Tim Grover. Trained Michael Jordan. Owns A.T.T.A.C.K. Athletics, one of the most respected training facilities in the sport of basketball. Built Jermaine O’Neal’s body back to functionality in time for the playoffs last season (aka worked a minor miracle).  Oversees workouts for Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade, among many other successful (and some not so successful) NBA players. And recently, Grover added Boston Celtics draft pick JaJuan Johnson to his clientele.

Johnson worked out with Grover during the draft process, and would likely return in the event of an NBA lockout. Built like the world’s tallest drinking straw, the former Purdue Boilermaker knows at least one directive for his workouts. He will work on shooting, of course, and probably a host of other basketball skills. But the development most highly correlated to his impact next season should be adding strength.

“I’m definitely hoping to put on some weight,” he told ESPN. “I know it’ll happen. I’ll definitely put the time in in the weight room, and eat, and all of that. So, it’s not a huge concern to me, but I know it’ll happen.”

When asked how much weight he wanted to gain, the 220-pound Johnson said, “As much as possible.” But if Johnson can just gain as many pounds this summer as Glen Davis gained in the middle of last season, that should be enough. Zing.

If July 1 passes without a labor agreement, the NBA will quite literally lock players out of their teams’ facilities (think Coach Carter without the studying). According to the Boston Herald, the Celtics are approaching the potential lockout with the right mentality. Rajon Rondo will likely coordinate some workouts, and Ray Allen has already mentioned UConn as a location where the team can meet for the NBA version of captain’s practices.

Allen, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett remember the last NBA lockout well, so they should be well prepared.

“Last time, it sent a lot of guys into retirement,” Allen told the Boston Globe earlier in June. “A lot of guys were taken by storm whether they were out of shape or somewhere where they weren’t ready to get to training camp. So you have to stay locked in.”

The team will try to stay connected and together as much as possible, but players will still need to fend for themselves more often than usual. Which is why Johnson’s decision to train with Tim Grover should please Celtics fans. For Johnson and fellow rookie E’Twaun Moore (and perhaps Gilbert Brown, an undrafted rookie from Pittsburgh who the Celtics are interested in), development before their first season could prove the difference between earning a spot in Boston’s rotation and taking frequent bus trips to Maine. In Moore’s case, this summer’s workouts could even determine whether he makes the team.

As a first-round draft choice, Johnson automatically has a roster spot. But by working out with Grover, he should maximize his chances to crack Boston’s rotation. Of course, Grover does not have a 100% success rate—his client list includes Steven Hunter (who?), and Antoine Walker (he actually worked out?), among other busts, has-beens and never was’es. Nonetheless, Grover has a sterling reputation of contributing to athletic success. With a lockout likely in the forecast and many players’ summer plans changing accordingly, JaJuan Johnson is following a time-tested map.

Not everyone was impressed when the Celtics drafted JaJuan Johnson. Despite his success in college, a career which ended with more wins than any Purdue player in history, the Big Ten Player of the Year Award, and the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Award, some fans pictured Johnson as a late-first round bust.

Red’s Army wrote, “The kid may or may not turn into a solid player someday… and maybe he’ll get some spot time… but I don’t see him being a consistent, night-in and night-out contributor to this team.  I hope I’m wrong here, but I think the most realistic expectation for THIS SEASON is spot minutes, maybe a highlight or two, but mostly bench/D-League time.”

The Boston Herald’s Steve Bulpett was similarly unimpressed. “I was among the legions who were profoundly underwhelmed,” he wrote. “A skinny, 6-foot-10 guy who managed to slip all the way to No. 27 while being projected even lower by many in the basketball business? No need to wake the banner stitcher.”

Their surly reaction made sense. In most drafts, big men worth a damn would never fall to the 27th pick. In this draft, known as one of the weaker drafts in years, the likelihood was even lower. Given the fact that Johnson is also built like an oversized toothpick, the naysayers had enough ammunition to launch many rounds, no matter how well Johnson played against Big Ten competition last season.

