Your pick for biggest steal of the draft

[intlzncster]

I also really like Young. Watching him in the title game, he was the only Kentucky player I was impressed with. Kid could play. Randle may end up a better pro (but I guess I'm not entirely sold on that), but at 17, I think that was another steal.

And the kid is only 18 years old. He's the age of a high school senior.

 

[johnhuskies95]

Young scared me the most out of any player on Kentucky. I just think he's the kind of guy that gets listing the shuffle in the NBA. He's a poor defender right now, and I don't know if he's efficient enough on offense to make up for it.

I think Celtics should go all out for Love if they can. It's an attractive free agent destination, so if they can get him to sign long term, they should be able to surround him with pretty good talent.

 

[intlzncster]

Young scared me the most out of any player on Kentucky. I just think he's the kind of guy that gets listing the shuffle in the NBA. He's a poor defender right now, and I don't know if he's efficient enough on offense to make up for it.

I think Celtics should go all out for Love if they can. It's an attractive free agent destination, so if they can get him to sign long term, they should be able to surround him with pretty good talent.

As I said above, the kid is only 18 years old. He won't be hitting his prime for a decade!

It all hinges on how much he works.

 

[hoophuskee]

Young and Harris (Mich State). And of course Bazz and Early. I thought Randle as a 7th pick is terrific too.

 

[nomar]

He's a two time first team All-NBA defensive team guy. I don't know how much you've watched him since he left the Celtics, but he's a very valuable player with the Grizzlies.

I have seen him play quite a bit. He was really great for the Celtics, too, but he would always bite on the pump fake. He's improved, for sure.

A lot of people think Marcus Smart is, at this very moment, in the top tier of defensive guards in the NBA. He averaged 2.9 spg and has a 7'9" wingspan. He's a ballhawk with good instincts. He also rebounds and boxes out better than most NBA PGs and many SGs.

Like Allen, he's best offensively when he uses his physicality and athleticism in transition/attack rather than rely on his outside shot. But TA has been around a long time. His shooting form is and has always been ugly. Also, Smart already has better ballhandling and passing skills than TA has, even though he really only started playing PG in college. Maybe Smart will never significantly improve his offensive game. We'll see. But I think it's a smart bet (no pun intended) to think he'll be at least a 33-35% 3-point shooter in the NBA. He needs to be coached up to know when and how to shoot. He's young. The sky is the limit.

 

[johnhuskies95]

I have seen him play quite a bit. He was really great for the Celtics, too, but he would always bite on the pump fake. He's improved, for sure.

A lot of people think Marcus Smart is, at this very moment, in the top tier of defensive guards in the NBA. He averaged 2.9 spg and has a 7'9" wingspan. He's a ballhawk with good instincts. He also rebounds and boxes out better than most NBA PGs and many SGs.

Like Allen, he's best offensively when he uses his physicality and athleticism in transition/attack rather than rely on his outside shot. But TA has been around a long time. His shooting form is and has always been ugly. Also, Smart already has better ballhandling and passing skills than TA has, even though he really only started playing PG in college. Maybe Smart will never significantly improve his offensive game. We'll see. But I think it's a smart bet (no pun intended) to think he'll be at least a 33-35% 3-point shooter in the NBA. He needs to be coached up to know when and how to shoot. He's young. The sky is the limit.

I seem to recall him playing point guard in high school, although Forte may have brought the ball up the court.

In today's NBA, it's imperative that point guards can score, and be really good scorers at that. In order to score you need to be able to shoot well, unless you're a freak athlete like champs99and04 said.

It remains to be seen if Smart can be a good scorer in the NBA, especially if he doesn't have a jumpshot.

 

[David 76]

The last guy in the green room was a huge bargain

 

[nomar]

I seem to recall him playing point guard in high school, although Forte may have brought the ball up the court.

You may be right; I don't know. He's still a work in progress, for sure.

In today's NBA, it's imperative that point guards can score, and be really good scorers at that. In order to score you need to be able to shoot well, unless you're a freak athlete like champs99and04 said.

Or Rajon Rondo. Smart is also a combo guard, though. Tony Allen has stuck as a 6'4" player without PG skills or a jumpshot. I think Smart will be better offensively.

It remains to be seen if Smart can be a good scorer in the NBA, especially if he doesn't have a jumpshot.

Can't disagree with that. I don't think it's blind hope to think his shot will improve.

 

[johnhuskies95]

Rondo is an ok scorer for a star player. His value is in what he brings to his team besides scoring.

I guess my point is that if Rondo and Smart are similar minded players in terms of how they play(average scorers, great in other areas), I'm not sure how well it's going to work out for the Celtics in the long term with both of them in the same backcourt. Although Rondo may very well be on his way out of town. We'll see.