Boston Celtics Sign Ben Bentil to Three Year Deal
Boston Celtics sign second round draft pick Ben Bentil to a three year deal.
The Boston Celtics are starting to make their final roster decisions, and this time they signed their second round draft pick, Ben Bentil, to a three year contract (via Boston Globe). The 51st overall pick received a partial guarantee in his first year, and is expected to get a real opportunity to fight for one of the final roster sports.
With the recent signing of Tyler Zeller, there really is not much room in the front court for Bentil. He will have to show the Celtics a tremendous amount in a short period of time if he wants to be on the opening day roster. That being said, the Celtics have frequently rotated players through the D League.
Even if Bentil cannot make that opening day roster, he will get an opportunity to get real minutes with the Maine Red Claws, and if he continues to impress then he will have a great opportunity to join them at some point in the regular season.
Bentil does have the fact that he has an NBA ready body and, at 21 years old, he is older than more than just rookies on the Celtics. If he can give the Celtics faith that he can provide floor spacing, then he could bring some much needed depth to the front court.
It is difficult to expect anything from Zeller at this point but Bentil still has competition. Jordan Mickey will certainly be another player vying for a final roster spot and it is unlikely that the Celtics go with the two of them, fearing a far too cluttered front court.
The Celtics could get a solid defensive spark from Mickey and defense has always been the priority. If Bentil can give the Celtics a sense of how well he can contribute as a two way player, then he can be the more dynamic option.
The Celtics prioritize defense but shooting is their biggest weakness. With how deep he will be coming off the bench, Bentil will not have a large role defensively. If he can bring the kind of floor spacing that they were never able to get out of Jared Sullinger, then he can expect to have a role on the team, sooner than later.
Bentil could be a great small ball option at the four. At 6’9, Bentil could have the versatility to play any position in the front court. The Celtics need better shooting in their front court to optimize a small ball lineup, but he will never get that opportunity if he is a liability on defense.
At 21 years old, Bentil will need less time to develop than some of their other incredibly young rookies. He may not need as much time in the D League to get comfortable, and if he can establish himself into Stevens’ system, then he will find himself in a great position to succeed.
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The Celtics looked to transform their front court in this year’s draft, and Bentil is probably the closest to yielding results. With the two first round picks stashed overseas, Bentil will have Jaylen Brown ahead of him, but he may have a slight edge over Demetrius Jackson because of how much more secure the Celtics are in the back court.