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.
Mike Gorman, the CSNNE play-by-play voice of the Celtics, joined 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Toucher and Rich on Thursday morning, and shed a little light into what Ainge and Co. are thinking leading up to their selection.
“Everything hinges on where the lottery pick lines up. There are lots of plans depending on where they end up in the draft,” said Gorman. “The one thing you have to keep in mind is Danny will have a board in front of him with the best players. He will have them rated one through whatever, and as they get drafted he’ll cross them off. When his pick comes up he’s going to take the highest-rated player.
“If that means it’s Julius Randle and they get another power forward, he’s going to take him,” said Gorman. “What he does with him or others after is different, but where these balls bounce is really important.
“If they get down into the Top 3 that changes everything. They definitely draft and probably look to trade their later round pick,” Gorman said (Boston also owns the 17th overall pick via the Brooklyn Nets). “I think they have all these strategies worked out… but until we know where they’re picking it’s all conjecture.”
CBS – Mike Gorman on potential draft strategies
Mike Gorman’s indicating that the C’s are approaching the draft with a “best talent available” approach, instead of drafting for need. I haven’t seen Randle play a whole lot (or Aaron Gordon for that matter), and though there’s certainly a reason he’s considered a top-five talent this year, I can’t see where he’d fit in with the Celtics without creating a logjam at power forward. If we land where we’re most likely to land, and Parker, Wiggins, Embiid, and Exum are all gone …then I hope we see some serious fireworks (trade the pick).
As more teams fall out of the playoffs, they’ll either become more desperate for a star or realize their current roster can’t contend. I’m sure Danny can sniff out a trade partner or two this summer.
On Page 2: C’s assistant Mike Zarren still in the mix for Detroit’s head coach spot
Another offseason, another one of Danny Ainge’s trusted assistants is being talked about as possibly getting his own team to run.
Celtics assistant general manager Mike Zarren was among the first names to surface as a potential candidate for the soon-to-be vacant GM job in Detroit.
When asked where things stood, “I don’t think it stands anywhere,” Ainge, the Celtics president of basketball operations, told CSNNE.com. “I haven’t heard from Detroit at all and neither has Mike.”
The Pistons are also in the market for a new coach, so there’s no timetable as to when they will make either hire.
CSNNE – Zarren still in the mix for Pistons
Well if he does get the gig, we’ve got a head start on his replacement.
(Note: not referring to Mark Jackson)
And finally, C’s landed Julius Randle in the latest mockapalooza
DraftExpress, the premier website for NBA draft scouting reports, has published its first extended 2014 mock draft that takes into account team needs.
With the obvious disclaimers that the lottery order still has not been selected and mock drafts in early May are a very inexact science,DraftExpress projected the Boston Celtics to take former Kentucky star Julius Randle at No. 5 and former UCLA guard Kyle Anderson at No. 17.
Explaining the Randle projection, the website wrote: “Boston has all kinds of needs to fill, and a starting power forward can surely be considered one of them. Randle is talented enough to get picked much higher than this in a normal draft, and at some point will be difficult to pass up.”
Masslive – NBA Mock Draft 2014: Julius Randle and Kyle Anderson to the Celtics
Still not buying it. Maybe we don’t currently employ a top-tier power forward, but would you consider it something we need to fill? Yeah, adding Kevin Love would be a significant upgrade, but for management, I don’t see how appealing adding another rookie PF would be. With Olynyk and Sully both coming along nicely, trading the pick or going after a different position (likely a worse ranked player) has to be considered at some point, right? Jeff Clark over at CelticsBlog asked a poll of who you’d rather have on the roster between Sullinger and Randle, and 73% went with Sully. On top of that, we’ve still got Brandon Bass under contract, and a growing population of C’s fans who want to see Kris Humphries re-signed this summer.
A top three pick could put this all to rest quite easily.
The rest of the links:
CSNNE – Russell center stage at AARP event | Boston sports: Past, present & future
ESPN – Dick Parsons new Clippers CEO | Sacremento Kings seek draft help | Sager returns home following chemo treatment | Mo Williams out vs. Spurs
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