense. He finds his offense by running the floor in transition, spotting up for open jumpers, and making hustle plays around the basket.

Casspi still has far to go to be a productive player, but he has a very high skill level and has been a productive role player for one of the elite European teams at a very young age.

Look for him to also be productive once he moves his game to the NBA.

30. Cleveland Cavaliers – Jeff Pendergraph, Arizona St. (Last year’s stats: 14.5 points, 8.2 rebounds)

Blake Griffin and Co.: Ranking the NBA Draft's Power Forwards

Jay King — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 03:07:38 -0400

For the fourth part of Celtics Town’s first annual NBA Draft position rankings, we will take a look at the best draft-eligible power forwards. You would have to be under a rock for the past few months to be unaware that the almost definite number one pick is the top power forward in this draft, Blake Griffin.

Griffin, though, isn’t the only talented power forward in the draft. There are plenty of other power forwards looking to make an impact in the NBA next season, including some of college basketball’s top performers. Here are Celtics Town’s top 10 power forwards in the 2009 NBA Draft…

Also see our draft position rankings for point guards, shooting guards, and small forwards, and our NBA mock draft – lottery edition.

10. Jon Brockman, Washington (Last year’s stats: 14.9 points, 11.5 rebounds)

If the NBA Draft were strictly about production, Brockman would be one of the top power forwards off the board. A fierce player with outstanding intensity and a strong frame, Brockman is an animal on the glass and an opportunistic offensive player.

Looking forward to the NBA, Brockman’s skills don’t necessarily translate to the next level. Unfortunately for Brockman, he is undersized and under-athletic.

In order to become a solid NBA contributor, Brockman will have to learn how to expand his offensive repertoire and become a better finisher. He was a solid finisher in college, but will have to improve his use of his strong frame to continue to be a good finisher against the NBA’s athletic big men.

Brockman will have to make adjustments in order to stay productive at the NBA level, but, if he does, he can become a valuable asset to any team because of his outstanding work ethic and terrific intensity.

9. Dante Cunningham, Villanova (Last year’s stats: 16.1 points, 7.5 rebounds)

Before last year, Dante Cunningham faded into the background at Villanova, letting Villanova’s potent backcourt carry the team while he steadily played his role. This past season, though, Cunningham took a huge leap forward, becoming Villanova’s most productive player.

An undersized power forward, Cunningham makes up for what he lacks in height with an incredible mid-range game. Cunningham is a prototypical pick-and-pop big man at the next level, with a deadly jumper and improving face-up skills.

Right now, his jumper doesn’t extend too far beyond 15 feet, but Cunningham has great form and could easily extend that range out to at least 18 or 19 feet.

Cunningham has downfalls, too. For an undersized power forward, he does not possess a lot of athleticism to make up for his lack of size. Additionally, his lack of size and leaping ability keeps him from being a very good rebounder

Despite his fallbacks in the athleticism and size categories, Dante Cunningham’s lethal jumpshot should allow him to be a solid performer in the NBA. Most draft gurus have Cunningham a bit lower, but I find him to be so solid that he deserves a place in my top ten.

8. DeMarre Carroll, Missouri (Last year’s stats: 16.6 points, 7.2 rebounds)

From a skill standpoint, Carroll is not one of the most talented draft-eligible power forwards. He doesn’t have a great handle, can’t shoot very well, and doesn’t have much of a post game, either. He may also struggle defensively in the NBA, where he will have to gain weight to guard power forwards or gain quickness to guard small forwards.

What he lacks in skills, though, Carroll makes up for with energy and hustle. DeMarre has a constant motor, playing the game at full-speed at all times, making all the scrappy plays that help teams win ballgames. Because of his tough play, Carroll gets to the free throw line a lot, averaging five trips to the line per game.

Though Carroll is far from a finished product, I look for him to be a productive, active player off the bench in the NBA. He will probably never crack an NBA starting lineup, but Carroll should be a helpful NBA player along the lines of Renaldo Balkman.

