It’s not often Luke Harangody’s name gets mentioned in the same sentence as the word ‘potential.’ Not that he has no chance of becoming a good pro, but Harangody isn’t a player Jay Bilas dreams about at night. He doesn’t have ideal height (or, really, anywhere close to it), isn’t very fast (actually, he’s pretty slow), and his vertical leap may or may not be higher than my grandmother’s (I think I’d still put my money on ‘Gody — sorry, Kicki).

Despite physical traits that didn’t even set him apart in college, Harangody became one of the most productive players in Big East history. Danny Ainge has a long line of impressive second-round picks, and hope remains that Harangody is the next steal. He has so far proved doubters wrong at every level, but now Harangody has a whole new set of doubters to shoot down. He’s just not physically capable of performing at the NBA level, say his detractors. He’s too slow, too short, too unathletic.

CelticsBlog’s Kevin Henkin wrote a nice piece about Harangody’s potential, interviewing Harangody and two reporters who covered Harangody while he played at Notre Dame. Nothing Henkin found was too earth-shattering, but the quotes supported the view of Harangody I already held.

Offensively, Harangody will always be able to score. Even when he matches up against taller, more athletic players, Harangody has always been able to put the ball in the basket. I imagine he’d be able to provide an offensive spark for the Celtics, even this early in his career. For some players, scoring comes easy.

“The one thing about Luke Harangody that I’ve always seen is that he adapts,” Noie said. “Whenever he was going against a bigger guy, maybe someone who was quicker, he adapted and figured out how to get his shot off even quicker. It’s a low shot but it’s also a quick shot. He doesn’t need much time from when he gets the ball to get it up on the rim and usually it was going in.”

Harangody already adjusted his game prior to entering the NBA. After shooting only nine three-pointers as a sophomore in college, he extended his range. He attempted 38 trifectas in his junior year, and 81 last season. By the time NBA summer league rolled around this past summer, Harangody was a constant threat from beyond the NBA arc. His release almost gives me a seizure, but it’s quickness allows him to get shots off, and he’s become a damn good outside shooter.

Harangody spent his college career, and preseason, showing a work ethic both on and off the court. Looking at Harangody’s build from his freshman year in college to now, it’s easy to see how he works on his physique. He carries that same effort onto the court.

 ”I don’t see why Luke can’t be a nice piece,” Hamilton said. “On the right team, in the right circumstance, surrounded by the right guys, he can fill several need areas. Hustle, rebounds, pick-and-pop shots, points off the offensive glass. It’s not cliché to say the guy’s motor runs pretty high. I don’t think he’s going to take possessions off like some other guys in the NBA might do, so does he get you four to six points a game simply by playing harder than other people? Very possibly.”

But as much effort as Harangody can offer, and as good a shooter he is for a power forward, Harangody’s professional career might come down to one question:

Who can he defend?

At 6’7″, ‘Gody is short, slow, and lacking length. Clearly, not the best combination of traits if you want to keep an NBA opponent from scoring. He’s too slow to stay in front of small forwards, and likely too short to bother power forwards. Glen Davis has thrived defensively with a similar build, but even Davis is both taller and quicker than Harangody. Still, ‘Gody should look no further than his roundest teammate to learn how to maximize his defensive potential.

At his size, it’s safe to say Harangody will never be a shot-blocker. But just like Davis has done, Harangody needs to embrace the Celtics’ defensive concepts and pride himself on beating an opponent to a spot. If you can’t block shots, start taking charges. Learn the schemes and rotate like an animal. It’s likely (almost definite) that Harangody will never become a one-on-one defensive stopper, but there’s nothing keeping him from playing great team defense.

It helps Harangody’s cause that Kevin Garnett has tutored him. Garnett is considered one of the best team defenders ever.

“One of the coolest things about being on this team is that you just learn so much,” Harangody said. “Everyday, I learn so much from Kevin. He takes me aside and for a player like that to do that, I’m really thankful.”

Harangody considers himself lucky to be a part of the Boston Celtics. He sees how Davis, Ryan Gomes, and Leon Powe have contributed in Boston, and he knows the Celtics trust second-round draft picks and allow them to blossom.

