Well that’s not what we expected..
With the 16th pick in the draft the Celtics shocked just about everyone by taking Louisville guard Terry Rozier. With needs at shooting, rim protecting, and overall frontcourt toughness, the Celtics opted for another guard in what is already a crowded backcourt with Marcus Smart, Avery Bradley, Isaiah Thomas, and Phil Pressey. When speaking about the trade Ainge and Stevens alluded to Rozier’s upside, athletic ability, toughness, and speed. But why pass on the likes of Bobby Portis, Sam Dekker, Justin Anderson, and even Rondae Hollis-Jefferson? Here’s why.
When watching and reading about Rozier it’s easy to see why they fell in love with him. He’s great off the pick and roll, has a nice shot that stretches out beyond the arc, super athletic, and can defend multiple positions. He’s going to be a true two-way player at the next level. Though just like the rest of the Celtics nation, I was initially confused, the deal makes more sense when you look at the potential people the Celtics could have targeted. Bobby Portis, Sam Dekker, and Justin Anderson are all interesting prospects, but none of them pan out to be much except high quality role players. Would they still have helped the team? Most likely. But they aren’t “can’t miss” prospects and similar skill set is available in nearly every draft and free agency market. The Celtics instead took a shot on a guy who they believe has the skill to be more than just a rotational piece. Isaiah Thomas is fun, but his defensive woes put a serious limit on how good he can be for us long-term. Avery Bradley is a decent defender, but he can’t play the point guard position, is undersized for the two, and can’t create for himself. With the acquisition of Rozier, these pieces now are more expendable when you bring in a guy who can defend, create for himself, and play multiple positions. As this roster is presently constructed Rozier seems like a stretch, but how long is this roster going to stay as presently constructed?
With the next 3 picks the Celtics were a lot less surprising getting RJ Hunter, Jordan Mickey, and Marcus Thornton. Hunter if you don’t know is a deadly sharp shooter who if you watched March Madness was known for this shot:
Right off the bat he comes in as one of the Celtics best shooters, and with a 6’11 wingspan has a lot of defensive potential. With James Young waiting in the wings it will be interesting to see what these guys look like paired together. Both will have nice size for their positions and can shoot the lights out of the basketball. This was my favorite pick in the draft, and most teams will be shaking their heads wondering how they let Hunter slide all the way to the end of the first round.
Drafting Jordan Mickey with our early second round pick was another good value pick. He’s super athletic and has shown nice defensive versatility defending multiple people and keeping up with guards on the pick and roll. He was also the best shot-blocker in college basketball. Offensively, he’s very raw and won’t be much of factor unless in transition or collecting boards, but overall he fills a really big need, rim protection. He could be a good pairing with Kelly Olynyk or Jared Sullinger to hide some of their defensive woes.
With their final pick the Celtics drafted guard Marcus Thornton (not that one), a big-time scorer from William & Mary. This one was a bit of a head scratcher with centers like Dakari Johnson, Robert Upshaw,and Mohammadou Jatieh all on the board, but he could be a potential trade chip. Celtics now have more flexibility in their backcourt to make some deals. They can do any number of deal packaging to get them guys like Roy Hibbert, Nerlens Noel, or even DeMarcus Cousins. So though the Celtics may have shocked some of us, they had a pretty successful draft in the sense that they addressed needs, and added assets that allow them to be more flexible in trade talks. This is going to be one interesting free agency period.
Highlights
Terry Rozier
RJ Hunter
Jordan Mickey
Marcus Thornton