7. Derrick Brown, Xavier (Last year’s stats: 13.7 points, 6.1 rebounds)

One of the least polished players in the draft, Derrick Brown relies almost solely on his outstanding athleticism for his production. Standing 6’8” with an outrageous 7’3” wingspan, Brown attacks the rim with reckless abandon, resulting in 73 dunks over last season.

6. Jeff Pendergraph, Arizona State (Last year’s stats: 14.5 points, 8.2 rebounds)

Playing largely in James Harden’s shadow, Jeff Pendergraph was a solid player all year long, producing offensively and on the boards.

Pendergraph possesses decent offensive skills, with the ability to finish around the basket and a developing turnaround jumper from the post. Despite his developing skills on the offensive end of the floor, Pendergraph does not yet have a refined post game. He makes some nice moves, but is far from a finished product in the post.

Because of his unrefined skills, Pendergraph right now remains a garbage man, capable of scoring on putbacks and open layups, utilizing his deceptive athleticism to get most of his points. Pendergraph is a consistent offensive performer, but not a go-to scorer by any stretch of the imagination.

Defensively, Pendergraph projects to be a solid positional defender and average rebounder. He probably will never become a defensive stopper, but won’t be a liability, either.

Pendergraph should be able to develop into a solid role player in the NBA, where he will continue to be a scrappy garbage man just like he was in college.

5. Taj Gibson, USC (Last year’s stats: 14.3 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.9 blocks)

4. Tyler Hansbrough, UNC (Last year’s stats: 20.7 points, 8.1 rebounds)

One of the most celebrated NCAA performers in recent history, Tyler Hansbrough had an absolutely marvelous college career, winning every award a college player can possibly win.

3. Dejuan Blair, Pittsburgh (Last year’s stats: 15.7 points, 12.3 rebounds, 1.5 steals)

An absolute beast at the college level, Dejuan Blair was a force of nature on the glass at both ends. Possessing great hands and an unbelievably long wingspan (7’2”) to go along with his preternatural strength, Blair carves out space in the lane like a Mack Truck, attacking the ball like a hawk attacks his prey.

2. Jordan Hill, Arizona (Last year’s stats: 18.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, 1.7 blocks)

Before this past season, I called Jordan Hill one of the more overrated players in college basketball. Boy, did he prove me wrong.

Still, Hill has a long ways to go before he can become a great contributor on the NBA level. Right now, he reminds me a lot of Joakim Noah, a player who relies a lot on his superior athletic ability and outstanding hustle to make plays and produce for his team.

Down the road, Hill has the potential to develop into a far better offensive player than Noah, and already has a decent jump hook with both hands.

If Hill can continue to improve, he could be a stud in the NBA, but he still has his work cut out for him. Even without improvement, he should be a good energy guy capable of providing hustle points and solid defense to go along with solid rebounding.

1. Blake Griffin, Oklahoma (Last year’s stats: 22.7 points, 14.4 rebounds)

Also see our draft position rankings for point guards, shooting guards, and small forwards, and our NBA Mock Draft - Lottery Edition.

Visit Celtics Town for these articles and much more.

Boston Celtics: Funny The Difference a Year Makes

Jay King — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 13:49:09 -0400

One year ago today, the Boston Celtics administered a terrific beatdown to the Los Angeles Lakers, ending an unbelievable turnaround from a disastrous 24-48 season in 2006-2007. The Celtics headed into the offseason as World Champions, with few questions regarding their superiority, and their starting five intact for the following season.

This year, the Celtics lost their mantle as champions, falling victim to injuries and a tough Orlando Magic team. Now, instead of heading into the offseason as champions, the Celtics are in the midst of turmoil, a team looking to extend its closing window of opportunity.

The Celtics are swirling in rumors, and have been in discussions to trade up for a higher draft pick. According to the latest rumors, Rajon Rondo has worn out his welcome in Boston, and the Celts are looking to ship him somewhere else to get rid of his debilitating attitude. Rumors have also included Ray Allen or Kendrick Perkins being carted off, in exchange for either the second or fourth pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.

