The Boston Celtics had an interesting NBA Draft, to say the least, that left fans with more questions than answers.
Thursday night marked one of the most exciting nights on the basketball calendar: the NBA Draft. Every year dreams are made, hearts are broken, and Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge acquires a second-round pick.
It is almost written in stone by now and should be part of the commissioner Adam Silvers opening speech.
All jokes aside, the Celtics came into Thursday night with some clear objectives: get a replacement point guard (unless Kyrie magically stays), frontcourt depth, and overall high ceiling guys that you can take a flyer on.
Although you of course draft the best player on the board, those were still the seemingly obvious ways Boston can improve their roster.
For some reason, none of those goals were really met, and Boston Celtics fans are trying to figure out whether Danny Ainge is a genius or a guy that’s an unwillingness to make a big move will continuously keep this team in limbo.
Romeo Langford (SG) Indiana- Grade: C
I don’t hate our first pick, but I think it was far from the right decision. With the last pick in the lottery, the Boston Celtics seemingly got someone that would have been there at their original first two draft spots (20 and 24).
Romeo Langford came into the University of Indiana with massive expectations. The Hoosiers once had a storied basketball lineage, that has been severely lacking results as of late. Since the likes of Yogi Ferrel, Victor Oladipo and Cody Zeller transitioned to the NBA, Indiana basketball has fallen on some hard times as a program. Langford the 5th overall recruit for ESPN’s 2018 rating was supposed to change that.
Long story short, he didn’t do that at all. Seemingly always dealing with an injury, Langford struggled to stay on the court during his time in college. When he did play it was a mixed bag, but never once did I watch him and think he was amongst the best players in the country.
A 6’6 guard whose game is reminiscent to that of San Antonio Spurs All-Star Demar Derozan sounds like an intriguing prospect. The issue is, he is an extreme off-brand issue, the likes that probably shouldn’t be drafted in the lottery.
In transition, Langford is very talented. He has good finishing ability and has a great burst when getting to the hoop. There is no doubt he lives at the rim, but the game is just moving so far from that. In a shooting league, Langford has an ugly stroke, shooting under 30 percent from downtown. His mid-range jumper is also very streaky and needs some work too
Langford possesses the tools to be a solid pro but isn’t particularly amazing in any area. He still seems so raw, and not someone that should be in the top 20.
Add this to the fact the Boston needs some guys to contribute now, and he plays the most crowded position on the roster, it just logistically doesn’t make sense.
With some progression, he could develop into a fringe All Star, but for a team that needs contributors, I can’t get behind this player project.
Grant Williams (PF) Tennessee- Grade: B
This pick wasn’t the best in my opinion but made a bit more sense than the one prior. I’m not sure Grant would’ve been taken elsewhere in the first round, but he was at least a prospect that you could understand going around the 22nd spot in the draft.
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Williams was a star during his time at Tennessee. Earning numerous accolades including an unanimous All-American selection, it was clear that he was an elite level college athlete. Of course though, there are always the issues with traits that make you great in college transitioning to the next level.
For someone as big as Williams, it is perplexing that he has such a lack of a post game. He is a good finisher at the basket, but as far as having his back to the basket and on the block, he leaves a lot to be desired. He greatly lacks athletic ability as well, and that could definitely hurt effectiveness at getting separation on the offensive end. For some reason, his shooting also digressed as he played more at Tennessee, which has to be worrisome.
Grant Williams can stretch a defense out nonetheless and is capable of knocking down a three. He is also an elite defender, and can truly guard almost every position on the court. The guy also plays his heart out, and in my opinion, had one of the highest motors out of everyone in the draft. You know he will give it his all every night, and work to be a better player.
Williams definitely seems limited ceiling wise but seems like someone who can step in right away. I can’t foresee him being anything more than a lower level Draymond Green, but that’s not a bad thing to be at all. He is someone who can come in and play quality minutes early on in his career and continually work on his craft in the process.
I have seen worse drafts from the Celtics over the years, but I am just not happy with how this one turned out. There were so many guys who fell in this draft for a multitude of minor reasons, which meant that there was plenty of opportunities to roll the dice and hope for a big hit when it was all said and done.
It just felt like Ainge took guys he thinks can develop into something with a ton of work, rather than taking the guy who already has all the tools and could just use some fine-tuning. When it is all said and done, this draft will just help the Boston Celtics current bench, and not be anything that actually makes a difference.