Boston Celtics Draft Profile: DeAndre Bembry

The Boston Celtics have an opportunity to give themselves some much need small forward depth in the upcoming draft. DeAndre Bembry may not offer anything that the Celtics do not already get from Jae Crowder, but he’s the exact kind of player that can hold things down with the second unit as their primary on ball defender is resting.

Bembry would also stay in line with the Celtics’ trend of taking defensive standouts that cannot shoot. Bembry has found ways to attack and score and has great aggressiveness. Unfortunately, 26.6% from three is only going to hurt an already abysmal three point shooting team.

The draft may be the best place for the Celtics to find their small forward depth. Crowder is pretty well set in the starting lineup and addressing small forward in free agency could be far too costly for a second unit player.

While Bembry will not be able to have an impact with his outside shot, he can still be a factor on the offensive end. He will not approach the volume he had at St. Joseph’s but he has the kind of aggressiveness and explosive finishing that could allow him to be a featured player with the second unit.

When it comes to shooting, Bembry does not approach the kind of efficiency he would need for that to be a factor in the offense. Stevens will certainly allow Bembry to take the open shots created for him, but the focus needs to be in other areas for Bembry, who can have the necessary effectiveness in other areas. Bembry brings a level of athleticism to the Celtics’ back court that is often difficult to find.

There does, however, remain the hope that Bembry could eventually make a Crowder like leap when it comes to three point shooting. The porous three point shooting for Bembry hit a low point in his third season. Bembry still has a career average above 30%, but 31.2% means he has a lot of work to do before being a factor with that shot. Fortunately, the Celtics have made sure to explore all options when it comes to allowing their guys to develop and improve as shooters.

The hope with Bembry would be that the combination of his aggressiveness with eventual comfort in Stevens’ system will allow him to be a featured offensive player, even if it is on the second unit. Bembry will not dominate without an improved outside shot, but the Celtics can certainly use a player that can attack the paint in multiple ways.

The one area where Bembry should be able to immediately help the Celtics on the offensive end is his passing. Bembry has proven that he can play with the ball in his hands and he will always look to help create for his teammates. The Celtics need willing passers that Stevens can trust, and they may be losing one in free agency this summer.

The Celtics also get very little passing from the positions Bembry could play. At 6’5 he would get minutes at the 3 and 5 with the Celtics and the passing depth he could bring becomes more important considering Bradley and Crowder combine to average under 4 assists per game. Bradley and Crowder have established themselves as trusted finishers but Bembry has higher potential to be the one that instigates the ball movement.

Especially if the Celtics lose Evan Turner in free agency, Bembry could be exactly what they need to maintain the edge they get with their second unit. Bembry can use his aggressiveness to get the attention of defenses and that will open things up for the second unit.

The Celtics need ball handlers with their second unit and while he would need time to get comfortable with that role, there is no reason that Bembry should not be able to ensure the ball keeps moving.

Transition is where Bembry will initially have his biggest impact on offense. He has no problem running the floor and his ball handling skills should lead to plenty of quick scores for the Celtics. Add that he is an incredibly explosive finisher at the rim and he will certainly benefit from being on a team that generates steals like the Celtics. Bembry could quickly become the Celtics’ most electrifying finisher in transition.

The Celtics need their offensive play makers to be more dynamic but that takes nothing away form Bembry’s ability to generate offense in the paint. Transitioning to the NBA could hurt him in that area, but Bembry has the explosiveness and athleticism to be one of the Celtics’ most exciting finishers at the rim, especially considering he can attack in multiple ways.

He may not have enough dynamic ways of attacking yet, but Bembry has made it clear that he will attack and he can be a factor on the offensive end. Defense then separates  Bembry as a great option for the Celtics with one of their later first round draft picks.

At 6’5 210, it may be difficult to get Bembry at the 4 in small ball lineups, but he can certainly be a major factor at the 2 and 3, and there is no doubting that Stevens would use him at both positions.

The Celtics need any boost they can get rebounding the ball and Bembry has proven he can be a factor on the boards. 7.8 rebounds per game are exactly what the Celtics want to see in their back court players. Until they finally get  a dominant interior force, the Celtics need to get a rebounding edge in the back court.

Playing with the second unit would also give Bembry a chance to excel on the defensive end. Playing with the likes of Marcus Smart, Terry Rozier and perhaps Evan Turner will give Bembry energy to feed off of, and more than enough help around him to make plays on the defensive end.

Bembry would have a chance to get comfortable on the defensive end, and then Stevens will make sure he makes the necessary adjustments he needs in order to become the kind of one on one defender that Crowder has emerged into.

With defensive ratings of 95.6 and 97.7 in his last two season, Bembry has proven that he can impose his will on that end. Putting a good defensive player into a great defensive situation should  give him a quick enough of an adjustment to the NBA that Bembry can have an impact in his rookie season.

How his shot develops will determine the true high end potential of Bembry, but a capable offensive player that can give the Celtics a distinct edge in their interior game while playing in the back court will solidify their depth.

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The Celtics would not look for Bembry to have a franchise changing impact, but Bembry is the kind of player that they may not have to wait for to have an impact. A team that has the picks and cap space to be the most improved team in the league this year needs to make sure they find rookies that allows their second unit to continue to be one of the most impactful in the NBA.