Boston Celtics draft: HH has Cs taking Turkish big in first round

Before we get to the NBA Draft, and even before we get to the NBA postseason, there are two crucial weeks before the trade deadline that will determine what direction the Boston Celtics will go in this offseason. That said, Danny Ainge has been known to build through the draft…and to his credit, it has worked out considering Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Marcus Smart were all lottery picks by the man once dubbed “Trader Danny”.

Owners of their first-round pick, the Cs will once again have the chance to add a cheap talent on a rookie-scale deal to mold around the existing core of Danny Ainge’s draftees (and Kemba Walker) throughout the years.

As the current #4 seed (by way of a tiebreaker with the Miami Heat), Boston is likely to be selecting in the latter third of the draft as they have the past two years.

Hoops Habit’s Corey Rausch has the team selecting Beşiktaş big man Alperen Sengun of the Turkish Super League:

"Alperen Sengun is extremely raw but is the kind of prospect the Boston Celtics should take a chance on. His numbers in the Turkish league are eye-popping (19.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, 1.8 blocks) but there are some inconsistencies. He is turnover and foul prone and unless he gets that under control it will limit his potential, but the gamble is enticing."

It wouldn’t be unfamiliar to see Ainge take to the international market to add a big man. Over the past several offseasons, he has brought on rookies Daniel Theis and Vincent Poirier from Germany and France, respectively.

In fact, Ainge even signed fellow countryman and Turkish big man Enes Kanter in the summer of 2019. Sengun’s game is much different than the veteran center though, as the 18-year-old’s passing is more advanced and his defensive awareness is far sharper.

Now, while Sengun would be an intriguing pick, it isn’t a guarantee that the Boston Celtics will even be using their own draft pick in 2021. Our personal hope is that the team can parlay picks into a difference-maker, and the Cs will be able to hang with the Eastern Conference elite in the postseason.

Stay tuned, because Hardwood Houdini is going to follow monitor this once-in-a-lifetime season and the offseason that follows.