Yet not everybody shared Bulpett’s initial pessimism. Bulpett also spoke to a respected NBA scout who thinks quite highly of Mr. Johnson.

“The Celtics did a great job,” the scout said. “This guy should have gone before. Danny did a really good job when he identified this kid. He can play. People up there might think I’m crazy, but JaJuan Johnson is a great replacement for Kendrick Perkins.

“I’m not saying he’s going to step in and be a star, but this kid can help that team. And he’s going to get better.” …

“Don’t let the skinny (part) fool you,” the scout said of Johnson. “He’s wiry and he’s tough. All they do in the Big Ten is go out every night and beat the hell out of each other, and this kid was right in the middle of it taking the hits and blocking shots. He’ll surprise you with his low-post defense.”

But a great replacement for Perkins? Johnson barely slipped into the first round, right? And Perkins was a tough customer who didn’t back down from anybody, no?

“Yeah, Perkins can hold position under the basket, but how many really good post-up centers are there in the game anymore?” the scout replied. “I’m telling you, this kid can move a lot better, and he’s still tough. He’s going to be able to get out and guard guys, and he’s not going to back down from anyone. And he’s much better with the ball. He’s a straight-up, no-nonsense good kid.

“There were a lot of foreigners that people got all excited about, and some teams were afraid of (Johnson’s) physical stature, but he’s going to make some teams look silly for not picking him.”

With people split on whether the Celtics selected a certain bust or the next Kendrick Perkins, the only consensus thought about Boston’s two Purdue selections (I include E’Twaun Moore now) is that they’re winners. Sure, they’re flawed. Sure, they wouldn’t win any weightlifting competitions. Sure, Dwight Howard isn’t shivering in his boots thinking about playing JaJuan Johnson. But these guys scrape, claw, battle, hold, grab, shove, hit the open teammate, make the right play, and win games.

In other words, they’re Celtics. Except that they’re young, athletic (at least in Johnson’s case), and possibly quite underrated.

Notes:

1. If you haven’t already, read Jessica Camerato’s piece about Johnson and Moore. Now.
2. Moore (#55) and Johnson (#12) have selected numbers. Goodbye, Von Wafer?

On Wednesday night I entered a movie theater to watch Green Lantern, fully anticipating that it would suck. When my friend first asked me to watch the movie, my response was, “I heard that movie was horrible. But I guess I’m in.” I had nothing else to do, the movie’s special effects didn’t look bad, and if worst came to worst and the flick was as horrendous as advertised, I knew I could just spend two hours staring at Blake Lively on the big screen. Even if the movie lived up to its (miserable) hype, at least I had a fallback plan—ogle a hot chick.

So I strolled into the theater with rock-bottom expectations, expecting this generation’s Gigli. Oddly enough, I didn’t even mind the movie. I’ll be the first to tell you it wasn’t a great movie, or even a good one. The beginning was odd (at best), off-putting, and so poorly made I contemplated walking out after two minutes. Ryan Reynolds still can’t act his way into a fourth-grade class play (though he had certain moments of charm and humor, I guess). Blake Lively looked good, as usual, but brought little else to the table. And the movie’s “corny” factor jumped off the charts, inspiring many “ugh” moments and weird chills.

Despite all that, I almost enjoyed Green Lantern. I went in with expectations lower than Nate Robinson’s toilet seat, and lowered my standards accordingly. By my new standards, the movie was not THAT bad. It was even decently watchable, if only in an “I know this isn’t a good movie, at all, but it’s almost entertaining” way. In the shocker of the century, I actually exited the theater somewhat pleased to have dumped $11 on what will probably go down as the summer’s worst flick. Just two weeks ago, I had watched The Hangover 2; though that movie was certainly better than Green Lantern, I left with a far worst taste in my mouth, mostly because I actually expected a good time.

