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Boston Celtics draft priority: bigs or wings?

By Joshua Bateman

BOSTON, MA - MAY 23: Jayson Tatum #0, Al Horford #42 and Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics react during the game against of the Cleveland Cavaliers on Game Five of the 2018 NBA Eastern Conference Finals on May 23, 2018 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Matteo Marchi/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - MAY 23: Jayson Tatum #0, Al Horford #42 and Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics react during the game against of the Cleveland Cavaliers on Game Five of the 2018 NBA Eastern Conference Finals on May 23, 2018 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Matteo Marchi/Getty Images) /
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The Boston Celtics might have some different priorities heading into the draft this year

The Boston Celtics will be going into this draft with a much different mindset than previous years. They have a team that is ready to contend, and do not have a significant draft pick. It is almost impossible for them to get something from this draft that will have an impact, unless they go for another franchise altering trade.

Even if this draft may not be as impactful, the Celtics know how valuable it can end up being. Even if this draft may not impact this season much, it will absolutely have an impact on the future. The Celtics want to protect the longevity of this core, and that always starts with the draft.

The Celtics are not going to be able to afford top free agents anymore, and blockbuster trades are too dangerous. If the Celtics want to help solidify this core in the future, it will be through this draft.

The Celtics can still gain a lot form this draft, and there are pieces that they will be looking for. Throughout this entire rebuild, wings have been a major draft priority. The Celtics have looked for as much versatility as possible, and have done a great job of assembling what should be the best set of wings in the NBA.

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They have invested most of their valuable assets into wings, and the results have justified all of it. With what they have established now, however, they could change their mindset a bit.

The wing formula appears to be working for the Celtics, and it might seem foolish to start going in another direction. The problem, however, is that while they have great wing depth, their bigs are not doing so well.

The Celtics need to decide if it is more important to reinforce the most important set of players on this roster, or if they want to focus more on fixing their weaker areas. When you take into account the age of Al Horford, and the state of bigs behind him, this feels like the exact kind of draft they need to be focusing on bigs.

The Celtics cannot expect to be getting anyone that can contribute, but they still have Horford for now. With Daniel Theis behind him, the Celtics can still feel good about their bigs right now. In the not too distant future, however, the gap between the wings and the bigs will be massive, and it could hurt this team.

The Celtics may not find another secondary big that is even better than Semi Ojeleye or Guerschon Yabusele. but they still need to expand how many options they have. The Celtics need to be looking for a raw big with solid potential that can play with the Maine Red Claws, and potential grow into the caliber of player that can be a part of this front court.

There is no doubt that the wings are more important to this Celtics core, and it is going to stay that way for a long time. With Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, the Celtics do not have to worry about the future of their wings.

They are set with that kind of talent and potential, and any wing they take in this draft, no matter how high, would struggle to have an impact even in the future.

If, however, the Celtics go after bigs, then there could potentially be some space on the roster down the line. They will have to be better than most draft picks this late in the first round, but Ainge has found some gems in the past.

The Celtics are not going to be finding any kind of franchise talent from a big this late in the draft, but the key right now are options. The Celtics do not need more options for their wings, because they are more set than anyone else in the league.

Next: 3 draft day trade scenarios

If, however, the Celtics can get at least one decent option to help solidify the future of their front court, then this draft could end up being a lot more important than people are thinking right now.

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