After months of waiting, the Boston Celtics found out in last night’s NBA Draft Lottery that they would be picking first overall in June’s draft.
The Boston Celtics have been waiting for this moment since 2013. When Danny Ainge sent Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Jason Terry to the Brooklyn Nets, the Celtics were put in rebuilding mode and the fruits of that labor are finally paying off. In return, the Nets sent several players and first round draft picks that are now converting.
The Celtics ended up with the Nets’ pick last season, which resulted in Jaylen Brown being picked third overall, but this season they have hit the jackpot.
The Celtics were awarded the top overall pick in the Draft Lottery for the first time in franchise history. They also hold the rights to picks 37, 53, and 56 in the second round.
Though the draft is still a little over a month away, the exciting news calls for the first mock draft analysis.
Round 1, Pick 1: Markelle Fultz, PG from Washington
If you are not already familiar with this name, first off that is surprising and second off, get used to hearing it. Markelle Fultz is the leader of arguably one of the deepest draft classes of the past ten years. Boston Celtics fans would have been happy with whichever pick the team got in the top four because each of the top ten players in this class are potential franchise players, but Fultz grades out as the cream of the crop.
Fultz played his one college season for the Washington Huskies, surrounded by less talented teammates than some other top picks were. The Huskies finished at 9-21 and missed out on all postseason play, but that is hardly Fultz’s fault. He scored in bunches, averaging 23.2 points per game while shooting 50.2% from two-point range and 41.3% beyond the three-point arc.
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Fultz used his strength to average 5.7 rebounds per game and displayed good facilitator skills even with a poor supporting cast, evidenced by his 5.9 assists per game.
Versatility at guard
Despite being listed as a point guard, Fultz has the ability to fill a role similar to Marcus Smart for the Celtics. He is nearly 6’5″ in shoes and has a wingspan of 6’10” inches, making him a perfect complement to Isaiah Thomas.
His height and ability to shoot creates a dangerous backcourt where both players can handle the ball or play off it to get open shots. Fultz’s playmaking ability also makes him an ideal running mate for Avery Bradley when Thomas sits, as both can hit long range shots and make an impact on the boards.
Rarely does a team in the Eastern Conference Finals also get a shot at drafting a talent as special as Fultz, but Ainge has put the Celtics in the perfect position to make a run this year and go even deeper for several years to come.
Round 2, Pick 37: Sindarius Thornwell, SG from South Carolina
The Celtics will be taking the rest of the first round off after adding Fultz, but will get right back into the swing of things near the start of the second round. Sindarius Thornwell, the South Carolina Gamecocks’ March Madness hero, will be an interesting target by the 37th pick.
Thornwell, a fourth year senior, averaged 21.4 points per game last season and grabbed 7.1 rebounds in addition. That is a little out of the ordinary for a shooting guard, but Thornwell has a strong body for his position.
Thornwell’s senior year saw a huge rise in his rebound numbers, as well as his two-point percentage and perimeter shooting (up to 39.2% from beyond the arc from 33.6% his junior year). One of the best parts about Thornwell’s game is his ability to get to the free throw line. He shot 83% from the free throw line, but the better number is that he averaged 8.4 free throw attempts per game.
Many other mock drafts are split on Thornwell’s stock; several have him as a late-draft pick, while some have him closer to this position in the early second round.
Part of the rise in certain mocks is Thornwell’s performance in the NCAA tournament where he lead his school to the Final Four. He would fit well with the Celtics as a shooting complement to Marcus Smart running the point in a bench unit, but could definitely be a later target. At this point, Thornwell still feels like an early second-rounder and could fall into the Celtics lap.
Round 2, Pick 53: Dwayne Bacon, SG/SF from Florida State
While Jonathan Isaac was making headlines, Dwayne Bacon was making buckets. Isaac is undoubtedly a top ten pick, but Bacon showed flashes of toughness during his sophomore season. He can score, he can rebound, and he can play lockdown defense, generally on smaller matchups.
Bacon plays similarly to Jae Crowder, with one stark difference: he does not seem to have the same intensity that Crowder does.
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If Bacon puts in as much effort on defense as he does on offense, he could move from dominating smaller guards to actively attacking stretch fours and fives. Bacon displayed good hands and an ability to strip balls without fouling, but there are times when it seems like he prefers to give a tough closeout rather than going hard at the ball carrier.
Tough on defense
Regardless, Bacon could translate into a tough defender who can easily make midrange shots.
If Bacon has good workouts, he could easily move up closer to the beginning of the second round, but for now he has settled into a late pick that the Boston Celtics could grab and put through tough training.
If Crowder moves on from Boston at some point in his career, Bacon’s best case scenario could be an excellent replacement. His lack of intensity puts his ceiling at a solid role player for now, but he certainly has the talent to be something more someday.
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.
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He will take work as a very late pick, but his athletic ability is without question. Consistency is the key here.