No NBA scouts?

[jb]

On 4/26, Ian Thomson wrote in Sports Illustrated the following:
sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/ian_thomsen/04/26/nelson.notes/2.html

"VP Danny Ainge knows how to draft young players, and he's done an exceptional job at it. But the record shows that he doesn't apply the same investigatory work to scouting the more than 400 players in the NBA. The Celtics are vulnerable on trades for existing NBA players because they don't do their homework. While they are exceptional at seeking out the minute details of 19-year-old college sophomores, the Celtics -- unlike most of their rivals -- don't have a pro personnel scout traveling the league and collecting behind-the-scenes information on veterans who may be traded to Boston. Rival teams are fully aware that Boston is vulnerable on trades for NBA talent, but the Celtics have yet to address this weakness in their front office."


Is Thomsen blowing smoke out his ...?
There has obviously been a lot of attention on internet sites and in the media at how well Danny drafts and how poor his trades have been.
Are the owners too cheap to pay? Does Ainge think he doesn't need scouts?
How many do most teams have?
There have been no comments in the mainstream press and no reaction that I know of from Ainge.

If anyone would like to comment on this, I will be using this topic on the show tonight and unless you object would like to read a few .

[freshnthehouse]

I truly doubt that a team in a multi billion dollar business doesnt have a couple dudes scouting othe NBA players on the pay-roll.

[CelticsLoyalist]

That would explain all the horrid trades of the past decades or so.

[Roadrunner]

Good post (koolaid+). If the Celtics don't have a scout, can I ask what Chris Wallace's job is? I know he was the GM before Danny.

[CelticsLoyalist]

Yeah Wallace was the worst! Still dont like that guy.

[Roadrunner]

Wallace will be always known as blowing the Duncan draft, and trading for Gin Faker.

[FLCeltsFan]

Jeff over on Celtics Blog sent an email to the Celtics asking if there was any truth to this and he got this answer from Jeff Twiss...

Today, Jeff Twiss refuted that report via email:

If you notice in our Media Guide, Paul Pressey is our main professional scout and our Assistant Coaches also share in these responsibilities.

Danny, Leo Papile and Chris Wallace concentrate their efforts on the collegiate scouting of talent.

Clifford Ray was commenting on how misused Darko is in Orlando. If he has any input, I wonder if they will make a bid for him if Ray wants him.

[DERRENMATTS]

flceltsfan12 said:

Jeff over on Celtics Blog sent an email to the Celtics asking if there was any truth to this and he got this answer from Jeff Twiss...

Today, Jeff Twiss refuted that report via email:

If you notice in our Media Guide, Paul Pressey is our main professional scout and our Assistant Coaches also share in these responsibilities.

Danny, Leo Papile and Chris Wallace concentrate their efforts on the collegiate scouting of talent.

Clifford Ray was commenting on how misused Darko is in Orlando. If he has any input, I wonder if they will make a bid for him if Ray wants him.

I, for one, have been stating that Darko is better than what we've seen so far. I agree that he's been misused, both at Detroit and now in Orlando. If Ray likes what he sees and is confident that he can make something out of Darko, Ainge should send out feelers to see what it'll take for us to grab Darko. Or he's an unrestricted free agent, so see how much it'll take to bring him here.

[DERRENMATTS]

Just read on Hoopshype that Darko may be seeking 7 or 8 million dollars a season, and Orlando will probably not give that to him.

Would I give that to him? I'll get back to you on this after some pondering.

[FLCeltsFan]

Darko is a free agent with the team option this year according to Hoopsworld. Maybe a sign and trade could happen.

In Ray's words, he has never seen a player as misused as Darko. If, as Twiss says, the assistant coaches are scouts, that has to carry some weight.

[eja117]

9 mill for Darko is a joke. I wouldn't give him half that. Misused him? This is basketball not shop class. Could you misuse Dwight Howard? How well would Duncan do if they misused him? He acts like they played him at point guard or tied his left hand behind his back.

[Roadrunner]

Say no to Darko. Or mid-level exception.

[eja117]

You know that lower level exception? i'd maybe offer that. Maybe. We need to give the MLE to some of our good players like West. We don't have tons of money to give West, Al, and TA, all of which come up this year.

[Roadrunner]

eja117 said:

You know that lower level exception? i'd maybe offer that. Maybe. We need to give the MLE to some of our good players like West. We don't have tons of money to give West, Al, and TA, all of which come up this year.

I am concerned that the team will not have the funds to go around for everyone as well.

[DERRENMATTS]

I know its hard to beleive, since Darko has been in the league for 4 years now (as long as Perkins, Lebron, Carmelo, Bosh, and Wade), but the kid does have high basketball potential still not tapped. I still see a breakout in this kid, similar to the type of breakout Jefferson experienced. Will it ever happen, though? I say there's a good chance it does if he plays for a coach who believes in him and gives him every opportunity to develop him.

But that price tag is steep for an unproven player.