Heading into tonight’s NBA Draft, Bleacher Report put out a final mock, and they have the Boston Celtics filling many holes within their rotation.
For months now the media has been sharing their ideas about how the Boston Celtics should go about utilizing their 3 first-round selections in the 2020 NBA Draft.
Naturally, we at the Houdini got involved often ourselves and, with our own iterations of mock drafts, we’ve decided that the C’s best course of action is to address their center position with their first pick, which finds itself slotted at 14th overall.
In Bleacher Report’s final mock heading into tonight’s draft, it would appear that they, too, see this as vital, as writer Jonathan Wasserman saw it fitting for Danny Ainge and co. to take Memphis big man Precious Achiuwa with the last pick in the lottery.
Though we often found ourselves stating that the team should consider drafting Maryland big Jalen Smith with their first pick of the night — and, frankly, I still believe this –, a talent like Achiuwa is certainly nothing to scoff at.
Wasserman’s reasoning for the pick read as follows:
"It wouldn’t be surprising if another team ended up picking at No. 14, with sources suggesting the Celtics are up to something. Teams we’ve spoken to in the 20s don’t expect Achiuwa to be there. His defensive versatility is an attractive selling point, while flashes of offensive skill create hope for some bonus scoring potential."
On the year, the one-and-done product produced solid averages of 15.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game on 49 percent shooting from the field and 33 percent shooting from downtown.
The rest of their draft went as follows:
No. 26) Cole Anthony, PG, North Carolina
"Anthony’s self shot creation and tough shot-making point to scoring potential, but he could slip into the 20s with teams cooling on his decision-making. An ideal situation for Anthony pictures him headed to a playoff team, where he can play to his strengths and have less responsibility running an offense."
No. 30) Jahmi’us Ramsey, SG, Texas Tech
"Scouts have questioned Ramsey’s handle and playmaking, but he possesses a persuasive mix of strength, athleticism, shot-making and confidence for scoring."
Should the Boston Celtics wind up coming away from tonight’s draft with these three players, it would look as though they went and addressed 3 of the team’s biggest roster weaknesses in center depth (Achiuwa), backup point guard (Anthony), and second-unit shooting/ scoring (Ramsey).
If this were to turn out to be a reality, how would you guys feel?
Let us know in the comments section below!