For anyone thinking the Boston Celtics need size, new president of basketball operations Brad Stevens showed he agrees with you.
In a big move, he traded Kemba Walker, the 16th overall selection and a 2025 second round pick to Oklahoma City for Al Horford, Moses Brown and a 2023 second round pick.
Is this an indication that Stevens never wanted to see Horford leave? We may never know for sure, so it would be a mistake to speculate. But what is certain is a Celtics team that lacked depth at center/power forward quickly got bigger.
That doesn’t mean the Celtics are all set at the position. They shouldn’t stop now.
Horford is long in the tooth and might only be in Boston for one more year, if he isn’t moved before the 2021-22 trade deadline. Brown is an intriguing young talent, but may not be a sure thing.
Nothing wrong with adding a prospect to compete with Brown.
Boston still has the 45th overall selection. All three players named below could still be available at that point. If the Celtics need to trade up to select one of these players, the cost shouldn’t be expensive.
If Stevens hasn’t satisfied his appetite for size on the roster, here are three that would look good in Green.
Boston Celtics draft targets: Charles Bassey, 6-9 235, Western Kentucky
We’re familiar with the difference Robert Williams made when he was in the lineup. Boston was 29-23 when Time Lord played. And when the Timelord started, the Celtics were 10-3.
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The Boston Celtics drafted Williams when the belief was Boston needed a rim runner on the team. Now that we’ve seen the difference one makes on the team, imagine the effect of having two on the team would be like. Nice, right?
Charles Bassey is an above average athlete that gets up and down the court with ease, has a nose for blocking shots (3.1 in 2020-21), and effectively cleaned the glass (11.6 in 2020-21).
Expectations on offense should be set low for Bassey, but he can hit a jumper and stretched that range to beyond the arc. But he could eat off offensive rebounds and pick and rolls.
There are legitimate questions about the level of competition Bassey faced while at Western Kentucky. And while Bassey can shoot threes, he’s not efficient (.305).
But it’s hard to ask more of a second round developmental prospect. Give Bassey playing time with the Maine Celtics. He would be a better prospect than Tacko Fall.
Boston Celtics trade targets: Sandro Mamukelashvili, 6-9 240, Seton Hall
New Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka said he wants better ball movement. Well there may not be a better ball moving big man in this draft than Sandro Mamukelashvili.
"“Sorry to mention this Brad, but 27th in assists last year, we want to have more team basketball there.” -Boston Celtics Head Coach Ime Udoka, during his introductory press conference"
The last name is a mouthful, and so is his offensive game. Sandro has the ability to play point forward in spurts. Watch as he brings the ball down the court following a rebound. If he sees a teammate ahead of the defense, Sandro can make the pass for the easy bucket.
In the half court, Mamukelashvili can drive the ball to the paint and kick it to an open teammate or finish at the rim with either hand. This is uncommon for a big man, and Mamukelashvili does all that smoothly.
Mamukelashvili isn’t shy about launching threes, you just wish he hit them at a higher rate (.333). Nor does Mamukelashvili offer much resistance defensively.
And Mamukelashvili is a senior, so there’s not much ceiling left for Sandro to grow before reaching full potential.
But if he can become a productive big to bring off the bench to spark the offense, Mamukelashvili could find a role on the team.
Boston Celtics draft targets: Jericho Sims, 6-9 250, Texas
From the university that brought the NBA Jarrett Allen, one of the leagues premiere shot blockers, comes Jericho Sims.
Kai Jones is obviously the better prospect between these two Longhorns, but you shouldn’t sleep on Jericho Sims.
Three words to describe Sims: Ath-a-lete. Weighing a solid 250 pounds, Sims has the body to bang inside. And looking at his shoulders, Sims might be able to carry a little more weight without sacrificing his other physical gifts.
Sims logged the second best vertical at the NBA Draft Combine, topping off at 44.5”. When Sims goes up, he gets off the ground quick, making him an excellent target for lobs. His leaping ability comes in handy for grabbing rebounds (7.2) and blocking shots (1.1).
On the downside, Sims offers little offensively. In four years at Texas, he never attempted a 3-pointer. There’s almost no chance Sims will ever be able to stretch the floor. Sims isn’t much of an option in the post either.
But with a 7’3.25” wing span (tied for second at the Combine), Sims is built to be an eraser. Let his best offense be his defense.
Note: All measurements from NBA.com.