I guess ADD doesn't keep you from jumping very, very high.

I don’t know about you, but where I come from almost everyone in my school was diagnosed with ADD. I’m not even exaggerating either. You don’t like school? Bam, you’ve got ADD. You have trouble focusing on homework when basketball games are on TV? Here, take some Ritalin, you’ve got problems. You doze off in class because your teacher is more boring than watching figure skating? Well you must have ADD too!

So I find it odd that Hassan Whiteside’s agent said his recent diagnosis of Attention Deficit Disorder was one of the reasons he fell in the draft. (NBA Fanhouse)

In what may have been the most surprising slide of the NBA Draft, Whiteside was shockingly there for Sacramento’s taking at No. 33 for a number of reasons.

He is a raw talent, albeit a potentially dynamic one. He played in Conference USA, although he dominated the lower-level competition and was named the conference’s top freshman and Defensive Player of the Year after leading the NCAA in blocked shots.

Yet his agent, Andre Buck, confirmed what a league scout told FanHouse, that questions about the 21-year-old’s maturity and his struggles with Attention Deficit Disorder appear to have scared some teams into passing on him.

Buck said Whiteside’s ADD was diagnosed during his one season at Marshall, where he began to take medication to help with his focus but stopped doing so midway through the season.

“He’s going to have to figure out how he’s going to address it, whether it’s medication that’s prescribed that helps him be better and that he’ll probably take to get better,” Buck said by phone. “At Marshall … he was on medication he didn’t like and didn’t think was good for him. He stopped taking it.

“If he takes it and he’s better, people are going to be mad they didn’t take him earlier (in the draft). If he uses this as fuel, he could be really good, and teams will be sorry they didn’t take him.”

Am I the only one who finds this story a little hard to believe? I mean, ADD isn’t too debilitating, right? Sure, it keeps you from focusing a little bit but I’m pretty sure half the people I know had it. And, out of the hundreds of people I know who have ADD, I don’t think it hurt anyone else’s draft stock.

As part of our draft coverage, we are profiling wings and big men the Celtics might be interested in with the 19th pick. Next up is Hassan Whiteside, a center from Marshall. We made these profiles using our own personal knowledge of the prospects combined with research from numerous sites, including NBADraft.net and Draft Express.

Draft Express projection: 23rd pick NBADraft.net: 21st pick

Project? Yup. But a very intriguing one.

Another one of those “upside” guys, Hassan Whiteside’s physical tools make NBA general managers salivate. Measuring in at 6’11 1/2″ despite being measured in sandals (most players are measured in thicker basketball shoes), Whiteside also possesses a 7’7″ wingspan that makes him one of the longest prospects to ever enter the NBA.

Only a freshman at Marshall this past season, Whiteside put up some very good numbers despite playing only 26 minutes per game: 13.1 points, 8.9 rebounds and an astounding 5.4 blocks per game. Those 5.4 blocks per game led the nation.

Marshall isn’t on television often, so I didn’t get to see much of Whiteside’s game, but in the highlights I looked at he looks a lot like Marcus Camby. From his very slight frame, to the terrific timing on weakside blocks, to the high release point on his solid midrange jumper, Whiteside looks like a Camby clone on the court. Whiteside shows some solid offensive skills, including a reliable midrange jumper (with range that occasionally extended to the college three-point arc) and good finishing ability, but remains an unfinished product on that side of the floor. He also has the makings of a nice hook shot and good touch around the hoop.

On the defensive end of the floor Whiteside is an absolutely elite shot-blocker, especially from the weakside. According to Draft Express, though, Whiteside struggles when defending his own man:

“His main issue revolves around his extremely underdeveloped frame, which hinders him on the offensive end, but more importantly makes him a constant target for post-up plays and renders him an exceptionally poor man to man defender against average college big men. Whiteside gives up deep position in the post with the greatest of ease–seemingly not even fighting back at times– getting out of his stance quickly, bringing his hands down, and downright giving up on plays, thinking he’ll simply be able to recover and come up with a block, which at this level can indeed be the case on occasion.”

Regardless of Whiteside’s weaknesses, which also include what Draft Express labeled a sometimes immature attitude, his potential makes him one of the most intriguing prospects in the draft. With his uber-long body and the framework of a potentially decent offensive game, as well as good shot-blocking timing, Whiteside could go anywhere from the middle of the lottery to late in the first round.

Compared to Solomon Alabi, I’d rather have Whiteside. He’s a far more fluid athlete and possesses the makings of a better offensive game. The problem is, neither is ready to play good minutes right away. And, considering that Kendrick Perkins will likely be injured to start next season and Rasheed Wallace is probably retiring, the Celtics will need immediate help in the frontcourt next season.

