The NBA Draft is coming up on October 16, which means The Game Haus will be doing draft profiles for each NBA team. Each day, a new team will be analyzed for their past season, their team needs and projected targets. Today, the Boston Celtics will be evaluated.
Summary
Unlike the teams before them in the draft, the Boston Celtics’ season is still not over. They are currently doing battle with the Toronto Raptors for a place in the Eastern Conference Finals. If the Celtics make it, it would be their third appearance in the Conference Finals over the past four seasons.
In the regular season, the Celtics finished with a 48-24 record, good enough for the third seed in a competitive eastern conference. They were bolstered by an especially strong start, winning 10 of their first 11 games.
Bostons standout performer this season was undoubtedly Jayson Tatum. After a disappointing sophomore season, Tatum bounced back in a big way. He averaged over 23 points per game and made his first appearance in the all-star game. With his breakout season, Boston fans will be relieved that they have a potential superstar to build around for years to come.
Surrounding Tatum, Jaylen Brown and newly acquired Kemba Walker both chipped in 20 points per game of their own while Gordon Hayward played well after missing large chunks of the past two seasons due to injury.
The Celtics are one of the few teams in the NBA with a wide-open championship window, one that should be open for many years to come. One more good draft acquisition could make the difference for them.
Picks
The Boston Celtics have four picks in the 2020 NBA draft.
First Round: Pick No.14 (via Memphis), Pick No.26, Pick No.30 (via Milwaukee)
Second Round: Pick No.47
Team Needs
Quality Big Men – The Boston Celtics have a wealth of players at the guard positions but are still on the hunt for a quality big man to push their team over the top. While Daniel Theis and Enes Kanter have been serviceable, a dynamic force on the block would be a great addition to this young Boston team.
A Backup Point Guard – With Brad Wanamaker set to leave in free agency, the Celtics are in need of someone to fill the backup point guard position behind Kemba Walker. With four picks in this draft, it would be wise for Boston to use one to fill this need.
Projected Targets
First Round, Pick No.14: Vernon Carey Jr, C (Duke)
After a dominating freshman season at Duke, Vernon Carey Jr. enters the NBA draft as one of the best center prospects in his class. What Carey brings to Boston is a well-polished all-around game and he has the ability to be a big contributor right away.
Offensively Carey is incredibly consistent. He scored in double figures in all but two games last season and averaged nearly 18 points per game in just 25 minutes a night. He has a solid array of low block moves in his arsenal and has also shown potential as a midrange, and even three-point, shooter.
Defensively Carey is solid and reliable, albeit not exactly transcendent. He is an effective shot-blocker and good rebounder although may have some more trouble with both in the NBA going up against larger and more physically dominating players.
Overall Carey is a great fit in Boston at the center position and can provide some much-needed quality down low.
First Round, Pick No.26: Tyler Bey, SF/PF (Colorado)
A player, who plays above his listed height, Tyler Bey would be an interesting and useful addition to the Boston Celtics who could use another power forward to bolster their rotation.
He’s a great rebounder for his size, grabbing over nine per game over his last two seasons at Colorado, and is an effective defender who can guard multiple positions. On offense, he mostly does his work inside but started to develop a perimeter game during his last season. Bey also knows how to get to the line. He shot six free throws per game last season.
Bey would be a nice pickup for Boston, someone who can play both the small forward and power forward position while contributing on both sides of the ball.
First Round, Pick No.30: Tre Jones, PG (Duke)
The second projected Duke player going to Boston, Tre Jones is a great choice to take over the backup point guard duties from Brad Wanamaker. The reigning ACC Player of the Year, Jones is the type of player who can give a team a little bit of everything on both ends of the court.
While Jones has some work to do offensively, especially with his shooting touch. His defensive acumen and good passing skills make him a great backup point guard who can command the offense while Kemba Walker sits.
Second Round, Pick No.46: Abdoulaye N’Doye, Guard/Forward (Cholet)
N’Doye is a great second-round pickup for a team like Boston. While he may not come to the NBA right away, N’Doye is a player with a unique skillset who has the potential to blossom into something special.
Despite standing at 6’7”, N’Doye ran the point for Cholet, averaging over 4 assists per game with an assist to turnover ratio better than two to one. He shot over 40 percent from deep on a decent 1.5 attempts per game. As a defender, he has the build of an elite defensive multitool with his 7’2” wingspan. He’s a prospect who will be hard to pass up on, especially for elite teams like Boston who can afford to stash prospects in Europe in the short term.
All stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference and NBA.com
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