Boston Celtics Second Round Draft Prospect: Jarrod Uthoff

The Celtics own five second round picks and could look at Jarrod Uthoff as a possibility

Danny Ainge has compiled an unfathomable amount of draft picks for the upcoming draft. Along with the three first round picks, the Boston Celtics also own five picks in the second round. There is no way they’re going to keep all five, however, they’ll most likely select at least one player in the second round.

A player that jumped onto the scene for the Iowa Hawkeyes this past season was Jarrod Uthoff. The 6’9″ big man provides the Celtics with everything they’re looking for and will be available in the second round. There may be a mock draft here or there that puts Uthoff at the end of the first round for fun but the fact of the matter is he won’t hear his name called until at least the 31st pick in the draft.

Jarrod Uthoff spent his freshman year at Wisconsin but then transferred to Big Ten rival Iowa. In his three seasons with the Hawkeyes, Uthoff improved every season. He waited his turn behind Roy Devyn Marble Jr. and Aaron White – both drafted to the NBA – and eventually became the Hawkeyes’ best player and go-to-guy this season.

He accepted the challenge and ran with it. Uthoff finished his career at Iowa with 100 games under his belt and was named a Consensus Second-Team All-American, as well as being a Wooden Award Finalist. He helped lead Iowa to a surprising 22-11 record, including having them ranked in the top-five for a couple of weeks. Iowa made the NCAA tournament but was knocked out in the second round to eventual champions Villanova.

Iowa was able to shock the college basketball world this year as their senior-filled starting lineup led the way. Uthoff stood in front of the pack as he averaged 18.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game. He also shot 44.8 percent from the field, 38.2 percent from behind the arc and only turned the ball over 1.2 times per game despite having a 29.1 percent usage rate.

Uthoff continued to be productive all season, despite the national attention and having teams hone in on him.

Most players only have one coming out game, however, Uthoff had many. Early in the season, Iowa upset then #20 Wichita State and Uthoff paved the way with 22 points, seven rebounds and five blocks.

In mid-December, Iowa lost against rival #4 Iowa State after holding a big lead. Although, Uthoff still had one of his best games as he scored a career-high 32 points, nine rebounds and four blocks. This may have been his most impressive outing of the season as he was in a hostile environment but still put up big numbers. Uthoff shot 12-of-20 from the field and knocked down five threes on eight attempts, showing his scoring ability.

As the season progressed, Uthoff’s stock only got better. His scoring ability is what stood out the most – led the Big Ten in points.

Jarrod Uthoff is not the elite shooting prospect that Buddy Hield or Jamal Murray is, however, he’s one of the best stretch power forwards in the draft. When Iowa would get out in transition, Uthoff would trail the play and then knock down a three, five feet behind the three-point line. He would do the same in half-court play, as well.

While Uthoff consistently showed off his shot, he could still score in a multitude of ways. He wasn’t afraid to drive or post-up. Although, he didn’t always deal with contact well and needs to develop a go-to move down low. It was evident that he wasn’t always the most comfortable finishing when swarmed in the paint, however, his ability to shoot in awkward positions and use his fadeaway helped make up for it. No to mention his great footwork down low.

Uthoff has some of the best footwork in the draft that will help him on both offense and defense. Defensively, he’s not a star but he has length to alter shots and make it hard to pass the ball inside.

As you can see by his 2.6 blocks per game, he has great on-ball defense. He has played against NBA talent during Big Ten play – A.J. Hammons, Nigel Hayes, etc. – and still was able to average 2.4 blocks per contest in 18 games.

The Hawkeyes played against 10 top-25 teams this season and relied heavily on Jarrod Uthoff. He struggled against Michigan State once, – recorded a double-double in their second meeting – Maryland and Indiana. Still, Uthoff is a rare college player who will find a way to score no matter what, which is what Boston needs. He recorded at least 10 points in every game besides one and averaged 19.5 points per game in the NCAA tournament.

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The biggest knock on Uthoff is his size. He barely weighs 200 pounds (210 lbs) which could lead to him getting abused down low. He did a good job of blocking shots in college but won’t get the same opportunity in the NBA if he doesn’t bulk up. He’ll get pushed around too easily in the paint and you need more than an outside shot to be a stretch-four.

Jarrod Uthoff is one of the best stretch-fours in this draft. He may be small but his ability to shoot from way beyond the arc is something not many players can do. He also runs the floor well and has the potential to develop into a solid all-around player if he bulks up.

Whether he proves to be a consistent shooter will determine whether he’s able to make it in the NBA. Every prospect has bad shooting night, it’s how often they happen and if you can affect the game in another way that determines their value. It didn’t happen often for Uthoff and he was able to rebound and defend to keep himself in the game.

Next: Isaiah Thomas Needs Help on Offense

It’s unlikely that the Celtics keep all five second round picks but Uthoff provides them with a big man who can score. He may not be the physical specimen that scouts dream of but he can play stretch the floor, shoot and rebound. For a team who could use him or let him develop in the D-League and ride the bench for a year, Jarrod Uthoff could end up paying off in a big way and be a second round steal.

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