Boston Celtics draft: Assessing 5 likeliest first-round targets

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Boston Celtics Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-USA TODAY Sports /

Boston Celtics first-round draft option #1: Sharife Cooper, Auburn

Part of me could admit that me living on the Plains has something to do with Sharife Cooper’s constant presence on Boston Celtics draft wish lists, but the other part of me knows that the lack of a pass-first point guard on the team makes it more difficult for the team to put up points when defenses are able to effectively double-team the Jays or Kemba Walker.

Sharife Cooper’s insertion into the lineup in January ignited Auburn’s isolation offense and sparked plenty of easy points against the high octane firepower of their SEC foes. His shot has a hitch, but he was still able to be effective making things happen in his relentless drives to the rim, whether it be getting to the line, finishing through contact, or finding the open man on the perimeter or in drop-offs to the likes of JT Thor, Jaylen Williams, Dylan Cardwell and Babatunde “Stretch” Akingbola in the paint.

Boston Celtics first-round draft option #2: Moses Moody, Arkansas

Another man from the SEC, Moses Moody helped propel the Arkansas Razorbacks to the Elite Eight before falling to eventual champion Baylor.

Moody was a stud for Hogs for the majority of the season, notably going off for 56 points in a two-game stretch against SEC bottom-feeders Texas A&M and South Carolina in the regular season’s final two games.

While he didn’t exactly show out in the NCAA Tournament, his 4/10 3-point shooting display against LSU in the SEC tournament was a nice showcase for NBA teams looking for complimentary shooting.

Boston is.

Boston Celtics first-round draft option #3: Ayo Dosunmu, Illinois

Ayo Dosunmu helped elevate Illinois to the Big Ten with his heroics in the conference tournament, but for the past two seasons the junior has averaged better than 15 points per game on 48% shooting from the floor.

This season, Dosunmu officially entered the NBA Draft conversation by shooting 39% on his long-range attempts on three deep-balls per game.

Boston Celtics fans already loving the meme-able antics of the seven-foot-six Senegalese supergiant Tacko Fall will love the Batman comparisons Dosunmu will have if he keeps his signature mask in a Rip Hamilton-esque fashion.