Fiddlin' and Diddlin' on 5/27

Sun, May 27, found via Boxxet Collection

Talk is now turning to the draft and who will take whom. But there are still a few articles talking about the lottery.

The Herald has an article about Portland GM Kevin Pritchard and points out that Pritchard was once a Celtic. Also tucked away in this article are some thoughts from David Stern on the lottery. Indeed, after watching the sixth (Portland), fifth (Seattle) and fourth (Atlanta) teams leapfrog the league’s bottom three for the top three draft picks in the June 28 draft, commissioner David Stern had to understand that this silliness is ready for the scrap heap.
Even before the balls were blown out of the air popper, Stern allowed that the system could be open to review.
“Everything is open for discussion by the owners,” he said.
As for the issue of tanking - a practice that seems to happen regardless of the lottery or non-lottery system - Stern had this to say: “If I were a coach and out of it, I’d like to see what I had.”
In other words, he understands when lottery teams give their younger players more time in March and April. If Stern really believes this, then he should go back to the system that rewards the worst teams - and especially their fans. Reform will be too late to help the Celtics. I don't expect us to be in position to get a top pick again for a long, long time. The Celtics' curse has been that we weren't bad enough for a top pick, and thus get better quickly, but we weren't good enough for the playoffs either.

Celtics Blog is talking Summer League. I always love Summer League. We get to watch the new picks and see how much our young players have grown from the season before. Here is the Summer League site to keep up on developments there. We have the added intrigue of seeing if Yi Jianlian will play for the team that drafts him or the Chinese National team in Summer League.

MVN has Conley Jr moving up. If Atlanta doesn't take him at 3, would Danny draft another PG? The point guard position is very important. We already have a very promising PG in Rondo but could use another very good PG as back up so that West can move to his natural position of SG. Danny has said that he isn't looking at PGs because Rondo is better than any PG in the draft. Is that a smoke screen? Would he consider Conley if he is available? I would rather go big and look for a veteran PG for a back up.

CelticsStuff Live has a good show planned for tonight with Al Horford's agent, Noah Croom. It will be interesting to hear what he has to say about the draft and where he feels his client will go. In his article on ESPN.com, Jay Bilas said that Horford is just under 6'9. He is listed at 6'10 but if Bilas is correct, that may affect his draft position. Bilas said some things about Noah that make me really want to take this kid. Noah was the best of the three. There is a fire in him that cannot be ignored. To focus on his shot, which is not at all pleasing to the eye, is to miss how valuable he can be in other areas.
Noah hates to lose, and that was clear through the day. While his shot mechanics are poor, his shot goes in with almost surprising frequency. Only Kevin Durant made more shots overall Thursday than did Noah. This kid's motor revs higher than almost anyone else's in this draft. Noah has a fire in him that can't be ignored. He hates to lose. We need a player like this on the Celtics. You can't teach that. I want a player with a fire inside to win, and who knows how to win. Kind of the anti-Blount.

More from LOY's PLACE a celtics green:

The Sun Sentinel has a rather caustic article that puts forth the fact that the tree teams accused of tanking last season ended up slipping down to the worst possible scenario for them in the draft. The article goes on to be very anti-Celtics. Should Boston's Danny Ainge be rewarded for trading for Sebastian Telfair at the cost of Brandon Roy? Should Memphis' Jerry West be bailed out after dispatching Shane Battier and throwing money at Brian Cardinal and Damon Stoudamire?
And enough of the argument about how Boston and Milwaukee weren't tanking but merely were injured, and therefore shouldn't be discriminated against in the lottery. That, in fact, is the weakest of arguments, since Paul Pierce, Wally Szczerbiak and Brian Scalabrine will be healed enough to again be the players Ainge assembled. Ditto for Bobby Simmons, Michael Redd and Charlie Villanueva in Milwaukee.
No, Tuesday's lottery was nothing short of a winning number, balancing out the temptation of tanking with the reality that there well could be only minimal payoff.
It's not as if Memphis, Boston and Milwaukee exited as the biggest losers. Each still holds a selection in the top six. That means management now has no easy way out, has to get to work, something their teams apparently chose not to do over the waning days of the season.
Any team that stages a lottery party deserves what the Celtics received Tuesday. At least a draft party points to the hope of the future. A lottery party essentially celebrates futility.
Scott Souza has a good article in the MetroWest Daily News. He quotes Danny saying that he doesn't care if they change the lottery system because he doesn't plan on being back there again. He doesn't like the feeling we had in Boston last season where fans cheered for losses to get better draft position. I didn't like it either. He closes with these thoughts: There are no more miracle cures. There are no more back doors to prosperity. And, thank goodness for this, no more reasons to celebrate losing games.
There is just a young team, with some blossoming pieces and one superstar who is going to demand that the team find a way to be creative off the court, get tougher on the court and earn a playoff spot the old-fashion way.
Just like it should have been all along.

Boston Celtics

Fiddlin' and Diddlin' on 5/27

Source: LOY's PLACE a celtics green

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