But why do the Celtics want to make those trades? How could getting rid of one of their established stars or budding young studs possibly help them get better?

I don't see how it possibly could because, as much as things have changed from last offseason to this offseason, so much has stayed the same. The Celtics still have the best starting five in the league, a five unrivaled by any in the league. If their starting five is healthy, the Celtics, with such a dominant starting tandem at both ends of the floor, should still be the favorites to win the 2010 NBA title.

Their starting five has everything you would want in a basketball team. Kevin Garnett and the rapidly developing Perkins provide low-post scoring. Ray Allen and Paul Pierce bring outside shooters and all-around scoring ability. Rajon Rondo is the guy who runs the club, finding open scorers and creating plays for everyone else. Lockdown defense? Yeah, they’ve got that, too, at every position. Allen and Pierce, once thought of as defensive liabilities, now play every possession with the Celtics’ trademark defensive intensity, applying pressure and defensive help on every play.

Where the Celtics really need to upgradeis their bench. Since the departures of James Posey and P.J. Brown, the Celtics have lacked a backup for Paul Pierce and a steady backup big man. Sorry, but a second unit featuring Tony Allen at small forward and the 6'7" Leon Powe at center just doesn't cut it.

Instead of trying to trade one or more of their established players for salary cap room and a draft pick, the C’s should focus on acquiring a backup big and a backup swingman via free agency. Using their mid-level exception to sign at least one player from the free agent group of Grant Hill, Trevor Ariza (who may have played himself into a bigger deal), Anthony Parker, Matt Barnes, Antonio McDyess, Marcin Gortat and Chris Anderson would serve the Celtics a lot better than trading away any of their starters.

The Celtics are at a critical juncture for their team, where they can either continue to build on the last two year’s success or begin the fall towards irrelevancy that victimizes so many NBA franchises.

Here’s hoping Danny Ainge pulls all the right moves out of his hat.

For this article and much more, check out Celtics Town.

Let's Cut to the Chase: 2009 NBA Draft Position Rankings—Small Forwards

Jay King — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 10:40:01 -0400

It’s time for the third part of the NBA Draft positional rankings list presented by Celtics Town. In today’s portion, we will discuss the small forward position.

Though there are seemingly no stars to be found at small forward, plenty of players could be contributors at the NBA level. I just want to let everyone know before they read this that we did not forget DeMar DeRozan; we merely included him in our shooting guards list.

Read on to check out Celtics Town’s top 12 draft prospects at the small forward position.

12. Micah Downs, Gonzaga

(Last year’s stats: 9.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 38.7% three-point)

The 6’8" swingman had some really poor stats last year, but his statistical production does not match his talent or skill level.

Downs, a terrific shooter and a very surprising athlete (and it’s pretty funny, but you only hear that someone’s surprisingly athletic when he’s white), still has a ways to go as far as production, but he has all the tools to be a very productive professional, whether it be in the NBA, NBDL, or overseas.

While he wasn’t a defensive stopper by any means at Gonzaga, Micah has the ability to progress into a great on-the-ball defender, with a long wingspan to accompany his quick feet.

With his shooting ability and potential as a defender, Downs would be a perfect late second round pick and is someone I expect to make an NBA roster.

11. Jonas Jerebko, Angelica Biella

(Italy) (Last year’s stats: 9.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.2 steals)

NBA scouts are looking at Jonas Jerebko for his defense far more than his offense. At a strong 6’9” and 225 pounds, Jerebko possesses every skill you’d want in a hard-nosed defender.

His strength, length, and fierce competitiveness make Jonas an incredibly tough player to score against. Additionally, his frame looks as if it can handle 15 more pounds of muscle, which would allow Jerebko to match up with an even wider array of players than he already does.

Offensively, Jerebko rarely forces the action, preferring to blend in with his teammates rather than take control himself. While this limits his potential on that side of the ball, it makes him a prime candidate to be an incredible role player, someone willing to sacrifice his individual production to focus on helping his teammates.

Jerebko reminds me somewhat of Nicolas Batum, another versatile defender who never forces anything offensively.