But if ‘Gody ever wants to become a second-round steal himself, he still has some work to do. He still has another wave of doubters to prove wrong.

The Morning Walkthrough is a set of links to Boston Celtics articles throughout the internet, designed to get your day started the right way.

Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald – “But when examining the Shaq equation and how much he’s helped, be sure to factor in how much the Celtics are helping him. Even for a colossus like Shaquille O’Neal, fit is important, too. ‘I knew just from watching him over the last couple of years that he’d be great in our system,’ Paul Pierce said. ‘I just know the way we move the ball, the way we use picks and getting guys in the right situations that he’d be perfect for us. I just look at all the opportunities Perk has had, and I just said that Shaq would be fabulous in those spots. We get him the looks, and he’s just so great at finishing.’ That O’Neal is willing to play his greatest hits with less time on stage speaks to his grasp of the situation. He’s shooting his highest percentage while taking the fewest shots of his career at just 6.8 a game. ‘I had a conversation with (coach) Doc (Rivers) about this,’ Shaq said. ‘The bad thing for me in my career is that I’m going to be known for the 27-10s (points-rebounds). But, you know, you can’t get the 27-10s without taking 15-to-20 shots. ‘But Doc told me straight up, ‘Look, you’re not getting 15-20 shots.’ I said, ‘That’s cool. I understand. At 38, I understand.’ The drop-off is how I’m getting my points.’ Then Shaq added with a smile, ‘I still got it.’”

Paul Flannery, WEEI – “As the Miami Heat continue to stumble toward something that looks like mediocrity — at least in the win column — the comparisons to the first season of the Celtics big three have started again. The Heat are 9-8 and have lost four of five with a three-game losing streak in the mix. The 2007-08 Celtics had one three-game losing streak, in February on a west coast trip, and didn’t lose their eighth game until late January. In retrospect, the Celtics made it look too easy. They made it look so simple, so matter of fact, that by the end it seemed obvious. Kevin Garnett was not only the best defensive player in the league, he was also a selfless superstar. Not just willing to make the extra pass, but hardwired to always look for the open man. Ray Allen and Paul Pierce complimented each other perfectly as scorers off the wing, using different ways to attain the same means. Rajon Rondo turned out to be better than anyone dared to dream and Kendrick Perkins developed from a necessary piece of machinery into a defensive monster. But, in the end, talent wins out and putting Garnett, Allen and Pierce on the same team at this point in their careers was too perfect not to work. Only it wasn’t that simple. Yes, Pierce, Garnett and Allen were ready and willing to make the appropriate sacrifices to achieve this goal, but the point that gets missed is that they still had to actually do it. On the court and in practice, on the plane and in the locker room, they had to make the relationships work. What the Celtics knew, and what the Heat are finding out now, is that it takes more than talent to become a team.”

Julian Benbow, Boston Globe – “But with circumstances being what they are — Rajon Rondo playing with a sore left hamstring, Delonte West out indefinitely with a broken right wrist, and Celtics president Danny Ainge saying he doesn’t intend to make a roster move (the Celtics are more than $13 million over the luxury tax threshold) — Bradley may have to be an option. That said, he turned 20 Friday and he only has three full practices under his belt. His ability isn’t a question to coach Doc Rivers, but his handle on the system is obviously missing. Rivers said he probably knows “10 percent of what we know offensively or defensively. But he can play. ‘I think defensively, as a player, I don’t think he’ll be a good NBA player — I think he’ll be a great defensive guard,’ Rivers said. ‘I think he’s ready for that. But as far as our schemes, that’s a whole different subject. But Avery has a chance — and I don’t say this often with young guys — but he has a chance to be a lockdown defender, if there is something like that at the point guard spot.’ Rivers has made use of his rookies this season, leaning heavily on Erden with Jermaine O’Neal fighting knee problems, and going to Luke Harangody last week with the team in a pinch. ‘I have no choice,’ Rivers said. ‘The other night, I didn’t think we were going to have enough players the way we were going.’”

