Tom Brady is a nice guy by all accounts, psychotically competitive, but a really nice guy. Its almost hard to believe because you just expect these all-time great athletes to just be dickheads whether its Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant. So without even meaning to do so Tom Brady just dunked on Peyton Manning here.
Despite the bitter rivalries that the Patriots have had over the years with the Colts and the Broncos, despite all the heartache each guy has delivered to the other’s team, despite all that they’re still friends! Tom Brady probably genuinely meant this as a kind gesture too. Except when I see that picture all I can think of is how Tom Brady just came off his 6th Super Bowl championship and is about to begin the hunt for No. 7 while Peyton Manning is making mildly amusing car insurance commercials for a living.
For a guy that was once crowned the greatest of all time in Peyton Manning this has got to sting. To watch your greatest rival not only pass you, but to stomp on your throat, rip that title right out of your hands, and then continue to tack on MVPs and Super Bowl victories well into his 40s.
Tom Brady: even when he’s trying to be nice he’s smoking people.
ESPN – Tacko Fall, a 7-foot-6 center from UCF, will sign an Exhibit 10 contract with the Boston Celtics, a source told ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. Fall was not selected Thursday night during the NBA draft.
Fall averaged 10.1 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.4 blocks and shot 74 percent from the field over his four-year collegiate career. During his senior season, he posted marks of 11.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.6 blocks and hit 74.8 percent of his attempts.
Fall has attracted attention because of his size and because he held his own against Zion Williamson in UCF’s one-point loss to Duke in the NCAA tournament.
Exhibit 10 contracts, introduced in the NBA’s most recent collective bargaining agreement, are one-year deals paying the minimum salary. They also can be used for two-way contracts.
So technically the Celtics signed Tacko Fall to some phony bologna deal called an Exhibit 10 contract, which I have never even heard before this week.
“[Its] a one-year, non-guaranteed deal that allows teams to carry up to 20 players on their roster before the start of the regular season. If a player is waived before the season begins, he is then eligible for a $50,000 bonus if he joins the team’s G-League affiliate.” – Boston.com
What that means is Tacko will be given a shot to play for the C’s Summer League team in Vegas and then Danny will assess if he’s worth a flyer. Unless he absolutely savages people in the summer league I would not expect to see Tacko in a uniform that has anything other than a red lobster on the front next season.
If the name Tacko Fall sounds familiar to you, and like me you aren’t a giant college basketball guy, its most likely because he made you cry watching SportsCenter over your morning cereal.
So while I would not expect much from Tacko just yet, its hard to not be intrigued by a 7’6″ center. Especially since everyone and their mother has been bitching about the Celtics’ lack of a “rim protector” for my entire adult life. No doubt, we will keep you guys updated on how he does in the summer league this season.
With the constant flurry of “rumors” from all corners of the Web regarding pretty much every upcoming big-time free agent on this year’s market, it’s hard to decipher exactly which ones are even worth acknowledging anymore. Especially in today’s world of “me first” journalism, where anyone with a blog or a Twitter handle tries to be the first to report THE NEXT BIG BREAK, it’s easy for any Johnny Burger King to throw something out there at any time which gets the masses talking.
Remember a week and a half ago when everyone was absolutely convinced that Kyrie Irving was going to Brooklyn because he just so happened to sign with one of the world’s biggest entertainment firms which just so happens to be associated with a guy who just so happens to like the Nets a lot? (In case you missed it, here are my thoughts on that.)
Or when the Clippers were definitely getting Kawhi Leonard? Or when Kevin Durant was definitely going to be the savior for the New York Knicks? Or when poor Red’s heart was broken during the draft last week, when “sources” said there was no way the Celtics would let Bol Bol slip past No. 24 in the draft?
Sorry, Red. It just wasn’t meant to be…
All I’m saying is that you have to take these reports for what they’re worth. And if you’ve noticed, we here at The 300s are very careful not to stake our claim on exactly where we believe any of these guys are going, because it’s honestly impossible to know for sure at this point.
But that doesn’t mean we can’t at least talk about some of them… And with this little tweet today, I’ll be entirely honest in saying it’s tough not to get at least a little tingly:
The Celtics, I’m told, are emerging as a stealth suitor for Charlotte Hornets free agent Kemba Walker
For starters, at least this is from one of the league’s top sources. Outside of the legendary Adrian Wojnarowski, there are very few out there with more credentials, connections, and sources than Marc Stein. In his career, he has worked for some of the absolute biggest outlets out there, including ESPN, The Dallas Morning News, Los Angeles Daily News, and now The New York Times. He also won the coveted Curt Gowdy Media Award this past February, which is the top honor given out by the Hall of Fame each year for “outstanding basketball writers and broadcasters.” So, I think it’s safe to say this little piece of info is in no way baseless.
