Celtics Fan Draft Insight
As a huge Celtics fan, you can imagine I’m fired up for the upcoming NBA Draft. The fact that the C’s are already 3rd in the East and will likely have a top 3 draft pick, (possibly even the #1) makes the Celtics one of the most exciting teams in the league and I am obviously a happy camper about the while situation. Add in that the 2017 draft is the best of the decade, things might get scary. Assuming the Celtics will have the first pick, with the Nets possessing the worst record in the NBA, I’m going to look at the top 10 draft prospects (via The Ringer’s big board Version 4.0). Every pick will be given a rating out of 10 based on overall talent, if it’s a good fit, and whether or not I approve of them playing for my favorite team. Because my opinion makes a world of difference, right? Right. But anyway, here are my thoughts on the prospects
Disclaimer: I realize the pick might get traded, but life is full of what ifs.
Honorable mention: Harry Giles III — PF — Duke (Fr.)
He disappeared from The Ringer’s most updated big board, but I feel he’s still relevant to the conversation. I love the thought of Giles on the Celtics, taking into consideration the Celtics most obvious team need and the fact that I’m also a huge Blue Devils fan. If I was writing this 6 months ago, Harry Giles would be at the #1 spot and I would be all for the C’s bringing him in. But after missing the beginning of his freshman season due to injury, and lacking productivity since his debut, he ends up out of the top 10.
Kevin O’Connor said it best in version 2.0 of the big board, “No amount of injuries will sap Giles of his advanced basketball IQ, which still manifests for him as an elite rebounder.”
I’m a firm believer that Giles can make an impact on an NBA team, despite his recent struggles. In my honest opinion, I think his best bet is to stay for his sophomore year and show scout what he’s capable of. This, of course, probably won’t happen considering the hype surrounding him, and the fact that another unproductive season could eliminate him from first round discussion. At this point, it wouldn’t make much sense for the Celtics to use the first overall pick on Giles when there’s talent like UCLA’s Lonzo Ball and Washington’s Markelle Fultz. However, if Celtics GM and President of basketball operations Danny was to trade back , I can absolutely see him taking Giles. I would rank this pick an 8 out of 10. It’s a near perfect fit, but it’s a slight reach.
10. De’Aaron Fox — PG — Kentucky (Fr.)
De’Aaron Fox is one of my favorite players in this draft. He’s a fantastic player who has been a bit overshadowed by the other great point guard prospects. The main reason I like Fox so much is because he’s a rare type of player. Most point guards these days are all about scoring and don’t possess skills in other important categories. Fox is a different type of point, he’s more focused on defense, athleticism, and hustle. His jumper needs work, but to me that shows that he’s a scrapper; he has bigger things to worry about than living outside the arc. I would say that I’d love to have a player like De’Aaron Fox on the Celtics roster, but they already have their own De’Aaron Fox. That would be Marcus Smart.
Everything I just said to describe De’Aaron could be said about Smart. With Isaiah Thomas starting andSmart as the backup, there really isn’t much need for Fox. Especially with Terry Rozier on the roster. Of course Rozier could get traded, but then we would just have two Marcus Smarts so what’s the point? Smart could get traded too, but if they trade Smart just so they can draft another Smart, it’s like running in place. It just doesn’t really make sense to me.
I would rate the pick a 6 out of 10. As I said, Fox is a phenomenal player, but it’s not a very good fit at all.
9. Jayson Tatum — SF — Duke (Fr.)
Just like Giles, I love the idea of Tatum on the Celtics. Although they still have Jae Crowder and they drafted Jaylen Brown in the lotto last year, I think Tatum can be a valuable piece to the team. Since the Rajon Rondo trade, Crowder has only gotten better and better playing in Boston. He’s having a little bit of a down hear however, and the Celtics need to make a trade sooner or later to get rid of their plethora of assets. There have been a few Celtics players mentioned in trade talks over the past couple years, specifically guys like Terry Rozier, Marcus Smart, Avery Bradley, and Kelly Olynyk. I’ve also noticed Jae’s name coming up in trade discussions lately, and I don’t really hate the idea of moving him. It might even be better for the team in the long run. By the time his contract runs out, I can’t see the Celtics paying the price to keep him around.
If a Crowder trade takes place, Jayson Tatum would be a perfect replacement. The C’s need help rebounding more than anything, and Tatum can get boards. He’s currently averaging 6.4 RPG at Duke, which is a pretty decent number for a wing. I think Tatum would make a good power forward in a small ball lineup, especially on the Celtics. Even if the Celtics don’t trade Crowder and still draft Tatum, I think it can still work. We see Crowder playing the small ball 4 quite frequently, and whether him, Tatum, or Jaylen Brown get the minutes at power forward, it leaves the minutes at the 3 to be split between Crowder/Brown, Tatum/Brown or Crowder/Tatum. Just thinking about it gets me even more excited for the future of this team. I’m gonna give this pick a rating of 9 out of 10. I just think this is a great fit; Ainge would be lucky to walk out of this draft with Jayson Tatum.
