Full Court Press: 6/27/05 2005 Celtics Draft Board

By Jon Duke
June 27, 2005

The wait is nearly over draftniks. After 364 days of breathlessly perusing the latest mock drafts on nbadraft.net or eagerly looking for Chad Ford’s latest next Dirk Nowitski the 2005 NBA Draft is just hours away. The Boston Celtics in the midst of building a perennial winner have placed a great deal of emphasis in improving the roster through the draft. To this point, Danny Ainge and the basketball operations staff have been incredibly successful, with signs of game from each of Ainge’s seven draftees. Now as we enter the third draft of the Ainge regime there is only one thing that you can be absolutely certain of… any information you receive regarding this pick may very well be misinformation. Over the past week, there have been rumors liking the Celtics to Yaroslav Korolev, Andrew Bynum, Roko Leni-Ukic, Ike Diogu, Hakim Warrick, Charlie Villanueva, and, most recently, Luther Head. Got all that? And, don’t forget the much ballyhooed “Pierce to Portland” which would have resulted in the Celtics acquiring the 3rd pick in the draft. It’s enough to make any Celtics fan as confused as Isiah Thomas, but the Full Court Press will forge ahead. While none of us will be able to sit in the Celtics’ “War Room” Tuesday night, here is a start on what the team’s draft board may look like for the 18th pick in the draft and also a handful of names to watch for in the second round.

Yaroslav Korolev: Korolev reportedly has a promise from the Clippers to be chosen with the 12th pick in the draft, but much like promises in drafts gone past, I don’t believe this is true. Last year, it appeared that Phoenix was locked in to draft Martynas Andriuskevicius with the 7th pick. “Marty” dropped out of the draft, and Phoenix traded the pick. As for Korolev, he may never become the next Andrei Kirilenko, but he provides something of a “point forward” which may be a near necessity if the backcourt continues to be helmed by combo guards like Banks and West. Korolev also possesses the high basketball IQ that Ainge has publicly professed a desire for in recent days. Whether Korolev ultimately mans the wing opposite Pierce, Davis, or West; Yaroslav Korolev could very well be amongst the best players to emerge from this draft. Ainge sees this potential and will no doubt select Korolev if he is available at 18.

Roko Leni-Ukic: Like Korolev, Ukic’s available largely depends on one team. If Toronto, who desperately needs a point guard, selects Raymond Felton with their 7th pick then the Celtics should be in fairly good shape to select the 6-5 Croatian guard. Only Indiana, at #17, could possibly go with a point guard that late in the draft, so #7 will be the spot to watch to see if Ukic will be there for the C’s at 18. The great part of Ukic is that he enables Doc play him in the backcourt with West or Banks and not pay a price for it on the defensive end by matching Roko up with the shooting guard. This off-season drips and dribbles of information out of the Celtics camp seem to indicate a willingness to play West as more of a shooting guard, so the selection of Ukic plays right into this scenario. While Roko will need to do some weight training to withstand the rigors of the NBA schedule, he may very well become a productive player from “Opening Night”. Like Korolev, Ukic has been very productive in Europe on some of the highest levels of competition, so unlike other Europeans who have failed in the NBA, Nikolsz Tskitishvili most notably, these two have proven to be capable players on the court rather than impressing scouts in an empty gym during a workout.

Andrew Bynum: Admittedly, this pick has the greatest “boom-bust” potential, but Andrew Bynum is turning heads and making many GM’s take notice of the never-was UConn star. More than anything, Bynum is a shot in the dark, but his quickness and strength cause scouts whisper to each other who he reminds them of…Shaquille O’Neal. Now no one is saying that Bynum will even resemble The Diesel when it is all said and done, but his 33 inch standing vertical jump and 9-6 standing reach are beyond impressive. The problem with Bynum is that he has yet to encounter solid competition in his young life. A couple years at UConn (he’s only 17) could very well have placed him on the road to the #1 pick in the 2007 NBA Draft, but due to some solid buzz following the high school all star games, Bynum took the plunge. The question with Bynum is whether it is a better pick to take a guy who has a track record against solid competition, or someone with the physical attributes to be amongst the game’s best. Ainge took that gamble last year in selecting Al Jefferson, and I don’t believe he would shy away now with a guy who could form a devastating low post troika with Jefferson and Perkins.

