Pat Connaughton: What Could Have Been?

After this year’s draft most Boston Celtics fans were lamenting over the fact that they missed out on an opportunity to trade up for Justise Winslow and the pick that caused the most turmoil was selecting Terry Rozier at number 16. A lot of fans may been wondering what could have been at those two spots but its all the way at the 33rd pick that Danny Ainge almost changed things up.

Ainge recently came out in a conversation with NBA.com’s Ian Thomsen and mentioned how close he was to drafting Pat Connaughton out of Notre Dame. It would have been a sweet story to see the Connaughton drafted by his home town team to keep him playing in green into his NBA career but the Celtics could not afford to draft another perimeter player.

The main reason nobody will be wondering what could have been with Connaughton is because the man they drafted in his place has been the most impressive rookie this off season. Jordan Mickey was the Celtics’ best summer league player not named Marcus Smart and he brought exactly what the Celtics need.

Jan 10, 2015; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Tigers forward Jordan Mickey (25) reacts against the Georgia Bulldogs during the first half of a game at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. LSU defeated Georgia 87-84 in double overtime. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Had the first round of the draft gone differently for the Celtics they may have been able to select another perimeter player with the 33rd pick but after drafting both Rozier and Hunter the Celtics could not afford to pass up on size again.

Connaughton would have been able to add a little size to the back court but the Celtics can put both Hunter and Evan Turner in the SG position with more height than Connaughton. Connaughton also may have been an option at small forward which could have helped tremendously with no depth behind Crowder. Unfortunately, Connaughton would have been undersized at that position and would certainly be well behind defensively.

What Connaughton would have brought to the Celtics, at any position, is three point shooting. Connaughton has shot over 37% in each of his last three seasons beyond the arc and hit a scorching 42.3% of his threes in his final season.

The Celtics struggled hitting the three ball last year and if they could have drafted both Hunter and Connaughton there is no doubting that they would have improved the shooting in that area this season.

Mickey is an interesting contrast because the one thing he does not do is shoot three point shooting. It was the addition of Hunter that gave the Celtics the luxury to neglect three point shooting with the 33rd pick as selecting both Hunter and Connaughton would have been impossible to accommodate with all the guards already on the team.

Mickey has been showing the potential that will ensure that no one associated with the Celtics will ever regret the decision to draft him and with him addressing the one need that is more pressing than three point shooting, the idea of drafting Connaughton will soon be long forgotten.

Jordan Mickey was the only non guard selected in this year’s draft and it could very well wind up being the best pick in this year’s draft. The Celtics got incredible value with Mickey in the second round and even if Connaughton would have been a nicer story, there is no doubting Mickey was the right decision,

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