The Celtics have gotten rid of their morning walkthrough, but that doesn’t mean we have to. Here are a few Celtics links, and maybe even an NBA link or two, to help wake you up and get you focused for the day.

Anderson can fill it up in a variety of ways.

A. Sherrod Blakely, CSNNE – “And while there are several variables and factors that weigh in on whoever the Celtics draft, it ultimately comes down to one thing. ‘You have to feel good about the player, now and looking forward,’ Ainge said. ‘You want to find someone who can help you now, obviously. But you want them to be someone who can grow, too.’ Among the players to work out for the Celtics was James Anderson, a 6-foot-6 swingman from Oklahoma State. A player with Anderson’s size and shooting range would give the C’s added fire power and versatility off the bench, especially when you consider there’s no guarantee that the Celtics will be able to re-sign free agents Tony Allen and Ray Allen. Boston might look to go for added size and target players like 6-10 Daniel Horton of Kentucky, 7-0 Hassan Whiteside of Marshall, 6-10 Ekpe Udoh of Baylor or 6-10 Larry Sanders of VCU – all projected to go somewhere in the late-teens and early 20s of the first round. While most teams would prefer to have one of the top picks in the draft, Ainge has proven repeatedly that you can find quality players late in the first round.”

Jeff Clark, CelticsBlog – “The official Celtics slogan headed into the season was ‘Reloaded.’ Now I’m wondering if the offseason slogan might be ‘unloaded.’ I still think there’s a very good chance that we keep our starting 5 in tact, but after that is seriously anyone’s guess. Here’s a quick rundown of our 15 man roster as it existed on the final night of the Finals.”

Mark Murphy, Boston Herald – “The Celtics captain doesn’t have much time. Pierce has until June 30 to exercise a termination option in his contract that would make him a free agent. This would require written notification. If July 1 arrives and the Celtics haven’t received the paperwork, then they know Pierce is coming back. And really, is there much question about this? For a kid from Inglewood, Calif., who grew up within a quick bike ride of the old Forum and dreamed of becoming a Laker, Pierce couldn’t be more serious about his place within the tradition of the Lakers’ opposite entity. Consider what he said on the eve of Game 1 of the Finals in Los Angeles. ‘I didn’t want to be a Boston Celtic, but I am a Boston Celtic, and I’ve enjoyed every moment of it,’ Pierce said. ‘I’ve had a chance to learn the history, been around the great players. It’s so much fun when you’re in Boston and you see the (John) Havliceks come around, you see (Bob) Cousy and (Cedric) Maxwell and you’re around (Tommy) Heinsohn all the time. Just soaking up the history of the Boston Celtics has been the best thing that’s happened to me as a player. Just to be a part of history, not a lot of players can say that. You know, I’m soaking this all in. Once again, being able to say I can help continue the rivalry of the Celtics and Lakers for another year, and knowing that when you go back and watch these tapes that I will be on them. It’s indescribable. I don’t think it’s going to soak in until my career is all said and done and I can really, really look back at it.’ No, this does not sound like a player who, in the disappointment of losing, will send that fatal letter to the Celtics front office.”

Dan Duggan, Boston Herald – “The question now is how the 34-year-old will respond next season. It’s highly unlikely that Garnett ever will return to his MVP and Defensive Player of the Year form. But he’ll be a full year removed from knee surgery when next season’s training camp opens, and Doc Rivers said last week he expects Garnett to be better as a result. Garnett isn’t the type to speak about other topics while there is a task at hand. When he was asked about his future during the Finals, Garnett simply responded that he has two years remaining on his contract (at $40 million total) and his only focus is on fulfilling that. Even if he’s not thinking too far down the line, Garnett has been forced to face his basketball mortality. The likely retirement of teammate and good friend Rasheed Wallace hit home with Garnett. ‘I see a lot of myself in him, and we have a lot of the same ties and a lot of the same characteristics,’ Garnett said after Thursday’s Game 7 loss. ‘Both (draft) Class of (1995) – so for him to come in and give his thanks and his regards after a loss like this . . . it was a difficult night.’”

Dan Shaughnessy, Boston Globe – “Rivers likes to brag that the starting lineup of Pierce, Allen, Garnett, Rajon Rondo, and Kendrick Perkins never lost a playoff series. He made this point after the Celtics finished with Orlando in the conference finals. ‘This starting five is 7-0 in playoff series,’ he said. He was correct then and he’s still correct. Garnett (knee injury) did not play last spring when the Celtics were eliminated by the Magic in the conference semifinals. And Perkins (torn knee ligaments) did not play Game 7 at the Staples Center. ‘The starting lineup still hasn’t lost,’ said Rivers Thursday. ‘It was a shame we didn’t have that starting lineup tonight. But I told them, ‘You’ve still yet to have a true chance to defend your title because Perk wasn’t there.’ ‘ After Game 7, you could hear the bell ringing for the Big Three Era. In many ways, Rivers was the perfect coach for this collection of talent. He gave them a lot of rope and allowed them to work out their difficulties themselves.”