10. Danny Green, UNC

(Last year’s stats: 13.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.8 steals)

Playing for the NCAA-champion North Carolina Tar Heels, Danny Green’s per-game statistics didn’t increase much from his junior to senior season, but his professional prospects did.

Green improved his three-point shooting, raising his percentages from 37 percent to 42 percent despite the college line moving back a foot. Green not only improved his percentages, he also improved his shot’s consistency, range, and footwork.

Pairing his newfound shooting prowess with his impressive defense, Green has great role player potential in the NBA and could be a solid NBA player for years to come. While not as NBA-ready as Courtney Lee, Green is a very similar player—a tough, gritty defender who uses above-average athleticism to make up for his lack of elite NBA length.

I believe Green could have a Lee-like rookie year as a defensive stopper and occasional scorer.

9. Victor Claver, Pamesa Valencia (Spain)

(Last year’s stats: 8.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 41.5% three-point)

Despite missing a large part of last season due to a knee injury, Claver was able to impress NBA scouts prior to his injury. An incredibly long, 6’10” small forward, Claver has terrific shooting ability, especially from beyond the arc.

Despite his height and shooting, Claver projects as more of a role player in the NBA. He is an athletic 6’10”, yet his lack of ball-handling skills keeps him from getting to the rim against less athletic players. Claver is better at finishing plays started by his teammates than he is at creating his own shot.

Even if his offensive playmaking skills don’t progress, Claver could still be a productive NBA player based solely on his athleticism, height, and shooting.

8. DaJuan Summers, Georgetown

(Last year’s stats: 13.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.1 steals)

I could never really get a good read on DaJuan Summers’ game. At times, I was struck by his NBA-ready physique, terrific athleticism, and smooth jump shot.

However, Summers had a tendency throughout his career of disappearing for large portions of games, somehow failing to impact the game despite his vast array of skills and physical attributes.

Summers still has all the physical tools you’d want in a small forward, but he has to learn to put it together for the entire game. He could start by improving his ball-handling skills, which are more or less nonexistent. Because he has a poor handle, Summers can’t create his own offense and has to rely on hustle plays and his jump shot to score.

Based on his physical tools, Summers should still be a solid player in the league, but he’ll have to work to round out the rough edges of his game.

7. Omri Casspi, Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel)

(Last year’s stats: 8.8 points, 3.1 rebounds)

Casspi still has far to go to be a productive player, but he has a very high skill level and has been a productive role player for one of the elite European teams at a very young age.

Look for him to also be productive once he moves his game to the NBA.

6. Austin Daye, Gonzaga

(Last year’s stats: 12.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.1 blocks)

Probably the most talented small forward in the draft, nobody questions Daye’s skills.

Still, Daye wasn’t as productive as he should have been at Gonzaga. While he was an impact player, Daye was nowhere near the star his size and skill say he should be. Daye needs to become physically and mentally tougher in order to compete in the NBA, but he is probably the only guy on this list who has star potential at the next level.

If Daye can get in the weight room and add 20 to 30 pounds to his frame, he could immediately be an impact player and a huge mismatch similar to Rashard Lewis. Otherwise, look for him to fail to live up to his tremendous potential.

5. Chase Budinger, Arizona

(Last year’s stats: 18.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists)

As a scorer, Chase Budinger has every talent you’d want. He is super smooth with solid ball-handling skills and a soft touch from the outside. He moves very well without the basketball and has a nice vertical leap to be able to finish inside.

Defensively, Budinger hasn’t shown the lateral quickness to guard a soul in the NBA. He is a good positional help defender but often fails to stay in front of his own man.

If Chase can become tougher and learn to keep his man from scoring, whichever team drafts him could have a huge steal.

4. James Johnson, Wake Forest

(Last year’s stats: 15.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.5 steals)

Deciding whether James Johnson was a power forward or small forward, we looked at his skills and height rather than his bulk. Johnson is a highly skilled, physical player with the ability to create offense for himself or others.

He opens up the floor for others and is very unselfish.

