The Boston Celtics have an opportunity to get a potential franchise changing player with the first round draft pick they are getting from the Nets. The Celtics have an opportunity to address and potentially have a long term solution to one of the bigger problems on the team and if they can solidify their front court, then their personnel will be much more balanced. Jakob Poeltl is a player the Celtics will have to seriously consider with that lottery pick and he can immediately be an impact player in their front court.
Peoltl would be taking on a role similar to that of Amir Johnson, and while Johnson has done a solid job this season, Poeltl can be a game changer for them. The most appealing aspect about Peoltl is how well he can do under Brad Stevens. Peoltl has always played with the kind of motor and energy that is crucial to the Celtics’ success and they are often looking to exploit teams with their bigs running in transition.
Peoltl may lack the some of the versatility and ability to stretch the floor that the Celtics have looked for in their bigs. However, his ability to score down low in the post may already be better than anyone on the Celtics. Right now, the Celtics have a reliable finisher in Johnson who is always able to capitalize on the opportunities that the offense opens up for him. The difference is that Peoltl can give the Celtics a player who will be generating the opportunities down low.
Poeltl may lack some of the elite athleticism that is often looked for in centers but Peoltl could immediately have an impact on the defensive end for Stevens. Poeltl plays fundamentally sound on the defensive end and he would likely be a step above anyone already on the roster, even before he develops his body. Poeltl may not yet have the strength to be an elite rim protector but he can give the Celtics the most resistance in the paint they have seen in the Brad Stevens era.
Poeltl is a player the Celtics will have to consider because he may be the player that offers them the most immediate improvement. While the Celtics’ back court has began to solidify itself as a game changing core for Stevens, their group of front court players has instilled no such confidence.
The Celtics still have Jordan Mickey waiting to be unleashed and theres no doubting that the potential in a future pairing of Mickey and Peoltl would be deadly. Mickey possesses the elite athleticism and shot blocking ability that Peoltl lacks. While Poeltl does everything else properly on the defensive end.
Poeltl is the kind of player that Stevens will have no problem developing. Poeltl safely has all the ability that the Celtics are currently getting out of their starting center but his ability to generate his own offense in the post is something the Celtics have not been able to find consistently. Olynyk does a great job stretching the floor, Johnson is an incredibly reliable finisher and Sullinger has proven that he is capable of scoring anywhere on the court. The biggest problem is that none of them have as much of a combination of reliability and potential that Peoltl has, and Poeltl does not have as many flaws in his game.
The Celtics may have an opportunity to select a flashier player that will come in and have more of an impact on the box score. Peoltl may need time before he is a true game changer for the Celtics but there is no doubting that he is ready to come in and fill a great role while developing for the Celtics.
Peoltl adresses the Celtics’ biggest need but that lack of ability to stretch there floor may hold him back. The Celtics have publicly expressed their desire to get versatile bigs that can stretch the floor and even though Peoltl has never extended outside the arc, he can still be one of their most dynamic players on the inside. Poeltl finishes with phenomal soft touch and could allow the Celtics to do things in the post that they would not otherwise consider.
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Poeltl may not have as much high end potential as other potential top 5 draft picks but he may be the safest option for the Celtics. He appears to already be ready to come in and give the Celtics their best interior option. Peoltl would have to battle to take over Johnson’s starting role but unless he regresses there is no doubting that he would be one of the most immediately impactful rookies the Celtics have had during the Brad Stevens era.