Furthermore, it just makes so much sense. Kemba Walker is truly the perfect antidote to rid the organization of the toxicity which engulfed the entire franchise last season. I’m not going to blame it ALL on Kyrie (just the vast majority of it), but Kemba is literally like a Bizarro Kyrie in that he’s an All-NBA-level point guard but one that acts like a humble, undrafted rookie to this day. Stuck on mediocre to just outright bad Hornets teams for the past eight seasons, he’s done nothing but simply continue to put his head down and grind no matter what. Over the past four years, he’s averaged over 20 points – including 25.6 PPG in 2018-19, which is almost two points more than Kyrie did – and almost six assists per game, earning himself a Third Team All-NBA honor this past season. If it weren’t for such an epic free-agent class this summer – one which features a few potential H.O.F candidates – Kemba would likely be the belle of the ball.
Don’t get it twisted: this dude is an absolute BALLER.
Is he is good as Kyrie? Nope. But is he that far off? Maybe not.
But what really makes me love Kemba is his other-wordly competitive fire. I will literally never forget the epic run he led during UConn’s national-title-winning season in 2011. For those that know me, I’m not a huge college hoops guy, but I was absolutely captivated by this relentless little sparkplug who just couldn’t be stopped. Kemba hasn’t always been the biggest, strongest, or most talented player on the court throughout his career, but he doesn’t seem to care. This dude succeeds off the hate and the doubt. He eats it up for breakfast and burns off the calories with a can’t-quit, non-stop attitude each and every night. No matter who he’s facing, you’re getting the same Kemba Walker every…damn…time.
I will never forget how much fun I had watching that team for the rest of my life.
He would also fit in perfectly with the young core that will now be responsible for leading the Green into the future. Rather than hold back the careers of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown with selfish, hero ball and piss-poor leadership qualities, Kemba could really help them and the rest of the roster soar to incredible heights. While he has the ability to take over any game he wants, he doesn’t have an incessant need to do so – and that, my friends, is the key to winning, team basketball. (I’m not over-inflating his selfless attitude either; he won back-to-back NBA Sportsmanship Awards in 2017 and 2018, respectively, before Mike Conley took home the honors last night for the 2019 season.)
Just imagine these two in the same uniform next season.
So, again, while you have to take any report this time of year with a grain of salt, and while we won’t know for sure where everyone will end up until they sign on that dotted line, it’s hard not to be happy and hopeful about this tweet. Not only does the team have the money to get this done, but they should be willing to do anything and EVERYTHING in their power to actually make it happen. Though it still ultimately rests on Kemba, who has no shortage of suitors – including Charlotte, whom he still apparently adores – Danny needs to turn on the charm and woo the 28-year-old to what could end up being the best opportunity of his career.
While most others will be dreaming of beaches, lake houses, hot dogs, and bonfires, there is nothing I want more this summer than a Kemba signing. Those are the fireworks I’m dying to see.
(Also, be sure to check in with The 300s later in the week for our upcoming NBA free-agency preview podcast!)
Boston.com – “We want a ballpark that really looks like Worcester, tastes like Worcester, smells like Worcester — a ballpark that is really representative of its home town,” Rea, the executive vice president of real estate development and business affairs for the Pawtucket Red Sox, recently told Boston.com in an interview.
Over the last month, PawSox officials have begun to reveal what that exactly could mean.
Rea says they’re currently “knee deep” in the planning efforts for the future home of the Red Sox Triple-A affiliate, who will begin playing in Worcester in 2021. The team announced the move last August, along with plans to build a 10,000-seat stadium in Worcester’s Canal District as part of a development project that includes restaurants, apartments, and a hotel overlooking the ballpark…
…has partnered with Worcester-based craft brewer Wormtown Brewery and beverage distributor Atlas to curate a locally inspired beer menu.
“We want people to be able to have Coors and Miller and Bud, but also have the local flare that I think the Worcester and Central Mass. area is becoming known for,” Rea said.
Welcome to Worcester. Dollar Twenty Five.
