Celtics have the last word

June 26, 2008|Marc J. Spears, Globe Staff

The last pick in the first round of the NBA draft doesn't sound sexy. He doesn't merit a draft party or a new hot jersey available in the team store. Very few recall that the 76ers selected Finland's Petteri Koponen with the last pick of the first round in 2007.

But in the back of every NBA general manager's mind is the fact that occasionally teams hit the jackpot late in the first round. Spurs two-time All-Star guard Tony Parker was the 28th pick of the 2001 draft. Mavericks forward Josh Howard, a 2007 All-Star, was the 29th pick five years ago. Knicks forward David Lee was the last pick of the first round in 2005.

Assuming they don't trade the pick, the Celtics are hoping to get a surprise talent with the 30th selection in the first round tonight. Boston also has the 60th and final pick. Celtics general manager Danny Ainge said his staff has narrowed its list to 23 prospects categorized by position and readiness to play in the league.

"It always is a crapshoot," Ainge said. "When you're drafting 30, the success rate of that pick is that less than 5 percent end up being a [consistent] starter in the NBA.

"Tony Parker was a great draft pick. Josh Howard was a great draft pick. Like anybody, you make good or bad ones."

The Celtics worked out about 50 players at their training facility in Waltham and in Los Angeles in preparation for the draft. Boston also has scouted numerous other players at predraft camps in Orlando, Fla., Portsmouth, Va., and Treviso, Italy.

Ainge believes there could be nearly as much value with the 30th selection as there is with the 20th. Two other NBA executives picking late in the first round believe there will be talent available to them as well.

The Pistons' Joe Dumars, who selects 29th, said via text message, "Drafting toward the end of the first round takes much more work than drafting at the top of the draft. But you definitely can find good players."

Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace, whose team has the 28th pick, said, "There are players there. If you go back and look at the draft, there are players you wish you had that were selected in the late first and second."

One team that has had success drafting late in the first round in recent years is San Antonio. In addition to Parker, the Spurs have selected John Salmons (26th, 2002), Leandro Barbosa (28th, 2003), and Beno Udrih (28th, 2004) late in Round 1. San Antonio is scheduled to pick 26th tonight.

"I don't think we've gotten it wrong more than we got it right," said Spurs general manager R.C. Buford. "What you have to be comfortable with is understand what works and doesn't work and try to create value with the pick. We've traded the pick as often as we've taken it to create value somewhere else."