Boston Celtics Danny Ainge Had A Great 2010 NBA Draft
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The Boston Celtics in my opinion strengthened their team in the NBA draft once again by uncovering two players that will contribute in my opinion in 2011. The Celtics with the 19th pick selected Avery Bradley out of Texas and with the 52nd pick got Luke Harangody out of Notre Dame. Getting these players with picks that late in the draft was tremendous. Once again Danny Ainge did a great job drafting late. Let us look at these two picks and how they project.
1. Avery Bradley
Allow me to remind everyone that before the college season began, this guy was projected to be as good as or better than number one overall pick John Wall. This guy had all the credentials like McDonald’s high school All American and ranked as the number one prospect after his senior year by ESPNU. Problem for Avery was his team was not surrounded with as much talent as Wall had. Texas also did not play as aggressive an offensive game as Kentucky. A minor ankle injury also dropped this young man into Danny Ainge’s lap.
The man’s skill set is great. He is quick, young, and athletic. He is all ready considered NBA ready as a defender. His offense is solid as he has solid range and a great mid level jump shot. Many experts feel he is already a shooter like Eddie House that can defend and dribble the basketball.
His down side is he is only 6 foot 2 and a little small to be an NBA shooting guard. He is not quite ready to play the point as he is still very young. He also needs to shoot a little more than he has in college. Some people feel he was a little too unselfish. That being said people feel he might be a tweener for a guard. I have zero problems with that if the man provides points for the Boston Celtics and plays great defense. Again with these credentials and to get him all the way at the nineteenth pick, how can you go wrong? I look for him to contribute from the beginning of the season and provide solid minutes despite Doc Rivers being reluctant to give minutes to rookies. If the man can defend, Doc will play him.
Bradley even injured has worked hard in the film room. He is trying to learn the Celtics’ defensive schemes. This shows that he is smart enough o know that defense will be his fastest ticket to playing time. Despite missing the Summer League look for him to contribute in some way this season.
2. Luke Harangody
Luke was a solid four year college player. He was the man at Notre Dame as he averaged over twenty points per game. He scored a lot of those points around the basket by playing a wrecking ball style. Every year it seemed Luke worked on his game and got a little better. Luke was not afraid to mix it up and provided a lot of energy to the Fighting Irish. He is an older player that should be mature enough to contribute right away.
The negatives are he is not that athletic and only 6 foot 10. He is also a step too slow scouts say defensively. However, he is a tireless worker and I believe the effort will be there to improve. If he improves even slightly, then Ainge might have uncovered another Glen Davis to bring in off the bench. Not bad at pick fifty two.
The man impressed greatly in Summer League. He was often the best player on the court. He showed toughness inside and ability to score. He did not make many mistakes defensively or on offense. The result was he was rewarded with a two year deal. If injuries rear their ugly heads, Luke could step in and contribute.
This was a great draft for the Celtics regardless of what happens. The men they drafted have great upside. They also got them real late. That being said, Ainge deserves credit again for another great draft.
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