Chowder and Champions
Fansided

Boston Celtics Mock Draft 1.0: Preliminary post-lottery picks

By James Carson

May 15, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; A general view of t-shirts across the seats prior to game seven of the second round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs between the Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
May 15, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; A general view of t-shirts across the seats prior to game seven of the second round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs between the Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 5
Next
Mar 16, 2017; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Nevada Wolf Pack forward Cameron Oliver (0) celebrates during the second half of the game against the Iowa State Cyclones in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 16, 2017; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Nevada Wolf Pack forward Cameron Oliver (0) celebrates during the second half of the game against the Iowa State Cyclones in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-USA TODAY Sports /

Round 2, Pick 56: Cameron Oliver, PF from Nevada

As it sits now, the Celtics will have difficulty finding a good rebounder without reaching or settling. With Ante Zizic and Guerschon Yabusele both likely coming over to join the team next season, rebounding may be less of a priority, but Cameron Oliver looks like a good flier to take on a rebounding big man.

For the Nevada Wolf Pack last season, the sophomore power forward averaged 16.0 points and 8.7 rebounds per game, similar to what Al Horford brought to the Celtics this season. Oliver is extremely aggressive at the rim and has thrown down some massive dunks over his two college seasons, making him an inside presence that the Celtics lacked at times this season.

Protecting the rim

Oliver looks to be a solid rim protector and has the ability to block shots, plus his shooting percentage at the rim was around 75%. He has shown an ability to shoot away from the rim, but it is not his strong suit and likely not what the Celtics would ask of him.

Oliver’s biggest weakness is his defense away from the basket, as his solid rim protection has not translated to a strong ability to defend stretch players from his position.

With the NBA as it is today, players like Oliver are getting undervalued. With so many big men developing shots, a strong and explosive player like Oliver can be overlooked in favor of someone with decent rebounding abilities and decent percentages from deep.

With players like Horford and Kelly Olynyk who fit that description already on the roster (though Olynyk may leave in free agency this offseason), Oliver’s skillset may be exactly what the Celtics were missing.

Next: Eduardo Rodriguez gets necessary push from Chris Sale

He will take work as a very late pick, but his athletic ability is without question. Consistency is the key here.

Home/Boston Celtics