Chris Forsberg, ESPN Boston – “The Boston Celtics’ bench players have been outscored by opposing reserves in eight of the team’s last nine games and 11-of-16 tilts overall. On Friday, the Celtics’ bench was outscored by a whopping 63-29 margin, and Boston’s four chief reserves (Glen Davis, Marquis Daniels, Nate Robinson and Semih Erden) were a combined minus-52 in plus/minus on a night Boston’s starting five was a combined plus-96. A bunch of statistics aren’t needed to tell why this is happening. The Celtics have been playing shorthanded essentially since the start of the season, and the bench hasn’t been able to develop any consistency or rhythm.”

Jessica Camerato, CSNNE – “Some 19-year-old rookies could have been intimidated walking into a locker room and seeing the likes of Shaquille O’Neal, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. Others could have tried too hard to prove themselves. Not Avery Bradley. Growing up in the Bradley home, the most important rule was respect. Avery Bradley Sr., a high-ranking Army official, wanted his son to have respect for others, whether they were his elders, his family, or his peers. Even if the younger Bradley didn’t always understand it, his father’s message stuck. ‘I thought it was just my dad being mean all time, but I guess it was for a reason because it made me a good man today,’ he said. ‘I’m respectful to people and I give it all to him because when I was young, he always wanted us to be respectful and give our all with everything we did. Still to this day, that’s what I do.’ … ‘That attitude translated on to the basketball court. Bradley won a national high school championship and was ranked the top high school player in the country in 2009. After just one season at the University of Texas, he was selected by the Celtics with the 19th overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft. ‘Every time I’d go out, I would really compete,’ he said. ‘I guess I got it from my dad because the Army is so competitive. They’re so serious about everything, so that was my approach when I played sports. I would take everything seriously because that’s how everything was in my household.’”

Got a tip? An article you think should be included? Send an email to jayking@celticstown.com or hit me up on Twitter @CelticsTown.

The Celtics new big men have been playing Musical O’Neals so far this season. When one sits, the other plays, and vice versa. The latest news regarding tonight’s game is that both remain possibilities. Shaq said he’s a little stiff (pause) and he’ll see how he feels today. Jermaine said he would make a decision by this morning’s shootaround.

The O’Neals’ strugglesome health has become a pattern, and the Celtics’ stable of talented centers suddenly looks like it might be down to just Semih Erden and Glen Davis. And it feels really weird calling Davis a center, but he finishes every game at that position so I feel justified.

Doc Rivers is concerned by the team’s health. Concerned enough that he noted the C’s could look into adding another big man. (Boston Globe)

Rivers even hinted at the idea of signing another big man, meaning the club would have to release somebody on the roster.

“We had 15 guys, No. 1, so if we did that we’d have to release someone, we would,’’ “But the one thing we’ve all learned, there’s usually not a lot of bigs wandering around. There’s just not a lot out there. We just have to try to get them healthy as much as possible because we have to try to win games during the regular season too, so we need them.’’

I hear Rasheed Wallace is available. I bet he’s in good shape too. (Bwahahaha!)

But seriously, I don’t think it’s time to panic. The O’Neal’s will be out pretty consistently all season long, but that’s why the C’s have Erden. That’s why they let Davis play some center minutes now.

And if Glen Davis has to play an inordinate amount of minutes in the middle, I’m fine with that. Even if it doesn’t leave the C’s with any reliable bench power forward. Why is that okay by me? One word: LUUUKKKKEEEEEEEE!

On second thought, maybe the Celtics better look into the big man market a little more thoroughly.

Look, this picture’s hilarious and all, but it leaves me wondering something: People still wear Converse shoes? Step your kicks game up, Buzz. You’re better than that.

Best caption wins an autographed Marty Conlon rookie card.

I’m sick and tired of the Celtics playing Atlantic Division foes. I would prefer something interesting to write about, something that makes a better headline than “Celtics prep for Italian Stallion Andrea Bargnani and the Toronto Raptors.” The Paul Pierce vs. DeMar DeRozan matchup isn’t going to sell out any arenas, and it’s tough to hype any matchup featuring Reggie Evans.

