Boston Celtics Big Board: 3 players Cs will target at each position in 2020 NBA Draft
Precious Achiuwa
The Boston Celtics took a look at Memphis big man Precious Achiuwa this past week in a predraft workout, according to Jake Weingarten of stockrisers.com:
Celtics have been raving about Achiuwa for weeks, they also interviewed him in the pre-draft process. He also talked with the Wizards this week, they hold the ninth pick. https://t.co/qp8EZBJkfi
— Jake (@jakeweingarten) November 6, 2020
Achiuwa put up impressive averages of 15.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 2 blocks per game on 49 percent shooting from the field and 33 percent shooting from deep in his lone season in Memphis. The 20-year-old was a First-Team All-ACC forward, ACC Freshman of the Year, and ACC Player of the Year.
Aleksej Pokusevski
In a callback to HH’s own Ian Riaf’s point before, “growth spurt” guys often play smaller than their stature, but in Aleksej Pokusevski’s case, it makes him a highly dangerous and versatile offensive weapon.
Per his NBA.com draft profile:
"(Pokusevski) stands at 7-feet tall after hitting a growth spurt recently to go along with above average length. His weight stands still low for someone his size and lack of strength especially in the upper body gets him in trouble especially as he gets closer to the paint. On the other hand, he moves very well for his size, has great feet and comes off the floor quickly. Even though he’s not an elite athlete by any means, he’s fluid enough and has plenty of potential physically. (Pokusevski) plays at both forward spots even though he’s more suitable at the four. Can shoot, put the ball on the floor and playmake, a combination that makes him a great fit for what NBA teams are looking for in modern bigs. The ball comes off his hands smoothly and his release point is high thanks to his elite height. His understanding of the game and basketball IQ is off the charts."
Perhaps Pokusevski could grow into being the full-time starting power forward, pushing Jayson Tatum back to the more natural small forward spot. Who knows, maybe Pokusevski will fill out and eventually fill the center void in Beantown–one that does not appear to have an answer currently on the roster.
Xavier Tillman
Michigan State’s Xavier Tillman profiles to be a very similar professional to their 2019 late first-round draft pick Grant Williams, according to our friends over at Celticsblog:
"For a team in win-now mode, there’s something incredibly attractive about a mature, ready-to-play prospect. Enter Xavier Tillman, a super-strong 21-year-old who is already married and a father of two. He’s successfully balanced his personal life with achievement in the classroom and on the court, all while being heralded as an unbelievable teammate at Michigan State. He’s the type of person you welcome into your locker room and know will make a positive impact. On the floor, Tillman is great in some areas and very subpar in others. From a stylistic standpoint, he may be too similar to Grant Williams to be a perfect fit with the Celtics."
If Williams wasn’t so versatile, Tillman would not be a very enticing target. However, last year’s #22 pick is the type of player that Brad Stevens should never want enough of as a hustle-first, switchable specimen.