Andray Blatche: Staying with the high school theme, Andray Blatche is what I consider the perfect complement to Jefferson and Perkins. Blatche is a long and lean seven footer who prefers to live on the perimeter and face the basket. Where Jefferson is on his way to becoming amongst the NBA’s best on the low block, Blatche’s 15-20 foot jump shot could clear out the lane for Jefferson and allow him more room to work. Think Mark Blount without the hands of stone and perpetual sour puss. The other main advantage of Blatche is his ability to match up with more athletic big men and match them jump for jump. While Jefferson and Perkins have great potential, neither is on the same level athletically as someone like Amare Stoudemire or Stromile Swift. For the past few seasons, more athletic big men have absolutely dominated the Celtics in the post. Witness Dan Gadzuric’s William Felton Russell-like performances earlier this year. Nuff said. The need is there, the question is whether Ainge will want to replace one player who didn’t play down low enough (Antoine Walker) for another in Blatche.

Ersan Ilyasova: This Turk is yet another European small forward with “freakish” athleticism who can score and rebound with the best of them. The problem with Ilyasova is who those “them” are. Only 18 years old, Ilyasova has yet to compete against the best in European basketball, so his draft stock is based largely on potential given his physical gifts. Unfortunately, Ersan has been bitten by the injury bug often in his young career, but he has used that opportunity to improve his upper body to where he has become a formidable rebounder. Ilyasova can play with his back to the basket, slash to the hole, or utilize his improving jumper. The young Turk can even play some excellent man to man defense, but Doc will require much more out of him to play within Boston’s defensive system. Something that has held Tony Allen back despite his tenacious man to man D. But, with the renewed NBDL, the risk in selecting players with more developing to do has lessened significantly.

After the top five, here are a few that deserve consideration at #18, but I have serious reservations about each of them.

Charlie Villanueva: I’m actually cringing while I type this, but Villanueva could actually be the ideal player to add to the Celtics roster. Charlie’s size gives him the ability to play power forward or center and his athleticism makes him available at the small forward. He could ultimately end up the Super Sub who can come in and fill any role. The problem is that Villanueva seems be the recipient of a million dollar body and a ten cent head, or more aptly heart. Charlie coasts, drifts, and seems entirely disinterested at times on the court. However, he has enough skill and talent to be a lottery pick. Lamar Odom may not be the best comparison, but it is the closest I’ve been able to come up with. While Villanueva is much more of a post player than Odom is, both are unquestioned talents whose intensity have been questioned. But will Ainge want to select a guy who was a cog on a NCAA national champion or avoid the guy who led his team absolutely nowhere for the first two months of this past college basketball season.

Jarrett Jack: For a team that is deficient in playmaking ability, leadership, and basketball IQ; Jarrett Jack could very well be the perfect match. Jack was the heart and soul behind a Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets squad that pulled off a pair of deep runs in the NCAA tournament, including a trip to the national title game in 2004. An absolutely tenacious defender, Jack matched up frequently with other ACC point guard heavyweights as Raymond Felton, John Gilchrist, Daniel Ewing, and Chris Paul; yet seemed to always hold more than his own against more celebrated opponents. Jack doesn’t impress in one particular area, but seems to be very well rounded across the board. Even when Jack would seemingly be overmatched, he would use his intellect and sharp basketball IQ to accomplish whatever task is at hand. However, Jack’s draft status has not taken off because he hasn’t faired all that well during individual workouts prior to the draft, but Jack’s strengths seemingly don’t show through during one on one, or even two on two. Jack is certainly a solid choice at #18, but he doesn’t appear to have the ability to be anything more than solid.

