WITH THE 16TH PICK:
The Celtics are jumping up and down with joy!!!!! We never expected Luke
Ridnour to be available, so will jump on this opportunity and leave plenty of
time on the clock!!!!!
Ridnour brings to the table all of the things that the Celtics are looking for.
An excellent ball handler who thinks pass first, yet is comfortable shooting the
3 (a MUST on the Celtics!!!!) Ridnour will have the opportunity to make an
immediate impact. The Celtics are hoping Luke is the next Steve Nash and not
the next Dan Dickau.
Overview:
After spending most of the 1990's on the outside of the Play-off Picture looking
in, the Celtics got back into the mix over the last 2 seasons. Not only did
they make an appearance, but they won a few series. The 2002 group made an
improbable run to the Conference Finals (albeit the Eastern Conference). The
2003 Green Team fell one round short of the previous season losing in the
Conference Semis to the same New Jersey squad. Going from bad to good was a
challenge. Going from good to great will be a huge undertaking, but for an
organization with 16 World Championships, anything short of GREEN 17 (the new
ownership's slogan) will be considered a failure.
Scour the current roster for players who averaged more than 16 points per game
OR 5 rebounds per game OR 4 assists per game and you'll find two players; Pierce
and Walker. The NBA has turned into a league where two Superstars can win you a
World Championship, but the Celtics have to get more from roster spots 3 thru 12
(or is it 13????)
Team chemistry is very good, so don't expect a major overhaul. That being said,
no one past Pierce and Walker is a lock to return next season.
Management:
Since 1999 the Celtics have drafted: Kris Clack, Jerome Moiso, Joe Johnson,
Kedrick Brown, Joseph Forte, and Darius Songaila. Any wonder why Danny Ainge
was brought in as the new Executive Director of Basketball Operations? In what
was surely the biggest off the court move since the hiring of Rick Pitino
(oops!!!) the new ownership group has made a statement. Danny is the perfect
guy for the job. He brings credibility, enthusiasm and an incredible work
ethic. The biggest challenge facing Ainge will be to find scoring help for
Pierce and Walker. Look for Ainge to try to upgrade the point and power
positions.
2002-03 Celtics Regular Season Statistics
PLAYER AVERAGES
Player G GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% OFF DEF TOT APG SPG BPG TO PF PPG
Paul Pierce 79 79 39.2 .416 .302 .802 1.30 6.00 7.30 4.4 1.76 .78 3.65 2.90 25.9
Antoine Walker 78 78 41.5 .388 .323 .615 1.30 5.90 7.20 4.8 1.49 .40 3.33 2.80 20.1
Tony Delk 67 39 28.0 .416 .395 .782 .60 2.90 3.50 2.2 1.07 .15 1.03 1.90 9.8
Eric Williams 82 79 28.7 .442 .336 .750 1.70 2.90 4.70 1.7 1.05 .23 1.18 2.90 9.1
J.R. Bremer 64 41 23.5 .369 .353 .766 .30 2.00 2.30 2.6 .59 .05 .92 1.30 8.3
Tony Battie 67 62 25.1 .539 .200 .746 2.20 4.30 6.50 .7 .49 1.21 .72 2.90 7.3
Walter McCarty 82 8 23.8 .414 .367 .622 .80 2.70 3.50 1.3 .95 .34 .82 2.30 6.1
Vin Baker 52 9 18.1 .478 .000 .673 1.70 2.10 3.80 .6 .42 .58 1.17 2.80 5.2
Mark Blount 27 7 19.2 .563 .000 .750 1.80 2.80 4.60 .8 .74 .63 1.22 2.80 4.4
Bimbo Coles 14 0 12.5 .449 .000 1.000 .10 .70 .80 1.1 .43 .00 .71 1.20 3.7
Kedrick Brown 51 5 13.1 .357 .077 .625 .90 1.90 2.70 .4 .67 .25 .45 1.30 2.8
Grant Long 41 1 11.9 .386 .000 .783 .60 1.40 2.00 .6 .22 .02 .46 1.50 1.8
Bruno Sundov 26 0 5.3 .250 .250 .000 .30 .80 1.10 .3 .23 .12 .35 .90 1.2
Ruben Wolkowyski7 0 3.4 .500 .000 .250 .00 .10 .10 .1 .00 .00 .14 .40 .7
Mark Bryant 2 0 4.5 .000 .000 .000 .00 1.00 1.00 .5 .00 .00 .00 1.00 .0
