Official 2016 SI NBA Mock Draft Discussion Thread

[CameronCrazy06]

Davis definitely has a solid ceiling, but it wouldn't shock me at all if he had a Tyrus Thomas level impact either.

 

[Adebayo]

@bosoxlover12
 
u up

 

[Stray32]

Went with the guy I think is most likely to be the Pistons pick this year (not just in this scenario but in general), and that's Tyler Ulis. Pistons need a backup PG, a young PG since Spencer Dinwiddie has gotten hurt every time he's had an opportunity to show something, and the only other position I think they even consider drafting (unless there's a very obvious BPA) is a young big man who can be the backup center in 2+ years and play next to Andre at times, otherwise they'll trade it or take a Euro-stash player or a project to spend a year or two in the D-League.
 
Ulis is tiny, yes, but he'd be a top 10 pick easily if he was 2-3 inches taller and in terms of basketball skills and IQ he's got everything you look for from your point guard.

 

[Cloud 9]

Davis definitely has a solid ceiling, but it wouldn't shock me at all if he had a Tyrus Thomas level impact either.

Don't you ever speak that name in the presence of a Bulls fan again

 

[Adebayo]

@BeatsHaveADream
 
u up

 

[Hurricane Season]

Good ol' Vyrus Thomas

 

[Stray32]

two interesting picks there, to be fair though I have absolutely zero idea how this part of the draft will play out I feel like there are so many bigs all considered in the same range

 

[AiRuPtHeRe]

As a Celtics fan, I'm glad Bosox isn't our GM.

 

[CameronCrazy06]

As a Celtics fan, I'm glad Bosox isn't our GM.

I'm DEAD

 

[Pugz]

As a Celtics fan, I'm glad Bosox isn't our GM.

damnnnnnn

 

[jonathanlambert33]

I don't particularly like the Celtics picks, either.  Think Jaylen Brown is not only a reach but pretty unrealistic for the Celtics, and then Zhou Qi at 23 is a reach also.  Ellenson may be viewed as a "value" pick, I don't know.  But I wouldn't have any interest in him either.  Think guys like Ben Bentil and Cheick Diallo are better NBA prospects.  Not to mention guys like Zizic, Zubac, Damian Jones, Malachi Richardson, and Malik Beasley still on the board.

 

[CameronCrazy06]

Don't they have more guaranteed contracts + draft picks than actual roster space? Makes it a little hard since I'm guessing y'all aren't doing trades; so hypothetically the Celtics will have to draft and stash.
 
With that said, I don't get the point of drafting Ellenson when you already have several below average big man defenders on your roster.
 
And yeah, I don't get why Malachi is still available

 

[bosoxlover12]

Lmao, called out by a guy who said Buddy Hield is a point guard. But okay, I'll defend myself. (TL;DR at the end for those who don't want to read it all)
 
 
First off, I don't think we will be picking at #3, #16, and #23. You have to contextualize the picks the team has with the roster breakdown and how the team has drafted in the past.
 
Boston currently has nine players with guaranteed roster spots. They have three player options, of which one (Holland) won't be exercised and the other two will be brought back as long as they do not interfere with other Free Agent moves (Amir Johnson & Jerebko). They have two restricted free agents (Sullinger and Zeller) and one unrestricted free agent (Turner). They have three first round picks (3, 16, 23) and five second rounders (31, 35, 45, 51, 58). They are also expected to be heavy spenders in Free Agency
 
Of those 9 players on contract, two are big men and one wing. You have two point guards and four shooting guards. So while the general ideology is to draft the best players available, it really isn't a smart idea to draft another combo guard, knowing that the good two of those four shooting guards are more of a point guard than a wing. 
 
To me, that eliminates Jamal Murray from being drafted as a Celtic. He's a very good shooter, but he's a combo guard of which the Celtics have plenty, and there isn't enough playing time for all of them.
___________________
 
So the selections for the third overall pick for the Celtics is between Dragan Bender, Jaylen Brown, and Buddy Hield. To be honest, I don't think the Celtics will select someone with the third pick. There isn't anyone that is a clear pick to choose, unlike 2014 when it was clear to pick either Smart or Randle. I would love to move the pick for a non-rookie, whether being Jahlil Okafor or as a piece in a package for a stud like Jimmy Butler or Gordon Hayward. But if we don't get those offers, I can still see us trading the pick. We don't have the minutes for for three first round picks, and two early seconds. I would say if the Celtics aren't looking at the #3 pick for someone to play next year, then Bender is an easy selection. He'll retain his trade value while playing for Israel, and we all know how much Danny loves to have assets to use for trades. I'm not sure that's what Danny wants to do, though. I think he wants to get someone to play ~20mpg, which would eliminate Dragan Bender.
 
