Boston Celtics Mock Draft 3.0: Cs solve center problem, add bench depth

With the 14th overall pick, the Boston Celtics select: Jalen Smith, Maryland

I will beat this proverbial drum until the skin breaks through: the Boston Celtics need to draft Jalen Smith. Unless an unforeseen event occurs where James Wiseman slips all the way to this selection, there is simply no better fit for this shamrocks squad at the pivot than the Maryland standout.

To tell the truth, I’m growing tired of trying to find new ways of explaining my reasoning as to why Smith should be one of the top targets for Boston heading into the draft. Because of this, I will just be quoting one of my past pieces explaining why he’d be an unbelievable draft choice:

"In his sophomore year with the Maryland Terrapins, Smith turned himself from a fine collegiate starter to a sure-fire NBA prospect. Through 31 games in 2019-20, the big man put up impressive averages of 15.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game on 54 percent shooting from the floor and 37 percent shooting from deep on a respectable 2.8 attempts. Showcasing a solid shooting stroke, a comfortability with putting the ball on the floor and an unbelievable feel for the game on defense, the forward/ center turned himself into his team’s most trusty player. With his production, Smith received honors of Big 10 All-Defensive Team, First-Team All-Big 10 and found himself on the All-American Third-Team. At 6-10, his height is tailor-made in regard to the archetype of bigs Boston Celtics Head Coach Brad Stevens prefers to roll out into a rotation."

Referring to his skill set as Chris Bosh-esque, grabbing a talent like Smith at 14 could prove to be an absolute gem of a selection.