Martynas Andriuskevicius: Much like Blatche, “Marty” has the ability to offer some contrast in the Celtics front court and diversify the number of looks Doc Rivers can bring to the court. The problem with Andriuskevicius is two fold: One, he is painfully weak, so he would need to add approximately as much weight as Perkins lost in his first year. Second, “Marty” has yet to be productive at a high level of competition. Despite working with the best foreign born big man ever, Arvydis Sabonis, “Marty” hasn’t shown the amount of improvement many would expect since last year. Still “Marty” can score inside or out, and is already an adept passer, which should not be much of a surprise given his tutor. The question is whether Ainge feels confident whether his conditioning gurus can pull an “Extreme Makeover” on “Marty’s” body as they did with Perkins. If so, then the rewards could come easily as he racks up experience in the “D League”.

Others who might be available at #18:
Sean May: Kid can absolutely rebound, but how much sense does it make to draft for rebounding when there are other players who are better rounded?
Ike Diogu: As with May, I can’t see drafting a 6-8 PF to sit behind Al Jefferson when so many other positions have needs and talented players at each of those positions. Still Diogu can score and dominate the low bock.
Hakim Warrick: Breathtaking athlete, but far too thin to bang with power forwards and unable to hit a jumper beyond 15 feet. Too much of a “black hole” to overlook weak jumper.
Chris Taft: Early in the year, Taft was a Top 3 pick. But, a bad attitude and no heart can do quite a number on one’s draft stock. The potential is still there, but this kid needs a heart transplant.
Wayne Simien: Yet another 6-8 power forward with great numbers in college, but Simien is also confronted with questions about adjusting his game to the NBA. A solid backup, probably nothing more.
Julius Hodge: Hodge can play small forward and both guard positions, but he needs to add bulk to his frame if he has to transition to small forward full time. If Ainge is looking for intangibles like basketball IQ and intellect, this guy has got it. But do the Celtics need another small forward in a shooting guard’s body?
Luther Head: The latest “hot name” attached to the Celtics; Head played his college career at Illinois at shooting guard due to the presence of Luther Head, not unlike Delonte West’s experience at St. Joe’s. Head was among the best players at the Chicago Pre-Draft camp playing at the point. But, how many combo guards can one team have?
Ryan Gomes: Gomes’ name has been gaining steam over the past few weeks, but it has been difficult to tell if it is due to the fact he is the “local boy” much like Troy Bell two years ago. Gomes is very much like Eric Williams, but with more bulk on his frame. Gomes is excellent on the low block, but his athleticism is not to the point where he can go past any defender.

Last but certainly not least, some names to keep in mind as Russ Granik ascends to the podium and kicks off the second round of the draft. Unlike most years, this draft has an extraordinary number of talented players in the draft pool. Leo Papile claimed the number is nearly over 100, so even at #50 and #53 the Celtics have an excellent chance to pick up solid contributors.

David Lee: Despite playing center and power forward under Billy Donovan at Florida, Lee projects as a small forward in the NBA. A gifted passer, Lee isn’t afraid to take it to the rack or get out in transition and run. Lee will need to work on his defense and rebounding to be anything more than a backup in the pros. Lee is unlike anything the Celtics currently have on their roster, with the potential to be much better.

Jason Maxiell: An absolute freak. Think Brandon Hunter with springs for feet. Maxiell can block shots like every other former Cincinnati big man, but only 6-7 without the necessary quickness to play small forward.

Angelo Gigli: Very much like Walter McCarty, but substitute the three point shooting prowess for slashing and passing abilities. Needs to bulk up, but his basketball IQ and willingness to run could be an asset in a reserve role.

Orien Greene: Greene, like Ukic, is a tall (6-5) pure point guard who likes to push the tempo and utilize his athletic gifts. A tremendous passer and defender, Greene could be the steal of the second round. Another good fit with Delonte West.

Brandon Bass: Another productive 6-8 power forward, but this one may be available some 35 picks after #18. Bass is a tireless worker who while effective rebounding, shot blocking, and scoring; needs time in the “D League” However, Bass has the potential to be an absolute monster after receiving some seasoning.

So, that’s it. The 2005 NBA Draft board by your friends at the Full Court Press. Look for a follow up piece in the next week giving our two cents on the Celtics selections on Tuesday night, as well as any news relating to the signing of free agents or re-signing of Walker and Payton. Until then, I’m off to build my first 2006 mock draft.