Boston Celtics: 2 NBA Draft lottery targets Cs should trade up for

James Wiseman

Even though James Wiseman isn’t exactly the perfect fit for the current Boston Celtics offense, having a premiere game-changing big man could force Brad Stevens to reconsider his strategy, as my coeditor Mark Nilon opined in a piece last month:

"Listed at 7-1, the one-and-done center posted impressive averages of 19.7 points, 10.7 rebounds, and three blocks per game on a whopping 77 percent shooting from the floor. After the way Boston was bullied down low by Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo, it’s safe to say they need to bolster their center spot if they realistically want a chance at winning banner number 18 any time soon. No, Wiseman can’t space the floor like how Brad Stevens prefers. That said, a four-out, one-in offensive scheme is still a fantastic way to run an offense — just ask the Heat and Los Angeles Lakers. With his combination of strength, rebounding, and post moves, I’m sure coach will be just fine with the shift in the offensive game."

Spacing the floor on offense could take a hit, but covering the floor on defense would be how Wiseman could compensate. If the big man falls on draft night, the Cs should monitor his availability, especially given that the Cleveland-Detroit-New York string of hopeless rosters from picks #6-8 could use as much talent as possible to plug their numerous holes with Boston’s collection of first-rounders.