Larry Lucchino is most famous for three things: 1.) Designing the beautiful Camden Yards ballpark in Baltimore 2.) Leading the revival and renovations of the modern day Fenway Park and 3.) Running Theo Epstein out of town over a pissing contest. Obviously No. 3 is not ideal, but No. 1 and No. 2 are great legacies, which is why I have faith in Larry building something awesome in Worcester.
At first glance Polar Park seems like just another licensing rights sell out that means nothing. Whether intentional or not, it actually works really well because (at least for the Pawtucket Red Sox) the Triple-A team’s mascot currently is…
Yup, a polar bear. Or “Osos Polares de Pawtucket” if you happened to grab the fire flames hispanic themed hat like myself.
Larry’s even brought in the same architects to design the new park that have been leading the Fenway renovations for the last two decades.
It sounds like they’re being pretty creative with the entrances too, which is great not only for designing a unique experience but also helps with the bottle neck problem so many parks have.
Similar to Fenway, team officials are planning to have entrances all around Polar Park, so that fans can enter from different angles and the “full circumference of the venue is busy and activated,” Rea said. The park will also be built into a hill. So while fans entering the home-plate side on Madison Street would come in on street level, those coming from the direction of Worcester’s lively Green Street restaurant and bar scene would actually walk down into the stadium from center and right field (think Baltimore’s Camden Yards with a Jersey Street-type scene above the outfield seats).
I can’t tell you how many times theres been a massive line at Fenway right when you cross over the bridge to only just bomb down around to the Ted Williams statue and just double back to save a few minutes.
“I think there will be some unique outfield geometry and architecture,” he said. “We’re still putting those final pieces in place. But I think there will be some unique Fenway-esque architecture, if not identical dimensions and identical height walls. But some things will certainly have that sort of feel to it — not just some generic, perfectly symmetrical outfield.”
Fenway-esque architecture? Hell if I know what that means. I would think as the Triple-A team you would want players to get used to the same dimensions that the parent club is using in their home ballpark so that would make sense, but who knows.
Anddd its gonna be pricey!
According to the Worcester Business Journal, it will be the fourth-most expensive minor league park ever built when adjusted for inflation.
“We want a ballpark that has Fenway charm, but with the modern amenities that you expect from a 21st century ballpark,” Rea said.
The “flexible seating and social areas” are a great idea because sometimes you just want to grab a sausage and a couple beers and shoot the shit with your buds.
Around 7,200 to 7,500 of the park’s 10,000-person capacity will be traditional, fixed ballpark seats, Steinberg said at a fan preview night in Pawtucket last month. The rest will be flexible seating and social areas catering toward younger fans and families. Rea thinks such gathering spaces will be key for attracting students from the 13 colleges in the Worcester area, who have reportedly complained about not having anywhere to mingle with each other.
I’ve done this at plenty of Sox games when I stumble onto $10 tickets and its a blowout. The roof deck down the first base line is one of my favorite spots in Fenway. It also reminds me of the open local brewery and picnic table areas I raved about in our Portland SeaDogs ballpark review.
We’ll be heading back to Portland in August for another SeaDogs game and I’ll probably hit Pawtucket again for the seasons over. Needless to say I am a huge fan of minor league ballparks, whether its Pawtucket or Portland or the NH Fisher Cats or even some Brockton Rox games back in the day. Still need to make it to the Hartford Yard Goats who apparently have a sick brand new stadium downtown, but I will 100% be checking out the Worcester stadium once the PawSox move their in 2021.
Until then, please please just don’t ruin the team name with some gimmicky mascot. As Frank Lucas once said, “thats a brand name.”
My first two editions of WDDN were both cocktails. As it happens, this is a change a pace for me as I typically prefer to drink craft beer. I am always on the lookout for something new and exciting, and try as many different brews as I can get my hands on. Luckily for me, I was able to get a job doing a variety of things for 3 Stars Brewing. So, it should come as no surprise that I’ve been drinking a lot 3 Stars beer!
3 STARS BREWING
Since 2012, 3 Stars has been making super-drinkable and excitingly unique beers in the northern part of DC. Unfortunately, the brewery is still relatively small and distribution limited, with only DC, Virginia and Maryland receiving regular shipments. Boston and Delaware also receive monthly shipments, while New York City has seen a few offerings as well.
What should you be looking to try? Honestly, I like all the beers we make. I’m not just saying that, either. Before I started working for 3 Stars, I thought the few beers I had tried from them were solid. Nothing special, but still well-made. Now that I’ve had the chance to try them at their freshest as well as had a wider variety of the lineup, I’ve really started to dig them.