This is where I'm saying expect trades. While this is a "two man draft", its really a seven man draft, where the 8th pick is going to be a far lower tiered prospect. Boston is a great place to trade up to, due to their love for assets and the real lack of a star they want. So if you're someone like Denver or Sacto, and see that of the 5 prospects that will go 3-7, two don't fit your team at all, it might be a smart move to call Ainge and move up to 3. Dragan Bender would be a really nice fit next to Boogie. Buddy Hield would be a great fit for Denver too, so moving up to get him wouldn't be a bad move for them at all. I really expect a trade with this pick.
 
But for mocks where we aren't doing trades, its probably then between Hield and Jaylen. Jaylen Brown really is someone that I think would be better in Boston than with any other team. Is he a good shooter? Not really. But that really has not stopped Danny Ainge in his drafting history. Between Terry Rozier, Marcus Smart, James Young -- Danny loves to get the athletic, defensive type in the draft from his non-bigs. We did take Hunter last year as the non-defensive guy, but that was also with #28 pick in the draft, where you just take the best available kid no matter what. So Jaylen Brown with his extreme athleticism and his long wingspan really does fit what Danny likes to pick. I get it, its not the sexy pick at all. Its the type of pick that will give the Celtics a C grade by ESPN and other draft graders. But I'm trying top be realistic with these selections, not just take the player with the most hype.
 
If Brad believes in Buddy's defensive abilities, then he could definitely be the pick. He's definitely the best shooter in this draft, and that is something the Celtics absolutely do need. I personally don't like Buddy Hield's defensive ability to guard wings though. He's not a bad defender guarding SGs but I question whether he can guard SFs well. If Brad feels confident that he'd do fine then I can easily see him being the pick. 
___________________
 
Picking Ellenson was literally the exercise of taking the BPA. I don't love his fit in Boston (he's a worse version of Sullinger) but I had to take someone because I can't trade the pick. I wanted Luwawu or Baldwin but they were gone. I really doubt we pick at #16 or #23 -- both could be packaged to move up to like #13. As for Zhou -- he's someone the Celtics have interest in with one of their 2nd round picks as a draft-and-stash player. I didn't feel like guessing who we're gonna draft at #23 because I think #23 is less valuable than #31 and #35 personally, due to the non-guaranteed contracts, and I really doubt we use that pick.
___________________
___________________
TLR TIME:
 
Without trades, this process is rather silly when determining the Celtics selections. The third pick will be between Bender, Hield, and Brown -- and Jaylen is the pick due to being the safest in fitting in how the Celtics run their team. If they think Buddy can play good enough defense at the 3 then he could be the pick. If they think Dragan is ready to go this year (I REALLY don't) then he could easily be the pick, as well as Boston wanting to draft-and-stash for future trade value. I hope we trade the pick, for a non-prospect or for a later selection, however.
 
Ellenson will not be a Celtic, because they will move out of #16 if it turns out they way it did here. Zhou was someone who I think could be drafted, but probably in the 2nd round, which we aren't mocking.
 
 
I wanted to make sure that there was a pick that wasn't selected solely on fan appeal (COUGH COUGH JAMAL MURRAY). I debated between the three listed above with the pick, and went with the safest option that made sense. It doesn't have to be a sexy pick -- similar to the Rozier selection last year over bigger names like Portis, Dekker, Anderson, and Really Horrible Jumper. 

 

[Senators26]

I figure the Raps will take Thon Maker without a doubt, they may even trade up to pick him.

 

[Hurricane Season]

bitch, your tl;dr is still like 3 paragraphs

 

[Stray32]

I figure the Raps will take Thon Maker without a doubt, they may even trade up to pick him.

that wouldn't surprise me at all (to see them trade up for him), I feel like 80% of teams wouldn't take him until the second round but only takes one team to really like him which is why I think he'll go around 20. Surprised he didn't go earlier in our mock actually, maybe guys are finally seeing him from the scouts' perspective
 
I also think Marquese Chriss and Deyonta Davis will go higher than they did here because they both have tremendous upside, different styles of players but I think someone will fall in love with each and they'll go ahead of guys like Valentine and Sabonis. They went 13-14 in our mock which isn't bad but I think that's as late as possible for them, imo they'll both be top 11. Fwiw in their last mock DX changed Boston's pick at #3 from Brown to Chriss

 

[Pugz]

not going to lie. i wanted to read that but damn, bosox. that shit was a book.

 

[bosoxlover12]

i love to write about stuff I'm interested and knowledgeable like that. its too hard for me to condense it without missing important, vital information. i didn't even realize it was that much when i was writing it tbh -- it just flowed to me

 

[bosoxlover12]

Let me try this again
_______________
 
• Celtics have too many small guards already, so there isn't a place for Jamal Murray.
• I don't think Hield can guard SFs well, so his playing time would be squashed too.
• Bender isn't game ready yet for me, as he isn't strong or physical enough yet.
• Brown's intelligence and physique fits what the celtics like to draft from years past

 

[CameronCrazy06]

i love to write about stuff I'm interested and knowledgeable like that. its too hard for me to condense it without missing important, vital information. i didn't even realize it was that much when i was writing it tbh -- it just flowed to me

Knowledgable...

As a Celtics fan, I'm glad Bosox isn't our GM.