8. Frank Ntilikina — PG — France (Int.)
This draft is very tricky for the Celtics because most of the best players in the draft are point guards, which is easily the deepest position on the Celtics roster. Ntilikina isn’t a bad bid for them though, given that he’s 6'5" and can play the 2 guard, which is a little less deep. Last year, I hated the idea of the Celtics drafting Kris Dunn because it just didn’t make sense to draft another point guard. This year is a little different because of players like Ntilikina. It wouldn’t be the worst pick because his height and versatility make him more appealing to the Celtics than most point guards, and I can see them trading either Marcus Smart or Terry Rozier in the near future. But even if that happens, it wouldn’t make much sense to use a top 5 pick on a third string point guard. Ntilikina has a very impressive skill set; he has range, he’s an exceptional scorer, he’s good at finding his teammates for their own buckets, and he’s a fine perimeter defender. His numbers scare me a tad, only averaging 3.2 PPG, 1.4 RPG and 0.6 APG for Strasbourg. Much like Hartenstein and others we’ve seen in the past, he’s struggling overseas so it leaves doubt about his ability to play at the highest level possible. But I would never count him out just based off of that.
Do I approve of the Celtics drafting him? It’s complicated. I think Frank Ntilikina can be a big time player in the NBA. However, I don’t think he can be a big time player for the Celtics. He just isn’t what the team needs. Even if they had space for another point guard, There are a couple studs playing college ball that I would prefer. I would rate this pick a 4 out of 10; Ntilikina is a solid player with high potential, but there are better players in the draft and it isn’t a very good fit.
7. Malik Monk — SG — Kentucky (Fr.)
Malik Monk is another player in this draft that I would love to see in green. Last year, a great majority of my fellow Celtics fans really wanted to see the team use their third overall pick on Buddy Hield after his explosion of a senior season at Oklahoma. I wasn’t one of those fans. You can’t blame me, the Celtics have enough guards to form a human pyramid and I didn’t want any more of them. However, after the release of RJ Hunter before the start of the season, and with James Young’s clock ticking after another unproductive season (barring some crazy post All-Star Weekend breakout performance), I’ve noticed the depth at shooting guard isn’t very impressive. Monk is a high scoring sharp shooter just like Hield, but the only difference is I’m actually ready for it now. Monk providing scoring off the bench and when Thomas isn’t on the court would be deadly.
If you’re a Celtics fan and you don’t want Malik Monk, let me paint the picture for you: Down three, one second on the clock, who’s taking the big shot? Of course Thomas, Bradley, and Crowder are capable, but there isn’t really a go-to guy for a big three pointer. A go-to three point shooter can be a valuable piece to a contending team, and Monk can be that guy. A player like him isn’t necessarily vital on this team, but it can only help.
The only knock on Monk is that he probably won’t reach his full potential on a team that has a player like Isaiah Thomas. Monk has the tools to be a team’s go-to guy on offense, currently averaging over 20 PPG at Kentucky. As I said, he can be a key piece to a championship contending Celtics, but there might be some wasted talent if he ends up in Boston. That would be a shame for sure, but if he can help the team, I can look past it. This pick gets a rating of 7 out of 10. Good fit for sure, but there are team needs beyond shooting guard depth.
6. Dennis Smith Jr. — PG — NC State (Fr.)
5. Lauri Markkanen — PF — Arizona (Fr.)
Growing up watching Dirk was a blessing and because of it, I’m always a fan of lanky foreign stretch 4's. Every year you hear about them leading into the draft and the critics always say the same thing — ”he’s weak, he can only shoot, he can’t rebound, he can’t compete with NBA big men,” you get the gist. As much as I don’t want to admit it, this is usually true. But Markkanen is different for a few reasons. For one, he’s a decent rebounder. He currently averages 7.4 RPG, and to go along with 16.7 PPG, you can’t ask for much more of your young big man. Another aspect that sets Lauri Markkanen apart from the typical foreign stretch 4, he’s playing with good competition. There was a lot of doubt about Kristaps Porzingis on 2015 and Dragan Bender in 2016 because their only experience was in European leagues, where the competition is as weak a dog with Lyme disease. But Markkanen not only has the overseas experience, but he’s also playing college ball this season and, as I mentioned, he’s putting up pretty solid numbers at that level. Do I approve of the Celtics drafting him? It wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. I’be always preferred for teams to draft based on team needs rather than best player available. I mean, look what the 76ers have become over the last 5 years thanks to BPA drafting. I don’t want that to happen to the C’s. With that being said, Markkanen wouldn’t be the worst pick because the Celtics need someone to rebound. Markkanen seems to be a pretty good fit, but he isn’t worth using the first overall pick on him. Maybe if they execute my trade down theory, or maybe if the lottery screws us yet again, but let’s hope not. I would rate this pick a 7 out of 10; it’s a good fit, but there are plenty of better players.