Look for whatever team drafts him to be happy with his performance and lucky to have such a versatile player.

3. Sam Young, Pittsburgh

(Last year’s stats: 19.2 points, 6.3 rebounds)

If you’re looking for the most NBA-ready small forward, look no further than No. 3 on our list, Sam Young.

Possessor of an incredibly lethal shot fake (where he nearly comes off the ground himself), Young has a very advanced offensive game. He is a strong, physical player able to score in the post, off the dribble, or in catch and shoot situations. He knows what he can and can’t do and plays to his strengths rather than his weaknesses.

With his complete package on both sides of the ball, Sam Young should be an instant impact player and could develop into a special player down the road.

2. Earl Clark, Louisville

(Last year's stats: 14.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.2 assists)

A tantalizing prospect, Earl Clark has oodles of athletic ability and a myriad of skills. Nonetheless, he's frighteningly inconsistent, fading from production throughout a lot of games.

When he puts his package together, Clark can be devastating, with the ability to create more or less any shot he wants, and a pretty good mid-range game.

Clark has all the talent in the world, but he has yet to fully utilize it. Whether he does will determine how productive an NBA career he has.

1. Terrence Williams, Louisville

(Last year's stats: 12.5 points, 8.6 rebounds, 5.0 assists)

Terrence Williams possesses every skill you would want in a player except a go-to scorer's mentality and a consistent jump shot.

Coming into last season, the only knock on Williams' game was his ability to shoot the three-pointer, but he vastly improved his shot, finishing at 38.5 percent from beyond the arc.

Still, Williams has a lot of work to do in order to complete his improvement from three, as his form isn't very consistent and he remains a streaky shooter from deep.

If he ever develops a consistent jump shot with NBA range, Williams will be hell to guard, and he should already produce as a great passer and energetic defender in his rookie year.

Visit this article and more at Celtics Town. Click here to see our point guards list and here to see our shooting guards.

NBA Draft Prospects: The Point Guards

Jay King — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 09:18:33 -0400

Now that the NBA finals are over, and my least favorite team has won, it’s time to jump fully into NBA Draft mode. The NBA Draft is one of the best times of the year for any NBA fan. The excitement of the opportunity for your team to get better brings a lot of fun to the table. This year, I thought the draft wasn’t going to be as interesting to me, because the Celtics only have the 58th pick. Now they are rumored to be looking to trade up in the draft, apparently willing to part ways with Rajon Rondo or Ray Allen to get a look at one of this year’s budding stars. Why the hell they would do that, I don’t really know, with Ray Allen being their only true threat from outside and Rondo blossoming before our eyes into one of the top point guards in the league. Nonetheless, it’s gotten me excited for the draft, and it’s now time to rank each position. To begin Celtics Town’s look at the draft, we are going to start with the floor general, the point guard. This year’s point guard crop is a very intriguing one, with some accomplished college players as well as some European studs. In this year's overall weak draft, the point guards are deep and talented. We include a couple guys who might not be classified as point guards on everybody’s list, but they’ve either played point guard their whole lives (Tyreke Evans) or would likely play point guard in the NBA (Jrue Holiday, Stephen Curry). Enjoy Celtics Town’s first annual draft position rankings:

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Do You Believe in Magic? The Top 10 Point Guards in NBA History

Jay King — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 10:01:41 -0400

In the 5th part of the all-time great’s series presented by Celtics Town, we take a look today the top point guards of all time. In this edition I have added to the field by adding my all-injury and future star teams in addition to the top 10 and honorable mention. This list was extremely fun to do because it consists of some of my favorites of all-time. I took a look at guys that got injured either before or during the primes of their careers and decided to give them a mention. I like the future stars section because these are the players who we are forced to watch now and they give us great shows as they try to gain leverage on some of the all-time greats. The honorable mention guys are very close to the top 10, however the choices I had to make were extremely difficult so anyone feel free to argue that some of our honorable mentions should be amongst the top 10. The top 10 or should I say 12 players was tough to choose from because all of these players had tremendous careers and played huge roles on successful teams.

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