I’m hoping one of my ideas for a pilot batch makes it into the taproom this summer. I’ve been pitching a sour beer modeled after the Palomas I’m so in love with, so we’ll see how that turns out.
We’re not talking about over-the-top IPA’s like Trillium or Treehouse. This isn’t that kind of brewery. They can definitely make high quality juice bombs that seem to be all the rage these days, but those beers are relatively boring to make. Come up with a decent malt bill, then add as many hops as you possibly can. From there, just change the hops. This provides the illusion of innovation when really you’re only changing one ingredient. At 3 Stars, the brewers like to experiment with more than that.
As for the beers, here are the ones you can find in Mass:
Peppercorn Saison:
This easy-drinking Belgian style ale is brewed with 3 different types of peppercorns for a light spice on the finish. It doesn’t have the bubblegum yeasty thing that some Belgian styles can have, so for me it’s a porch pounder despite being 6.5%. PS is the beer that first put 3 Stars on the map, as it was originally a home-brew recipe before the owners were pushed to bottle it and sell it by their friends.
Diamonds are Forever:
Although the 16oz option is only available at Nationals Park, you can find the 12oz beers more readily. For the NEIPA fans, this is the beer for you. A sessionable IPA with a ton of juicy citrus flavors and a touch of bitter resin, this is as good if not better than any session IPA I had while running a beer department up north. This is the newest addition to the core lineup, and in my opinion the biggest crowd-pleaser.
Southern Belle:
This is another one of the beers they made when first launching almost 7 years ago. Southern Belle is an imperial brown ale brewed with roasted pecans. Soft, smooth and nutty, this is my preferred beer pairing for a burger. I have noticed a slight variation of flavor from batch to batch, but this is a killer beer for cooler temperatures and fans of darker styles.
Ghost IPA:
This is my least favorite of the core lineup, but that’s not to say I don’t like it. Like almost all of our beers, this one is brewed with a large percentage of white wheat malt, which is why it was originally labeled as a White IPA. However, the only citrus you pick up is a modest dose that comes from hops, unlike what you’d expect out of a traditional white ale. The bitter/resiny quality is a little much for me, but I’ve found most people around the brewery will go to Ghost for their “on-the-clock” beer.
This new event space is huge. It should be finished by the end of the summer, so I’ll at least be able to take advantage of that.
I really love how 3 Stars likes to push the envelope and come up with as many new and strange styles as they can think of. We recently bought out a huge space connected to our current brewery, so when all of the renovations are said and done we’ll have two to three times as much space. This includes a new 470-person event space, an enlarged Funkerdome for sours, triple the size for cold storage, and room for more brewing tanks. Unfortunately, I will be gone by the time it’s all done, but I’m excited to see where the company goes!
As per usual the NBA Draft was the can’t miss fashion show of the year. I mean even Maria Taylor was just straight up flaunting her neon Yeezys right in my face while interviewing each player.
Maria Taylor is most definitely wearing the Frozen Yellow’s. We can’t win, fam.
Bol Bol, who I was PINING for the Celtics to draft, had arguably the best outfit of the night with his suit that will undoubtedly turn another NBA athlete into Venom sooner than later.
Ja Morant just looked like a guy straight out of the 90s and more specifically a fit you’d expect to see on the cover of someone’s Death Row Records debut album.
Assuming this isn’t a religious thing because if it is then forget what I’m about to say, but this is just a preposterous outfit for a guy who just became a millionaire. Legit looks like a Matrix set costume.
While the ESPN analysts were not as kind, with one of them saying he looked like he was wearing drapes, I audibly gasped when I saw Tyler Herro’s suit.
A lot of loud outfits on draft night that you really have to be a rapper or an athlete, or at the very least a very wealthy Silicon Valley bro, to pull off.
Scenes from the Green Room: Kentucky trio PJ Washington, Keldon Johnson and Tyler Herro pic.twitter.com/S3QURpcDuE
So to be honest I have been dreading this day for months because I work less than a mile from the Encore Boston Casino. It looms over me from the parking lot of my 9-5 like the Eye of Sauron. The traffic in this city is murder-suicide inducing enough as is so adding another several thousand people to the mix on these one road towns seems like a great way for me to wind up on the news. But dread it, run from it, destiny still arrives all the same.
