The Boston Celtics’ off-season situation intrigues me. One outlying question is what on earth they are going to do with all their draft picks. In this year’s upcoming NBA draft, the Celtics possess four draft picks over the two rounds. Now as you would expect, all these picks are nicely spread out across the draft. The team holds numbers 16, 28, 33, 45. For most teams, having so many picks can be either a luxury, or an annoyance and a distraction from the usual two. For a team like the Celtics, who could potentially have 13 draft picks between now and 2018, having four this year is definitely a luxury. Especially for a team in Boston’s situation, seeing as they are building their team’s foundation through young talent.
Boston Celtics Draft: Many Picks, Many Decisions
The First Round:
The Celtics two first round picks were supposed to be early lottery picks, as the team started the season with a roster that looked like it would find hard to win just 20 games. But with the teams spectacular effort during the regular season and the great coaching performance put in by head coach Brad Stevens, the team managed to find its way into the NBA playoffs, winning 40 games in the process of the regular season.
This led to the team being awarded the 16th and the 28th picks in the first round. This gives the organization a great chance to add two good young players to the rotation next season. The 16th pick is obviously the best chance to add another solid young gun to the team, and a pick which has a surprising amount of options for the team to go in. The Celtics will either add a center or a small forward with pick, and my two ideal players for this pick would be one of two talents from Wisconsin. First of which is Small Forward Sam Dekker, a player who shined brightest on the biggest stage. Putting in two great performances in his final two games for Wisconsin, against arguably the two best teams in the country in Kentucky and Duke. Dekker is a perfect fit for Boston as he fills a need for an aggressive forward.
Now the other option for Boston as you may have already guessed is Center Frank Kaminsky. The goofy looking big-man out of Wisconsin may go earlier, as a lot of teams with a lottery pick may want him as their future big-man. But if Kaminsky stays on the board until the 16th pick Boston will be more than happy to select a very talented center who — just like Dekker — put in two very good performances in what was also his last games for Wisconsin. Kaminsky will fill a bigger need for Boston than Dekker will, as Boston is currently on Kelly Olynyk and Tyler Zeller to play at center for them. Kaminsky would be an instant upgrade at center for Boston and would be a great value pick at 16 in the upcoming NBA draft.
The 28th pick is an interesting one for Boston also, as for me they may choose to trade this pick or go with a player who I personally rate not only his game but also his name. Rakeem Christmas out of Syracuse is perfect for Boston; a player who can play either power forward or center in the NBA, Christmas would be a perfect replacement for the outgoing Brandon Bass. Of course, this pick will never happen if the Celtics get lucky and manage to land Frank Kaminsky.
The Second Round:
The second round is weird. It’s a round in which any, and I mean any, of the players taken, may not make their team’s roster unless they show significant improvement from the day they are drafted. It’s a round were every guy is a risky pick and someone who has been given a chance. Will things work out? As a player you just don’t know. There have been some star players taken in the second round in the past, and the Celtics will hope to find another diamond in the rough. The challenge of doing so is that there are 29 others trying to do the same. And it’s very likely only one or two will be successful.
The Celtics have two picks in the second round. And seeing as almost every player is a kid who you’re just giving a chance to, it really is a lottery for the Celtics but because the team have an extra pick, their chances of winning that lottery are better than others. The first pick is at No. 33 in the second round and the Celtics will most likely add what other teams usually draft in the second round. It will either be a guard who has a very positive attitude or a forward/ center that comes across as extremely athletic but who’s all round game needs to be polished up a bit. An example I could give you is DeAndre Jordan, he was taken in the second round by the Clippers. And the main reason why he didn’t make it into the first round is because all he was coming out of college was athletic. The Clippers saw the potential and he is now one of the stronger centers in the NBA.
The most likely pick at No. 33 for the Celtics in the draft is Forward/Center out of Kansas, Cliff Alexander. He has a good skill set and a player who does strike me a kid who could prove many wrong and become a good player in the NBA, and make many teams wish they’d taken him earlier. Alexander is yet another versatile player, who Boston could get a lot of production out of if he matures properly.
Finally, the Celtics last pick in this year’s draft is number 45. This is purely an experimental pick for the Celtics, as whoever they take will most likely be an add on piece to any trade they make next season. Now and this may surprise a few as this kid is low on many peoples boards, but with point guard Travis Trice from Michigan State, you get an extremely competitive guard who can either be traded to another team or added to what should be a deep rotation in Boston. I was very impressed with Trice while watching him in this year’s March Madness tournament. The point guard has a natural fight in him, something any team needs in the NBA with guards, especially with the West getting more and more aggressive every season.
