Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here… highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.
Lee, a long guard at 6-foot-6, averaged 13.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2 assists per game in his junior season at UCLA. He's got combo guard potential and Chad Ford's scouting report suggests he's actually more comfortable at the 2, but he's got an inconsistent jumper and shot only 29.5 percent from 3-point range last season.
So why the fuss about Lee? Allow Ford to explain: "What do Russell Westbrook, Jrue Holiday, Darren Collison and Arron Afflalo have in common? They were UCLA guards who didn't appear to be great NBA prospects at first glance (Westbrook may have been the exception, but not for everyone) who have gone on to have excellent careers in the NBA. All four were starters on playoff teams this season despite their youth. Here's a prediction: Lee will continue that hot streak for UCLA. Lee was a top-rated prospect coming out of high school but struggled to dominate in college. While he's earned a rep as an elite perimeter defender, his offensive game has been a work in progress."
Combo potential? Elite defender? Sounds a bit like Avery Bradley, but clearly the height makes Lee appealing for a team like Boston that's not necessarily looking for a pure point to back up Rajon Rondo.
Remember last year when we heard all about Avery Bradley's NBA-ready defense? He never played and neither will the guy who the Cs draft at 25.
The Celtics are doing their best to lower expections. Here are some recent comments from Danny Ainge via Twitter:
Ainge says team has run numbers on low first rounders: "Historically, the odds of a #25 draft pick breaking into a rotation is like 6%."
Ainge: "The last thing I wanna do…because we're trying to win…is put inexperienced players under Doc. It's a delicate balance."
For those tracking prospective picks, the Celtics also worked out: Chris Wright, 6-2 PG Georgetown; Doc's kid Jeremiah, 6-4 SG Indiana; Anthony Gurley, 6-3 G UMass and Demonte Harper, 6-4 SG Morehead State.
The rest of the links:
CSNNE – Rivers' son among players Cs bring in for workouts | ESPN Boston – Ring of Truth | One month w/o basketball | Doc helped MJax land Warriors gig | NESN – Celtics appear likely to deal pick | ESPN – Dirk calls Heat antics childish, ignorant |
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