Just a few minutes away from the grand opening of Encore Boston Harbor casino – look at those crowds! 50,000 people expected today. Would you wait in this line? #7NEWSpic.twitter.com/R22UjhNWQ5
As of 11 a.m. there are 4,000 people still waiting to get into the Encore Boston Harbor. @wbz Still waiting on the official number of people who came in before 11.
You have to be absolutely outside of your mind to wait in a line with thousands of people just for the opportunity to give your money to a casino. I am all for doing some gambling and blowing a few sheckles in Vegas, but thats passive money spent with a buzz. Waiting in line for god knows how long in EVERETT is a pre-meditated way to spend a Sunday.
Meet the man who waited 17 hours for the grand opening of the Encore Boston Harbor https://t.co/H94y466kvj
I know this will simply be a matter of supply and demand and demand is never higher than the day of the grand opening, but people hoping to get a stack of high society on the cheap can think again. The hotel rooms in the Encore hotel are STARTING at $675 a night and quickly ramp up to four figures. The table minimums are going to shock the average joe looking to play some blackjack too.
Biggest issue I’m hearing from people walking out to Encore is the price point. One woman says $50 minimum bet is too much. She says it prices out the everyday person @NBC10Boston
— Perry Russom NBC10 Boston (@PerryNBCBoston) June 23, 2019
Now with all that being said, from everything I’ve heard the place is insanely nice and you immediately forget you’re anywhere near Boston. All the reviews from people that got early access were glowing.
Initial thoughts on @EncoreResortBH
– An incredibly impressive facility, top to bottom. 5 star all the way. You’d have to be a boring prude to think otherwise.
– It needs a sports book.
– People seem genuinely pumped to be working there.
– They’re not kidding, DON’T DRIVE THERE
Thats really the main reason I want to go. Just pretend like I’m in an episode of Miami Vice, ferrying across the water to do some undercover gambling and bust a druglord on his way out of the high rollers room. CUE THE MUSIC!
I am all for players celebrating, jumping around, bat flipping, even flipping the bird to opponents if they feel the need. If you want to act like Kenny Powers on the mound then I encourage you to do just that. Take Max Muncy for example, who did not appreciate Madison Bumgarner telling him to “don’t watch the ball” after Muncy took him yard a couple weeks ago.
Madison Bumgarner: “Don’t watch the ball, you run.”
Max Muncy: “If you don’t want me to watch the ball, you can get it out of the ocean.” 😯
I love it. Baseball needs more of this stuff. Which brings us to Marcus Stroman, who I personally love. The guy gets under everyone’s skin, is a bonafide stud major league pitcher at 5’8″, and oh he can spit bars too.
Marcus Stroman likes to get fired up, yell on the mound, and generally make wild hand gestures like an Italian girlfriend, but Dennis Eckersley was NOT a fan of Stroman’s celebrations on the mound on Sunday.
That’s not Dennis Eckersley calling Stroman’s celebrations “tired,” is it?
“He was aggressive and animated on the mound, and he was known for his intimidating stare and pumping his fist after a strikeout. “https://t.co/Cu6cA6k49A
Does he sound like he’s trying to go Super Saiyan on the mound while up 5 runs in the 6th inning? Yes he does, but whatever. If I’m a player I just quietly bide my time until Stroman’s next start comes around and I hit one of his hanging curves onto Landsdowne.
And I love Eck, he’s one of my favorite people in America. I vehemently defended him in the David Price debacle, hell we even made YUCK t-shirts in his honor. However, Marcus Stroman clapped back on Twitter with the perfect response and unfortunately I think Eck has to just take the L and move on here.
BREAKING: The Tampa Bay Rays have received MLB's permission to explore becoming two-city team: the Tampa Bay area and Montreal, sources tell ESPN. The plan: Play early-season home games in the Tampa Bay area and finish the season in Montreal. News at ESPN: https://t.co/X6uSt4KLfC
Upon first reading this story, I immediately looked at the calendar on my computer screen. It is not April Fools Day.
I then asked the Google if it was some sort of April Fools Day in any other part of the world. It would appear it is not.
I then scrolled Jeff Passan’s timeline to see if he showed any signs of mental illness or drug abuse. Now neither are a laughing matter, but either would explain such an outlandish tweet. Nada.
So this is real folks. The Tampa Bay, nee Devil, Rays are indeed investigating if it’s viable to become the baseball equivalent of most north of the Mason Dixon-living recent retirees. Winters through spring in Florida. Summers back to the real world to see the kids and Grand kids. The best of both worlds.
