Jakob Poeltl has become one of the top draft prospects, and he should be high on the Celtics radar
Jakob Poeltl is one of many draft prospects that the Boston Celtics are looking at taking with one of their three first-round picks this upcoming NBA Draft in June. While many of these said prospects could effectively fit Boston’s scheme, Poeltl fits one category that the Celtics need to fill: rim protector.
Jakob Poeltl is currently in his second season as a member of the University of Utah’s mens basketball team. Poeltl has emerged as the leader for the Runnin’ Utes, averaging 17.5 points and 9.1 rebounds per game. He also adds 1.6 blocks and 0.6 steals per game, as well. But what might be most impressive is his improvement from last season, as he has nearly doubled his points and steals, while improving considerably in the assist and rebound categories.
In Bleacher Report’s most recent NBA mock draft, they projected that the Celtics take Poeltl with the 4th overall pick, which was acquired from the Brooklyn Nets as part of the Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce trade.
Part of BR’s report on Poeltl includes, “The Austrian big man has emerged as a high-percentage shooter (shoots 66.7 percent), go-to option in the post, where he’s scoring over both shoulders. Meanwhile, fluid athleticism and coordination naturally translate to easy buckets off drive-and-dishes, offensive rebounds, line drives and flashes through the lane.”
Poeltl continues to be one of the most well-rounded prospects, especially for his size and his ability to score not just in the paint. If Poeltl can continue to have breakout performances throughout the tournament, it could end up where he could land perfectly for the Celtics to pick him.
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Poeltl, who is from Vienna, Austria, has also benefited from the success of the Utes, who are currently ranked 12th in the nation and are legitimate contenders for the national championship. Poeltl has gotten a lot of attention for his stellar play this season and has been quick to refute his own success and focus on his team’s performance, which is what you want in a prospect. But it is hard to ignore the accomplishment of Pac-12 Player Of The Year that Poeltl has earned this year.
Poeltl has been touted as one of the safe picks Boston could make that would make an immediate impact on the team. In the early part of this year’s NCAA season, he was viewed as a top-20 pick, and it was speculated that Boston could take him with the Dallas Mavericks‘ pick, which would most likely land in the middle of the first round.
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The other needs on this Celtics’ team could take precedent, but in my book that wouldn’t make a lot of sense, especially if a player like Poeltl is available. Poeltl seems to be the safe choice here, and frankly it wouldn’t be surprising if we see him in a Celtics uniform next season.