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Celtics Should Hold Onto Their Picks

By Adam Miller

LOS ANGELES, CA - AUGUST 05: Marvin Bagley, Jr., the top high school recruit in the class of 2018, dunks the ball during a Drew League game at Los Angeles Southwest College on August 5th, 2017. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - AUGUST 05: Marvin Bagley, Jr., the top high school recruit in the class of 2018, dunks the ball during a Drew League game at Los Angeles Southwest College on August 5th, 2017. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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Well, it happened. Marvin Bagley III has officially passed through NCCA and will forgo his senior year of high school. The 2017-18 season will see him suiting up for the Duke Blue Devils.

If you haven’t watched Bagley III you may be asking yourself, “why is this a big deal?” To those people I would simply say look at his highlights. He may be the most hyped prospect since LeBron James. At 6’10, Bagley possesses top-tier athleticism, ball-handling and long-range shooting for his size. Bagley is a once-in-a-lifetime talent that may turn the tides for a struggling NBA franchise.

Or, maybe he will join a budding powerhouse.

As of now the Celtics are set with two possible top-5 picks in the 2018 NBA draft. On draft day, Bagley III may be the consensus #1 pick at just 18 years of age. If the opportunity presents itself, Boston would be overjoyed to select the big man.

However, one should not look passed the other prospects. The players projected to go early in the 2018 draft are phenomenal. I would go as far to argue that any of the projected top-5  players  in the upcoming draft would be selected first in the 2017 draft.

Luka Doncic is the best foreign prospect since Ricky Rubio. At the age of 16, Doncic made his season debut for Real Madrid. For those who don’t know, Real Madrid is the best team in Europe, and at 16 Doncic is the youngest player to ever suit up for them. He’s another elite talent that has been compared to the likes of Danilo Gallinari and LeBron James.

DeAndre Ayton and Mohamed Bamba are the two modern day centers. They can shoot from deep, defend the perimeter and protect the rim. They offer a raw skill-set that if sharpened, could become deadly. Just to give you an idea of how high expectations are for these big men, look at this article by Scott Phillips of BleacherReport. In it Phillips compares the two to the likes of DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis.

Then there’s Michael Porter Jr.. Of all of the players mentioned so far, Porter is the most pro ready. He even practices with professionals. Recently he was seen at Steph Curry’s basketball camp, learning from the former league MVP.

Porter has the most complete offensive skill set since Kevin Durant. Don’t be surprised if he has a similar rise to stardom.

If you haven’t noticed, this class is loaded with top-end talent. The crazy thing is, there are other players who may emerge as high-lottery talent.

Next: Dawn of Another Celtics Rivalry

I know many fans want Danny Ainge to finally pull the trigger and make a move for an established star, but they shouldn’t. Unless it’s a bonafide superstar *cough, cough — Anthony Davis — cough, cough*, then it’s not worth it.

I realize a lot is being left to chance, but with this amount of superstar talent, it’s worth it.

If you want a deeper look into year of these players check out my 2018 NBA draft article.

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