4. Jonathan Isaac — F — Florida State (Fr.)
Jonathan Isaac is yet another fascinating player in this loaded draft class. For the first time in a while, Florida State is getting recognition for a program other than football. Currently ranked #15, Seminoles ball are having an exceptional season, led by Isaac and sophomore Dwayne Bacon. The thing that makes the team so intersecting is that their starting shooting guard (Bacon) is 6'7" and their starting small forward (Isaac) is 6'10". The small-ball era of basketball is in full swing. I mean, it seems these days if there’s a 6'7" player and a 6'10" player on the court at the same time, it’s usually the power forward and center.
Although I think this is interesting, it sort of worries me about Jonathan Isaac’s future in the pros, especially on a team like the Celtics. If Isaac ends up in Boston, I wouldn’t expect him to play small forward at all. In fact, I don’t know how often he would get minutes at the 3 on any team for that matter. It’s just the evolution of the game, and team’s kinda just have to evolve with it or they’ll eventually be a step behind everyone else.
So you would think, “okay, Isaac can just play power forward, what’s the issue?” Well this is the issue:
See this kid’s arms? He’s a twig. Isaac’s body is where the problem lies. As I said, putting a player of his size in at the 3 is would be going against the current, but he can’t bang with the NBA power forwards. Jonathan Isaac is a talented player, but he needs to bulk up if he wants to put that talent on display at the professional level. As for the Celtics getting him, part of me likes it and part of me is irritated by the thought of it. As I’ve said way too many times throughout this article, the C’s need to get boards. Isaac is currently averaging 8.1 RPG, which isn’t a bad number, but he has the height advantage over almost all of his matchups. Not to mention if he was playing power forward, that height advantage is gone and that number likely decreases. Maybe I’m overthinking the whole thing, but the thought of the Celtics using a top 3 pick on Isaac just makes me nervous. I’m gonna rate the pick 6 out of 10. Despite my skepticism, he’s obviously a great player. So I won’t be completely upset if he ends up in green.
3. Josh Jackson — SF — Kansas (Fr.)
I’ve been saying since before the season started that Josh Jackson is the best overall player in the 2017 draft class. That statement is a bit of a reach now, after seeing what Lonzo Ball and Markelle Fultz have done, but I still believe he will be the most successful by the time all their careers are finished. Jackson is just such a complete player that any team would love to have. He’s your classic athletic small forward that’s versatile enough to play multiple positions. In today’s game, you can’t go wrong with a player like that. Not only is he as explosive as anyone in this draft (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EywJ6BjWMuQ), but he’s also an elite defender. The Celtics obviously need help on that end of the floor (106.7 defensive efficiency rating so far this season), which is just another reason Jackson should be near the top of their list going into the draft
Call me biased but Jackson would fit perfectly with the Celtics, and I’ve basically already explained why. Jae Crowder might be on the move soon, and if he isn’t, Jackson can play 3 when Crowder is playing 4 in a small ball lineup, and Jackson can play shooting guard as well, which isn’t a very deep position on this team as I mentioned before. The Celtics love to draft the best player available, and that just might be Jackson, even if they hold the first overall pick. I’m gonna go ahead and rate this pick a 9 out of 10, only because the only way someone could get a full 10 on my scale is if LeBron died and resurrected as a 19 year old entering the draft.
These last two shouldn’t take long.
2. Lonzo Ball — PG — UCLA (Fr.)
There’s something about Lonzo Ball’s game that I don’t really like. He just looks so stiff and he doesn’t look like he has his fundamentals down. He’s obviously a great player, but I question if his game will translate to the pros. If the Celtics are drafting first overall and it’s between Ball and Markelle Fultz, I’ll really be hoping for Fultz. The pick gets a 9 out of 10 rating.
1. Markelle Fultz — PG — Washington (Fr.)
He’s clearly the best player in college ball this year. There’s not much more to say. This says it all: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cA9Uw6Fhm6Y
Pick is a 10 out of 10 because it’s the absolute best they can do.
So there’s my opinion (that doesn’t matter or make an impact at all) on just about whoever the Celtics could get in this draft. Assuming they don’t trade the pick, I’m super excited for this draft because the draft class really is special. I’m ecstatic to see which one of these talented players ends up in green next year.