Shira Springer, Boston Globe – While the Lakers celebrated and fans tried to talk their way past security and onto the court, the Celtics attempted to make a quick getaway. With the trophy ceremony still going on, Perkins headed for the team bus with a white towel covering his head. Inside the locker room, Ray Allen was surrounded by dozens of reporters. No other Boston player was around. As Allen talked, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar walked into the Celtics locker room and said, ‘Anybody seen Doc?’ The answer did not come quickly. The sight of the legendary Laker caught those not crowded around Allen by surprise. After a few moments, someone opened the door to the visiting coach’s office for the Hall of Famer. Upon seeing Rivers, Abdul-Jabbar leaned in for a handshake and whispered a few sentences to him. ‘I appreciate it,’ said Rivers. ‘I appreciate it.’ If Kareem Abdul-Jabbar can walk into the Celtics locker room and offer consoling words to the Celtics coach, it is proof that almost anything can happen at Game 7 of the Finals. Almost anything.”

Steve Buckley, Boston Herald – “From this point on, Rajon Rondo is the band leader. He may never be a great shooter, and it would be really nice if he spent the summer practicing free throws, but already he is a great player. As he gains experience, he gains wisdom. And never let it be forgotten that much of that wisdom was acquired during his apprenticeship under Pierce, Allen and Garnett. From the perspective of management, Rondo is the kind of supremely gifted player around whom a championship team can be built. To the rest of us, it’s much simpler: He’s enormously fun to watch. Thank you, Big Three, for your contributions to Boston sports history, Banner No. 17 and a brave run at No. 18. You never, ever will be forgotten. And the three men are welcome to return – as individual players, but not as a Big Three. Let the Rajon Rondo Era begin.”

Dan Duggan, Boston Herald – “Though he’s made strides, Davis still has some growing to do. The third-year veteran hasn’t yet discovered what it takes to be consistent on a nightly basis. Rivers frequently pointed this fact out after Davis had a big game. The coach remarked after one strong performance in the first round against Miami that Davis needs ‘a parade out there every good game’ and it takes him a few games to come back to earth. Regardless of how good-natured, Rivers seemingly can’t resist throwing a dig in Davis’ direction whenever the opportunity presents itself. Behind all of his bluster, Davis is quite sensitive, and he’s never known what to make of Rivers’ public jabs. Though Davis may not embrace his role as whipping boy, his comments about his coach after the Celtics’ Game 7 loss in the Finals showed a level of maturity. ‘He means a lot,’ Davis said of Rivers, who may not return next season. ‘He’s a friend, he’s a coach, he’s a father figure. He’s a lot in one.’”

Zuri Berry, Boston Globe – “Former NBA center Manute Bol died of complications from Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, according to a family member who talked to the Washington Post. He died at the University of Virginia Hospital in Charlottesville on Saturday morning, according to Tom Prichard, an associate of Bol’s, in an e-mail to the Associated Press.”

Bill Livingston, Cleveland Plain Dealer – “Now reports are that Kelvin Sampson is a serious candidate to be the Cavaliers’ head coach. That Kelvin Sampson? Really? I think back to what happened at the Final Four eight years ago, to the poor coaching job I thought he had done, and to the damage he caused to both of the schools who had played in that semifinal. And I have to believe Cavs owner Dan Gilbert can’t be serious. At Oklahoma, Sampson eventually brought the wrath of the NCAA down on the program for making, along with members of his staff, over 550 improper phone calls to 17 different recruits. Then, as the carpet-bomber of college basketball, Sampson brought the wrath of the NCAA down on Indiana, the most storied program in the Big Ten, for making 10 illegal conference calls to recruits. That Kelvin Sampson? Really? What’s the attraction, other than hiring a guy who fell upward with even more vim than John Calipari has done at Kentucky? There might be blazing ruins in the rear-view mirror, but coach Cal and coach Kel danced away from the messes to better jobs. At least for a while. But it didn’t last for Sampson, whom Indiana fired in 2008. His gravity defiance in college basketball ended then too, with a five-year coaching ban handed down by the NCAA. Any school hiring him before 2013 would have to ‘show cause’ why his punishment had been served. Now he is an assistant coach with the Milwaukee Bucks. And reportedly he is a candidate to fall upward again, maybe all the way into the Cavs’ job. What, is John Lucas not interested?”

Have a link I might want to look at? Send it my way by email (jayking@celticstown.com) or Twitter