The Celtics are Searching for Their own Draymond Green
The Celtics have show a pattern for drafting versatile forwards like Draymond Green.
The Golden State Warriors are the reigning NBA Champions, and have won two titles in three years. It looks like they’re good for at least another one, and it’s all due to their excellence in the front office building through the draft before signing Kevin Durant.
The Warriors changed the way basketball was played with their three point shooting and small ball style. Now every team is taking more and more threes, traditional centers are obsolete, and general managers are scouring the world for the next Draymond Green.
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Green is the key to the Warriors unstoppable offense. He has the ability to guard all five positions on the floor, make plays for his teammates, and knock down threes to stretch the floor. Boston is the only team that can compete with the Warriors in terms of small ball outside of Cleveland, and they have been searching for their version of Green through the draft.
On draft night Boston selected Semi Ojeleye out of SMU with the 37th pick. He’s a 6’7″ 240 pound combo forward that is an athletic freak with an exceptional three point stroke. Ojeleye has almost the same physical frame as Green, but has much more explosiveness on both ends of the floor.
The potential Ojeleye has on the defensive end of the floor is similar to what Green produces for Golden State. He has the foot speed to defend guards and wings on the perimeter, and the strength to bang down low. He could eventually become a small ball center for the Celtics and allow Brad Stevens to unleash the kind of speed on both ends of the floor that the Warriors use on a nightly basis.
Ojeleye has potential, and is almost 23-years-old, which will help him catch on quicker in the NBA than the freshmen and sophomores coming out. But the Celtics still have another big waiting in the wings to get his shot in the NBA, and his name is Guerschon Yabusele.
Selected with the 16th overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, Yabusele spent the season in China as a draft and stash player for the Celtics. While on the bigger side of things standing at 6’8″ and weighing 260 pounds, Yabusele still moves as quick as Green and Ojeleye do, which makes for a higher ceiling.
We saw the potential in last year’s summer league, and a few D-League games with the Maine Red Claws where Yabusele showed an impressive scoring ability and mobility at that size. He has better rebounding ability than Ojeleye and projects more as a big that might be able to guard wings.
Whether Ojeleye or Yabusele both pan out, or neither make it to their next contract, it is evident that the Celtics are looking for a specific player. There is a certain way that Stevens and Danny Ainge want the Celtics to play, and a forward who can stretch the floor and defend every position could unlock very dangerous lineup combinations.
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If Boston is eventually going to have to go through the Warriors to get their 18th championship, matching up with Green could go a long way towards accomplishing that feat.