Team Averages 82 0 241.8 .415 .334 .742 10.4 30.1 40.5 19.2 8.8 3.7 14.0 21.4 92.7
Opponents 82 0 241.8 .435 .331 .749 11.4 33.5 45.0 22.2 7.5 4.5 16.0 21.9 93.1
PLAYER TOTALS
Player G GS MIN FGM-A 3PM-A FTM-A OFF DEF TOT AST STL BLK TO PF PTS
Paul Pierce 79 79 3,096 663-1,592 118-391 604-753 106 472 578 349 139 62 288 227 2,048
Antoine Walker 78 78 3,235 603-1,554 188-582 176-286 99 464 563 373 116 31 260 221 1,570
Eric Williams 82 79 2,350 254-575 37-110 201-268 143 239 382 140 86 19 97 234 746
Tony Delk 67 39 1,873 233-560 120-304 68-87 41 191 232 146 72 10 69 124 654
J.R. Bremer 64 41 1,503 171-464 101-286 85-111 18 127 145 164 38 3 59 80 528
Walter McCarty 82 8 1,949 173-418 91-248 61-98 64 224 288 106 78 28 67 188 498
Tony Battie 67 62 1,683 199-369 1-5 88-118 148 285 433 49 33 81 48 197 487
Vin Baker 52 9 942 99-207 0-4 72-107 90 108 198 29 22 30 61 146 270
Kedrick Brown 51 5 666 61-171 3-39 20-32 45 95 140 20 34 13 23 68 145
Mark Blount 27 7 518 45-80 0-0 30-40 49 76 125 21 20 17 33 75 120
Grant Long 41 1 488 27-70 0-3 18-23 24 59 83 25 9 1 19 62 72
Bimbo Coles 14 0 175 22-49 0-7 8-8 1 10 11 16 6 0 10 17 52
Bruno Sundov 26 0 138 14-56 4-16 0-2 8 20 28 7 6 3 9 24 32
Ruben Wolkowyski7 0 24 2-4 0-1 1-4 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 3 5
Mark Bryant 2 0 9 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 2 2 1 0 0 0 2 0
Team Totals 82 n/a n/a 2700-6509 719-2155 1480-1994 849 2471 3320 1575 720 303 1147 1758 7599
Opponents 82 n/a n/a 2804-6450 463-1400 1560-2084 937 2750 3687 1824 617 367 1315 1798 7631
CURRENT ROTATION
- C-F Tony Battie
- C Mark Blount - Free agent
- G J.R. Bremer
- F Kedrick Brown
- G Tony Delk
- F Walter McCarty - Free agent
- G Paul Pierce
- F Antoine Walker
- F Eric Williams
RECENT FIRST-ROUND PICKS
- 2002 Darius Songaila,#50, Wake Forest (The Celtics did not have a First Round pick
in 2002. Songalai who played overseas and played well is still property of the
Celtics and looks to play a role in 2003 or 2004.)
- 2001 Joe Johnson, #10, Arkansas
- 2001 Kedrick Brown , #11, Okaloosa-Walton
- 2001 Joe Forte, #21, North Carolina
- 2000 Jerome Moiso, #11, UCLA
- 1998 Paul Pierce, #10, Kansas
- 1997 Chauncey Billups, #3, Colorado
- 1997 Ron Mercer, #6, Kentucky
- 1996 Antoine Walker, #6, Kentucky
- 1995 Eric Williams, #14, Providence
Other possible picks:
Reece Gaines, Louisville
Tale of the Tape: PG, 6-6, 205, Senior
Skinny: At 6-6 Gaines is an athletic guard who is a legit threat from beyond the
arc. He finished 3rd in Conference USA last season in scoring (17.9), while
finishing 6th in assists (5.0). The question mark is, can he play the point in
the league? If Gaines shows that he can, then he could be a great pickup. Who
wouldn't want an athletic 6-6 point, who can knock down the deep shot? Most
likely Gaines will be off the board, but with a draft day slip he could fall
into the Celtics hands.
Best Case: Penny Hardaway (before the injuries)
Worst Case: Larry Hughes
Nick Collison, Kansas
Tale of the Tape: PF, 6-9, 255, Senior
Skinny: Collison had a banner senior season; he was named First Team
All-American by the AP, as well as Big 12 Player of the Year (coaches). He is a
hardnosed player who hustles on every possession, something that would fit in
nicely with the Celtics. Collison would be an asset on the glass and on defense,
while also capable of hitting the mid-range jumper. Questions remain about his
speed and quickness, but he can combat that with good workouts. Collison is
projected anywhere from the late lottery to the late first round.