Maybe I should stress Jermaine O’Neal’s triumphant return to Toronto. Then again, maybe not. O’Neal’s year in Toronto was the worst of his career, and I’m sure he would prefer I forget it. Hell, I’m pretty sure even the most passionate Raptors fans hardly remember the J.O. era. Forty-one games of oft-injured, mediocre basketball never encouraged any statues to be built.

Perhaps I should lead with the Luke Harangody show. After all, he did it all in Wednesday’s win against the Knicks. The former Notre Dame star scored 16 points and added 12 rebounds, and then hauled a birthday cake to the team’s bus after the game was done. Seriously, he hauled a birthday cake to the team’s bus after the game was done. But Glen Davis is likely to return and Kevin Garnett probably won’t be prematurely tossed, so Gody might not see many minutes at all. Maybe it’s not the best idea to focus my preview around a player who should barely play.

Ahh, I’ve got it! Delonte West’s return from back spasms! Oh, Delonte’s not playing tonight? He was sent back to Boston before Wednesday’s game against the Knicks and won’t play until at least tomorrow? I see.

Which reminds me: Doc Rivers said he expects the injury bug to linger all season long.

“”I don’t think we’re going to be a team that’s healthy all year, I can almost guarantee that,” Rivers told ESPN Boston. “But that’s why our bench is so important. We need our bench this year in order to get to the playoffs.”

The depth should help the Celtics avoid lulls like last season’s 27-27 tailspin to end the season. (Can I consider two-thirds of the season a lull?) When one man gets hurt, another one fills in. That’s how it will go in Celtics land, where West, Davis, Nate Robinson, Marquis Daniels and Doc Rivers’s choice of O’Neals construct a second unit that is already priding itself on being one of the league’s best benches.

If you want somebody to root against tonight, Joey Dorsey’s your guy. He was recently suspended one game for taking a shot at Celtics fan favorite Brian Scalabrine. Dorsey, who was hailed by the Toronto Sun as a bully before his suspension, clearly felt he had to live up to his new reputation. And what way could be better to solidify a tough-guy rep than hitting Brian Scalabrine? Only the manliest of players would dare hit Scal.

So like I said, there’s little to anticipate about tonight’s game. The Celtics should have their way down low, the Raptors should have their way to a loss, and Andrea Bargnani should continue to be one of my least favorite players. Toughen up a little, Bargs, and maybe I’ll start to enjoy watching the Celtics play the Raptors. Until then, good day.

(Shelden Williams, get crammed on.)

I watch preseason NBA games for many reasons, none having to do with the quality of play: I love seeing the Stephane Lasmes of the world earn their headlines; watching preseason is more fun than NOT watching basketball; I’m entirely addicted to the NBA (I have a problem); it’s interesting to see how offseason additions fit; and I love getting a look at the new rookies.

That last point might be the reason I most enjoy the NBA preseason. I dare you to watch this 40-second clip of John Wall and not be enthralled. I dare you. It’s not going to happen. Talents like Wall enter the NBA and make you think, “What’s possible?” With established players, you know what their ceiling is, or you at least have an idea. But with rookies? Until we find out otherwise, the rafters are the limit. Wall could become the NBA’s best point guard within three years, Blake Griffin could become an electric mix of something in between Amare Stoudemire, Carlos Boozer and Dwight Howard, and Derrick Favors or DeMarcus Cousins could be the next great low-post threat. Before those guys play a single game, nothing’s out of play.

Even less-heralded rookies inspire the imagination. Can Avery Bradley become the C’s next defensive stopper? Does Luke Harangody have what it takes to be Danny Ainge’s latest diamond in the rough? Could Semih Erden potentially displace one of the O’Neals in the lineup? Even with the picks who have less upside, the preseason is a time for hope. I can remember last preseason, reading about Lester Hudson: He averaged 27.5 pppg in college! He has a 6’9″ wingspan! He’s got 3.4% body fat! This kid could be a keeper! Alas, Hudson was cut midway through the season after hardly making any impact on the Celtics. But before the season, there’s always hope.

With that in mind, I handicap the Rookie of the Year race. Read more »