This whole plan, if I understand it right, solves two problems while, in the opinion of this blogger, creating another. The first problem it solves is the fact that the team has really never been fully embraced by Tampa and things are never going to get any better. There just won’t ever be that kind of demand for a pro baseball team in that city. I mean hell, a pro hockey team does better there. But how do you ramp up demand? By cutting supply (BA in Econ here nd nd). So you go from offering the residents of Tampa 40ish games instead of 80ish and suddenly you may just see a rise in interest. You might also see them completely forgetting about the Rays but hey, that’s the risk.
The second problem being solved here is that you give the city of Montreal A FUCKING BASEBALL TEAM AGAIN. While never being a money maker, Montreal’s baseball fans loved their Expos and were crushed to see them go. They are akin to us “Arrested Development” fans back in the day. So while the ‘Expos aren’t coming back (although some sick throwbacks might be) the city of Montreal might get baseball again. Baseball is the most nostalgia-inducing of all pro sports, bar none, so if a city getting a team again after like, 20 years without one doesn’t give you the feels you’re heartless.
Now, the problem this creates is that I don’t really know how two completely different fanbases coexist. I don’t know how the team pulls this off. I just picture that oft-posted cartoon of two Spiderman’s pointing at each other. Will they get along? Will they argue? Can you launch a marketing campaign aimed at two cities at once? Don’t even get me at how much capital expenditure you purpose towards each city and why. The logistics there are just tough.
Luckily, pro sports franchises NEVER FUCK MAJOR LOCATION-centric MOVES UP. Like ever. So Im sure if this gets green lit everything will go smoothly. If not we’re down a franchise for a year or two until Jon Gruden is also coaching the AL West’s newest team the Las Vegas Greased Poles.
We are entering a youth movement. The sooner you accept that the sooner you can go back to watching Celtics games without smashing the TV. Now tonight is the NBA Draft and the Celtics have three first round picks, 14, 20, and 22. AKA trash picks. Picking that late in the NBA Draft gets you bench players and home run swings on high ceiling guys with massive red flags. Enter Bol Bol. This has been the only guy I’ve wanted the Celtics to draft all year long (assuming they didn’t backdoor their way into another top 5 pick, which they didn’t). Son of the NBA shot blocking legend Manute Bol, Bol Bol is one of the few college basketball players that I’ve somewhat followed this season because the dude just fascinates me. He is 7’2″, runs like a deer, oh and did I mention he DRAINS threes?
Now it seems like the Celtics drafting Bol Bol is a legitimate possibility tonight. Granted he is 7’2″ coming off a foot surgery, but hey scared money don’t make no money.
Either way, just about everyone has the big man sliding to the 14-25 range in the first round, so if they want him the Celtics will likely have ample opportunity to grab him.
The Ringer had a great piece on just how dangerous the big man could be in the league:
“At 19, he already possesses an offensive arsenal that should make him a gamebreaker in the modern NBA…his shot is the skill which makes him an NBA player. He hit on 52 percent of his 25 attempts at Oregon and 48.9 percent on 45 attempts on the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League circuit…I don’t think I’ve ever seen a player of his height as fast or dexterous.And that’s scary. Momentum is mass times velocity, and Bol generates an awful lot of momentum on his skinny legs.”
He would have been a Top 5 pick if not for the injury or if he were able to go straight from high school to the draft, which cannot return to NBA rules soon enough. However the injury derailed his one and only college season and hurt his draft stock. Bol played in just 9 games at Oregon averaging 21.0 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.7 blocks, 56.1 field goal %, and an eye popping 52.0% on 3 pointers.
While a foot injury to a 7 footer scares the shit out of me, this is EXACTLY why Danny Ainge has all these picks. In the absence of an Anthony Davis mega deal, you have three first rounders so you can take a flyer on a guy like Bol. While he could flame out and never make an impact in the league, he could also drink some more milk, solidify his bones and become one of the best players in the NBA. The last time Danny passed on an unproven, high ceiling player was in 2013 when he passed on Giannis Antetokounmpo in favor of Kelly Fucking Olynyk. While Olynyk has become a decent role player in the NBA, Giannis is arguably the best player in the league right now. This isn’t the NFL where you can build quality depth through the draft with mid round picks. No, the 14th pick in the NBA draft gets you bench players and home run swings. There are very few elite NBA players that come this late in the draft without some major red flags around them.
Barring a massive draft night trade (which allegedly is a possibility), the Celtics are staring a youth movement right in the face. Bring me Bol Bol and lets swing for the fences, Danny.
The 300s 