Best Case: Charles Oakley
Worst Case: Eduardo Najera
Sofoklis Schortsanitis, Greece
Tale of the Tape: PF, 6-9, 255, 17 years old
Skinny: One of the more intriguing players in this year's crop, Schortsanitis
could be a dominating force in years to come, but questions about his height
could cause him to slip in the draft. Some claim he is 6-10, while others claim
he is closer to 6-8. Either way the 17 year old, known as Baby Shaq in Greece,
could be a powerful player in the future. He averaged 11.0 points and 6.2 boards
per game in Greece last season. Those aren't mind-boggling numbers, but remember
he is just 17. He has been called a relentless offensive rebounder, which is
something the Celtics could use.
Best Case: Elton Brand
Worst Case: Etan Thomas
Boris Diaw-Riffiod, France
Tale of the Tape: G/F, 6-8, 203, 21 years old
Skinny: Diaw-Riffiod is a super athlete, who can handle and dish the rock from
the forward position. He is one of the best passers in the draft, but sometimes
unselfish to a fault. Some have compared him to Scottie Pippen, but it is
thought that his offense could use some work. He averaged just 7.3 points per
game last season, but he shot 59.6 percent from the field. Diaw-Riffiod should
be around when the Celtics pick at 16.
Best Case: Scottie Pippen
Worst Case: Morris Peterson
Leandrinho Barbosa, Brazil
Tale of the Tape: PG, 6-3, 176, 20 years old
Skinny: Barbosa was the Brazilian League Rookie of the Year in 2001-02 and this
past season he averaged 28.2 points and 7.0 assists per game. He is athletic and
an excellent shooter. Questions remain about the level of competition he has
played against and the language barrier. He is projected as a mid-to-late first
round pick, but could work his way into the lottery with impressive workouts.
Best Case: Gary Payton
Worst Case: Bobby Jackson
Aleksandar Pavlovic, Yugoslavia
Tale of the Tape: SG, 6-7, 210, 20 years old
Skinny: Pavlovic has been labeled a streak shooter who is capable of scoring
points in bunches. It is believed that he has the offensive game to contribute
as a rookie, but his defense could be a liability. If he can become a more
consistent shooter he could one day be a big time scorer in the league.
Best Case: Peja Stojakovic
Worst Case: Eric Piatkowski
James Lang, Shaw HS (Alabama)
Tale of the Tape: F/C, 6-10, 305, HS Senior
Skinny: Lang could be a stretch at # 20, but if the Celtics are looking for an
inside presence and can be patient, then Lang may be their man. He is considered
a good rebounder who has nice touch and post moves around the basket. His
achilles heal could be his weight. He lost a considerable amount of weight to
get down to 305 and his work ethic has been questioned. He is very skilled
around the basket, and it will be up to Lang as to how good he wants to be.
Best Case: Eddy Curry (from the last two months of last season)
Worst Case: Oliver Miller
Jarvis Hayes, Georgia
Tale of the Tape: G, 6-7, 220, Junior
Skinny: Hayes is a flat out scorer, who averaged 18.4 points per game in his two
years at Georgia. He shot 42.5 percent from beyond the arc last season, but
there are questions about his ability to put the ball on the floor and create
his own shot. Hayes could fall anywhere from the lottery to the mid first round.
The Celtics certainly have scorers on their team, but it might be a case of not
being able to pass up the best available player if he is still on the board.
Best Case: Ray Allen
Worst Case: Michael Redd
Marcus Moore, Washington (Note: Moore
withdrew from the draft June 17th)
Tale of the Tape: PG, 6-6, 208
Skinny: Like Gaines, who wouldn't want an athletic 6-6 point guard that can
pass? Last season he averaged 18.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.7 assists per
game. The knock on Moore is his shooting; he shot just 34.9 percent from the
field and just 32.0 percent from the college three-point line. If Moore can
prove in his workouts that he can shoot the jumper and play the point in the
NBA, then he would be a nice pickup for the C's at the point. He should be
around when the Celtics pick at #16.
Best Case: Penny Hardaway (before the injuries)
Worst Case: Larry Hughes
What's next?:
Stay tuned for pick #20. The C's just might have a card up their sleeve!!!!!
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