As has been explained on every site that addresses it, there's no clear cut number one pick. There's a top tier of ~3 players, but I'm going to assume the Celtics won't have the ammo to trade up into the top 3 picks to get Ball, Wiseman or Edwards (no, Bill Simmons, we're not trading Marcus Smart), and to be frank, that's OK with me. I don't see any of those guys as a fit for the Celtics as constructed anyway.
There are two players I really love in this draft:
- Precious Achiuwa- In the rant about a stretch 4, I mentioned Precious as someone I think can be a defensive menace and DPOY over time. That makes him my top target.
- Tyrese Haliburton- Haliburton is my second favorite player in this draft, a near Macrus Smart clone who can play next to the original in the same way the Raptors use two point guards and wreak havoc.
There's a version of this draft where the Celtics could end up with both, and I'll explore that in the next post (the idea would be to take a step back this year, but get to the point where in a couple years, the Celtics have the core 4 in their prime, and a wicked group of supporting players.
After those two, I have a couple of players that I really like, who seem to fit what the Celtics do, and could be really interesting.
- Leondro Bolmero- I love this guy. I think he'll grow into a very similar player to Gordon Hayward (if Hayward opts-in and stays in Boston, we'd have his replacement in 12 months, assuming Hayward signs elsewhere as a free agent).
From there, things get interesting. I'd like a sniper, and there are 3 that could be a fit.
- Tyrell Terry- Potentially the best shooter in this class, and the Celtics could use another floor spacer. Terry would be heir-apparent to Kemba Walker, and could also play with Marcus Smart.
- Isiah Joe- I *think* that I like Joe better than Terry, because his fit is a little easier given the current team. Joe's big enough to play the 2 guard next to Kemba (a Kemba/Terry back court will likely get pushed around a bunch, and isn't usable against certain teams). There's also the chance Joe ends up being a better shooter than Terry.
- Emmanuel Quickley- If the Celtics miss out on Haliburton, Terry and Joe, there's a super shiny consolidation prize in Quickley. The Ringer's scouting report compares him to Ben Gordon (microwave scorer), BJ Armstrong (multiple time champion), and Jeff Hornacek (HOF). I mean... that's some lofty darn company. He's smaller than I'd like (so is Terry), so his fit next to Kemba isn't ideal. But my goodness, those comps are amazing.
In terms of other players, there are a few more that largely fit as bigs (though the first one comes with a question mark about his position)
- Tyler Bey- To be totally transparent, I have no idea what to make of Tyler Bey. He's potentially a power forward that can switch everything (The Ringer's draft guide calls him a defensive lynchpin). Depending on the source he's listed as a big, a wing, or a guard who's got some length. He doesn't have a tremendous handle, but he can be a 3 and D guy who's also bigger than some of the folks who might be defending him... All I know is that his versatility seems like somehting Brad Stevens would take advantage of.... and that's not a bad thing. Over time, he could legitimately by the team's 6th man who's actually the primary backup for all 5 spots on the floor. Because he fits everywhere (and no where), I'm kind of smitten.
- Killian Tillie- He's sort of a poor man's Daniel Theiss, albeit with injury concerns and a better deep ball. If you're betting on talent, and considering a load management strategy (as a way to keep him healthy), He's a really interesting part of a 3-headed monster at the 5.
- Paul Reed This guy is interesting to me as someone who might be groomed into Daniel Theis' role. I don't love him as a 4, but as a hustle guy who does the dirty work, I'm absolutely on board.
- Kenyon Martin Jr- If the Celtics miss on Precious, I'm OK with Martin as a consolation prize, albeit one who needs some extra development time.
This draft has a lot of "choose your own adventure" for me. It all starts with the 14th pick. If there's a (reasonable) way to move up to ensure Precious is available, I make the move. He's going to be a stud, especially in a Brad Stevens defense.
However, if ther'es no way to get Precious or Halibutron, I maintain the hypothesis from the state of the roster post, it could make sense to deal the 14th pick for a pick next year. In that case, the Celtics could reasonably end up with Bolmero, Joe and KJ Martin this year (plus future assets as we start to rebuild our war chest). While none would contribute too much immediately (Joe has potential, of course), that's an amazing haul, and would provide a longer term fit for 3 of the 4 support roles I want to have players in around the Core 4. This approach is like a college team looking at an incoming freshman class and red-shirting a few guys. I'm perfectly OK with this, and think the Celtics could develop all 3 into major contributors.
All told, this draft is fascinating, and I can't wait to see what comes of it.
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