I entered last night’s NBA Draft with the same feeling I had when I strolled into the theater for Green Lantern. I expected nothing, or at least nothing enjoyable. With the Celtics drafting late in a weak draft, I felt positive Danny Ainge would either trade out of the first round or select someone with little chance of receiving playing time next season. I feared the Celtics might draft BC’s Reggie Jackson, or, in other words, their second straight point guard to keep the bench warm behind Rajon Rondo. I feared they might draft Marquette’s Jimmy Butler, who completely underwhelmed me when I watched him in college. I feared they might draft Jeremy Tyler, a physical freak, yes, but one who averaged 9.8 points for the Tokyo Apache last season. When adding that poor production to his questionable attitude, Tyler has a 98.7% chance of becoming a bust. Hell, my grandmother could average 9.8 points for the Tokyo Apache. I can’t lie—this was the least excited I have been heading into an NBA Draft since, well, ever. I had serious issues about each player the Celtics were rumored to draft.

And then the Celtics made two choices I completely agreed with. JaJuan Johnson and E’Twaun Moore aren’t perfect, don’t get me wrong. But they’re winners, they proved themselves through four years college, and they fit needs. The Celtics need shooters and scorers; Johnson and Moore do just that. They need rookies who know how to commit to defense; if you’ve ever watched Purdue play basketball, you know how Johnson and Moore feel about defense. They need polished rookies who could step right in; they picked up two All-Big Ten players with more wins than any other players in Purdue history. They need size on the interior; Johnson’s 6’11, and he can jump, too.

“We’re very fortunate,” Ainge told WEEI. “We got two really good productive college players. Mature kids, great character and attitude. We got some shooting. We got some length and they’ll be a good fit for us.”

I won’t sit here and tell you Johnson and Moore will become All-Stars. In all likelihood, they will never come close. But the Celtics desperately needed depth for next season, and in Johnson and Moore, the Celtics drafted two players who should at the very least compete for playing time. A franchise-altering draft? No. But after entering the draft with my expectations at Green Lantern status, Boston’s selections brought a smile to my face. And I didn’t even need a hot chick to ogle.

After trading the 25th pick in the NBA Draft, the Celtics used New Jersey’s 27th selection to select Purdue’s JaJuan Johnson.

Strengths:

The 6’10, 220-pound glass of water can run the floor, jump, and possesses a wingspan that would bring a smile to Jay Bilas’s face. During his senior year at Purdue, Johnson extended his jump shot range and became the Big Ten’s Player of the Year. He used a diverse offensive game and explosive athleticism to score more than 20 points per game as a senior, and defended well enough to be named the Big Ten’s Defensive Player of the Year. Also, he’s tall.

Weaknesses:

Johnson could use a few dozen steaks to thicken his wispy frame, which could probably get knocked over by a stationary toothpick. Due to Johnson’s lack of strength, there are questions about whether his defensive ability can translate to the NBA. Some thin players can defend against much stronger players in the post (think Marcus Camby), but others are overpowered far too easily (think Chris Johnson, who played about ten minutes for the Celtics this season). JaJuan could still go either way, but he earned a soft reputation at Purdue.

“His main issue defensively is defending the post,” wrote Draft Express. “He does a good job of using his length to contest shots, but his lack of lower body strength really manifests itself in this aspect of his game, as he struggles to deny post position, and is easily backed down, allowing high percentage shots. Furthermore, he seems to lack a degree of toughness and aggressiveness here, as its not rare to see players pushing him around, and he doesn’t always respond the way you would hope.”

Also, he’s a poor rebounder for his height. In Boston, I guess he’ll fit right in.

Conclusion:

The Celtics could have done a lot worse with their first-round selection. They needed size, and they got it. Not only that, but they got a tall athlete with a decently polished offensive game, one who enters the NBA after a celebrated college career. Yes, he’s a little soft, and yes, he needs to change his attitude toward rebounding. But he’s tall and he’s talented (STAT © Amare), and he should help instantly. Considering that the Celtics were drafting late in the first round of a weak draft, I can’t complain.

NBA Comparison: Poor Man’s LaMarcus Aldridge