So last night's draft went accordingly. Kyrie Irving and Derrick Williams went one and two...shocker. Then a slew of internationally born players. Kemba 9th Jimmer 10th, Morris twins 13th and 14th.
Now onto the Celtics. My prayers were answered when they traded their pick in the first round, then I realized they traded back two spots. So with the 27th pick they got Jujuan Johnson from Purdue. I'm going to eat my words from yesterday because I love this pick. He's a 6'10", PF, 220lbs, can block shots and can shoot. Basically he is Kevin Garnett Jr. So who better to teach KG Jr. how to play this upcoming year than KG himself. Rookies haven't gotten much playing time on the Celtics since the Big Three came to town but my guess is that Johnson will earn some minutes due to the eventual hole left when Garnett leaves after next season. He will probably grab most of Big Baby's minutes while Glen is off "being a star" somewhere else. More than that he seems like a decent kid, stayed in college an extra year to get a degree, and sounds like a person ready to learn. I'm pumped.
Next pick at 55 was Johnson's college teammate E'twuan Moore. SG, 6'4", 191lbs and is definitely underrated. Johnson and Moore suffered in the draft I believe due to a shorter than expected tournament run this past March. Had they gone further (Robbie Hummel's fault for being injured) they would have gotten much more national attention and showed their ability to win games to NBA scouts. Moore probably won't get much playing time if any. I can see him in the D League for the season which is a shame because he has potential to be a great back up shooting guard in the future for the Celts. But unfortunately there won't be room for him on the roster after the undeniable signing of mid level veterans if/when free agency begins.
My picks for next season Rookie performances are as follows...
Rookie of the Year- Kyrie Irving
Although it's tough to get assists when you have nobody to pass to I think Irving will find a way to become the Cav's best player since Lebron in a few short years. The problem is going to be the comparison's he gets to Lebron because they were both 1st overall picks. He will have a lot of pressure from a town that is dying to get back on top but he will also get a lot of support from them. Kyrie will shine in his role as PG in a newly PG driven league. As long as he can stay healthy he is the easy choice for this pick. I could see Derrick Williams getting this award if he can start for the Timberwolves who might need to move Kevin Love to Center because I don't see Williams starting over him at PF or move Beasly out of the starting line up which could be tough as well.
Biggest Draft Bust- Jonas Valanciunas
Did I mention I hate European players? Valanciunasuiaiusiuiuauias was taken 5th overall. It's so tough to tell if international players will translate their game to the NBA (i.e. Darko Milicic #2 overall, Nikoloz Tskitishvili #5 overall, Fran Vazquez #11 overall). This kid is 19 years old and seems to be pretty cocky which won't be good when he plays for a team that will again be at the bottom of the standings the Toronto Raptors. Dude will need to head over to Toronto, keep his mouth shut, and learn from Andrea Bargnani...but he won't.
Biggest Surprise- Marcus Morris
Picked number 14 by the Houston Rockets right after his brother, he will prove to be quite an asset to this team. He's going to a place where he has the opportunity to win the starting PF spot from Luis Scola and make an immediate impact. He is also going to a team coached by one of the best Power Forwards of all time in Kevin Mchale. Marcus will benefit greatly from this situation and it will show in his statistics.
Best Late Pick Up- Josh Selby
Selby should have stayed in school another year and showed why he was one of, if not the, top recruits coming out of high school. he was suspended nine games and had a foot injury which didn't help his freshman year at Kansas. But make no mistake about it, this kid can play. Five years down the road he could easily be one of the league's top players from this draft. If he can make the transition from SG to PG smoothly he will be in great position to start in a few years if he can become trade bait or Conley Jr. doesn't perform.
All in all the draft sucked and don't expect too much from any rookie's this year. My prediction for the Rookie vs. Sophomore game during the all-star break...Sophomores- 218 Rookies- 2
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