Boston Celtics Solidify Top Position in Draft

The Boston Celtics did not have their blockbuster trade but they still had arguably the most surprising move of the draft. It appears as though Danny Ainge saw more in Terry Rozier than almost anyone else because he was almost unanimously projected to go late in the first round.

The Celtics’ biggest need was rim protection and even though Rozier can be a defensive point guard he won’t be much of a presence in the paint.

Mar 29, 2015; Syracuse, NY, USA; Louisville Cardinals guard Terry Rozier (0) grabs a rebound against Michigan State Spartans guard Travis Trice (20) and forward Matt Costello (10) during the second half in the finals of the east regional of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at Carrier Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

It was then with the Celtics’ second first round pick where you started to see the trend. The Celtics once again opted to go for a guard. This time they snagged R.J Hunter who has tremendous value as a late first round draft pick.

Hunter stands as an interesting contrast to Rozier because he is the dynamic scorer who is a threat from literally everywhere on the court. He has the quick release, the range and some great size.

The Celtics are setting up one of the deepest and well balanced core of guards in the NBA. There is no doubting that the Celtics will have to make roster moves to accommodate all their guards but what drafting all these guards now does is creates competition.

Brad Stevens will have an opportunity to find out which style and type of guards fit best into his system and will ensure that their core of guards will be established for years to come.

R.J Hunter was a great volume scorer in college and that may have hurt his three point shooting percentage a bit. Both Rozier and Hunter shot the three ball just above 30% but Hunter has a lot more potential as a shooter. Hunter is certainly one of the most offensively gifted players on the Celtics roster and Stevens should have no problem getting contributions out of his talent.

Rozier is also some interesting competition for Marcus Smart. It’s very early in his career but Smart already has relative job security on the Celtics and brining in Rozier will force him to stay on edge. If Marcus Smart starts to struggle on the defensive end or regresses offensively then Rozier is a strong enough talent that he will give Smart some competition.

Apr 26, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving (2) shoots the ball over Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart (36) during the second half in game four of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Rozier is a better athlete and has more offensive potential than Smart had coming out of college. One complaint about both Rozier and Smart is their inability to shoot the ball and the fact that the Celtics drafted both of them displays how much faith they have in Stevens’ system. The Celtics do a great job through ball movement to create open shots and that goes a long ways in covering up shooters who struggle.

Another interesting dimension to both Rozier and Hunter’s game is the fact that they were both volume scorers and carried their offense in college. Both of those players will need to adjust their mind set while playing with the Celtics because they will need to be smarter with their shot selection.

The Celtics are also in need of a go to scorer and even though Smart has the starting point guard position locked up, both Rozier and Hunter could easily take over the starting shooting guard position. Smart is already a defensive minded, pass first point guard and he could certainly compliment either Rozier or Hunter if they emerge as a top scorer on the offensive unit.

The Celtics now have options and depth at the guard position. They have guys they know can defend and they have guys with tremendous offensive upside. There will be battles for the starting unit and there is a good chance that a lot of playing time will be split.

The Celtics did not do enough to improve their most glaring need but they did everything to solidify the team’s strongest position. The Celtics’ guards were already the team’s best players and now there is no doubting that they will be carrying the team.

The Celtics will certainly target a big in free agency and it will be a lot easier to get initial improvement in the paint in free agency than it would in the draft.

The Celtics clearly preferred the guard play to the bigs in this year’s draft and the Celtics were not good enough anywhere to avoid taking what they believed to be the best talent.

The Celtics can finally feel some security and have faith that their core of guards are set for years to come and this coming season can turn out in a lot of different ways. Fans still have no idea what to expect from Rozier, Hunter, Thorton or James Young and at this point any one of them could be on the starting unit and any one of them could barely receive playing time. Either way, Celtics fans will know that they will have the best possible set of guards and it can be the most balanced group in the league.

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