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Post by DERRENMATTS on Jun 23, 2022 23:22:52 GMT -5
Ladies and gentlemen, our newest Celtic, via the draft, is JD Davison.
I confess, I am surprised and deflated that we picked him. I see him as Colin Sexton -- a bulldog athlete who plays PG but is really an undersized SG.
Maybe Brad and Ime like his tenacity. Maybe they think he's what we need at backup PG. Maybe they think he can hone his shot to be at least league average.
Early on, before the college season began, I watched his high school clips and was impressed. Really aggressive and creative around the rim. I thought he looked 6'7" and was at 2 or a 3. But then I saw that he's 6'3", making him too short to be a true 2 and realized he'll play the 1 in the NBA, and I took my eyes off of him.
Let me have time to digest.
Here's what Brad said:
Here's a video breakdown of his game, courtesy of Adam Spinella.
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Post by eja117 on Jun 23, 2022 23:26:52 GMT -5
He seems like the anti-Pritchard. Elite athlete. Bad shooter.
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Post by DERRENMATTS on Jun 23, 2022 23:35:41 GMT -5
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Post by DERRENMATTS on Jun 23, 2022 23:43:16 GMT -5
He seems like the anti-Pritchard. Elite athlete. Bad shooter. As I rewatched his highlights, that's who I began comparing him to. Height, advantage JD Athleticism/explosiveness, advantage JD Ball handling/ball security, equal Shooting, big advantage Pritch Creativity, reasonable advantage to JD Converting near the rim, equal (Pritch is way underrated) Defense (steals, blocks, staying in front), advantage JD Aggressiveness, advantage JD If we are looking for Pritch's replacement, then it makes this selection more palatable. But in no way do I see Davison as a potential starter -- not until he shows me he can be a shooting threat.
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Post by DERRENMATTS on Jun 23, 2022 23:54:04 GMT -5
Ok, I'm coming to grips with JD. He's young, only 19, and has physical tools to work with. He's got moxie, aggressiveness, can be fearless.
Just need to develop him and turn him into a good player.
And that's why I think we took him, and not a more seasoned and developed player.
This is an investment for the future, and this pick is also for future salary maneuverability.
By the time JD's rookie contract is over, he'll still be in development and not ready for regular playing time. This will allow the team to sign JD at a friendlier extension. It is hopeful that during his second contract he will blossom and play to his expectation.
What happens when a young player plays exceptionally well during his rookie contract is he'll be rewarded with a pricier contract. Case in point Grant Williams -- because of how he flashed this season and in the Eastern conference playoffs, he is now probably in line to receive a $40-50M contract, which is between $10-12.5M annually. Romeo Langford, in comparison, has not flashed like GWill, and therefore will not command as much money on his next contract from the Spurs.
So by drafting a young player who will not command big money until he's entering his 3rd contract a couple of years shy of 30 years old, the team will be in better salary shape.
Brad is probably hoping that JD Davison's shooting will come around, and that it will happen during his second contract.
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Post by DERRENMATTS on Jun 24, 2022 2:11:06 GMT -5
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Post by DERRENMATTS on Jun 24, 2022 2:49:53 GMT -5
Here's an encouraging game from early in the college season. JD had a very good game against the powerhouse Gonzaga. Made some foolish turnovers, but also flashed his abilities.
C'mon young fella. I'll be cheering for your development.
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Post by eja117 on Jun 24, 2022 6:53:26 GMT -5
I hadn't considered the value of him on the practice court. Maybe it's an either/or situation where they hope either JD or Yam can be about 85% of Pritch at the beginning of the year and about the same by the end. If they think that's the case then they can trade Pritch.
I think Pritch has his own plan, which is to improve during the off season.
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Post by runrondo on Jun 24, 2022 7:50:04 GMT -5
Personally, I think the "best athlete" thing is exactly the opposite of what we needed. We talk about getting smarter on the court so I was hoping we'd pick someone with a bit more awareness on the floor. However, it is a 2nd round pick so that's probably the "best value" to go with best athlete.
Also when was the last time we ever picked a typical "run the offense" PG? I feel like this is a trend where we're always getting undersized PGs or a SG at heart who is too small and plays PG.
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Post by jmost on Jun 24, 2022 7:55:20 GMT -5
Listening to Brad, he didn't have any expectations that they'd be able to draft a contribution-ready player at [HASH]53.
I like the pick because, at best, he brings something no current Celtics has, speed and quickness at the point. He'll have time to develop his shot and cut down on his turnovers. I expect he'll be in Portland for much of the first year at least - which is fine.
I see plenty of passing ability and penetrating ability, and with a wingspan of 6'6" he's long enough to be a defensive pest. His shooting isn't any worse than Jaylen's was, and here's the thing, he'll be able to get his shot off. Pritch is a great shooter but has limited ability to create space for himself - which I'm sure is a big part of why he shoots so often from well behind the arc.
At [HASH]53, he's got as high a ceiling as I think is realistic to expect and I can't wait to see him in Summer League.
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Post by eja117 on Jun 24, 2022 8:26:21 GMT -5
Brad seemed to say the cost to move up was too high given the number of players on the board that they were ok with. It seems Brad wasn't at all blown away by this draft. He seems to think it was an ok draft and they got an ok pick.
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Post by jmost on Jun 24, 2022 20:41:38 GMT -5
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Post by DERRENMATTS on Jun 24, 2022 21:28:49 GMT -5
Steal only if his offensive game comes around, and that has to include shooting. He's a long shot to even be a backup -- but the tools are there.
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Post by jmost on Jun 25, 2022 8:08:05 GMT -5
I think it's way too early to place any limits on him. Do we remember how brutal Smart's shooting was when he arrived? Or Jaylen's? Or that Grant started his NBA career going 0-25 from deep? Or that Al didn't even shoot 3's for much of his career?
I don't expect him to help Boston at all this year though.
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Post by jmost on Jun 25, 2022 10:04:49 GMT -5
I just signed up for a trial subscription to theathetic.com, and they had an article about Davison. So, a few takeaways ...
1) He could have benefited from another year in college, perhaps more than anyone else in the draft. (writer's opinion)
2) He's shot well in workouts, but hasn't shown it yet in games.
3) He's a hard worker.
Overall take: extremely athletic with a great attitude and work ethic, but very raw. Possibly years away from meaningful contribution.
I said this about Jaylen and I'll repeat it with JD. Give me a young guy with elite athleticism who's willing to work and I like my chances.
I don't really know how to compare the developmental opportunity of another year in college with that offered by playing in the G League and being around the Celtics part of the time. Any thoughts on that?
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