Boston Celtics: 3 young Cs who will be the most impactful

The Boston Celtics have drafted six total players in the last two seasons, not including oversees draft and stash players. Most of these picks came from deals Ainge struck years ago before the debut of Tatum or Brown. This draft capital has come in handy for the Cs, seeing as they are still in between a rock and a hard place financially.

Although the Boston Celtics have done a poor job capitalizing on these assets, they haven’t necessarily draft any clear misses. All of the Celtics’ six draft picks from the last two years are still on the roster and have shown some potential of being a capable NBA contributor down the line.

Guys like Tremont Waters and Carsen Edwards are likely to be dealt this off-season due to their physical limitations and the Celtics not needing what they offer. Grant Williams, Aaron Nesmith, Romeo Langford, and Payton Pritchard, on the other hand, are likely to remain with the Cs for another year. With Stevens prioritizing financial flexibility, these young studs on their rookie contracts will get another chance to earn Stevens trust before he trades them.

This article will go over three potential contributors amongst the Celtics’ young core and how their development is instrumental to the C’s long and short-term success.

Boston Celtics young contributor #1: Aaron Nesmith

The Celtics’ 21-year-old out of Vanderbilt had one of the toughest initiations into the NBA amongst his draft class peers. Aaron Nesmith had only played 14 games in his collegiate sophomore season when COVID-19 shut everything down. After that, Nesmith had no place to play and hone in on his development before being drafted into the NBA.

Despite his season being cut short, Nesmith still managed to sneak into the lottery and found himself picked by the #3 seed in the East, coming off an Eastern Conference Finals run into the bubble. Nesmith was projected high by many due to his elite shooting and scoring potential, which he showed in his college tenure. At six-foot-five with a seven-foot wingspan, Nesmith has the physical tools to be a plus defender as soon as his first season.

After this pick, many believed Nesmith would be one of the most impactful rookies in his class and easily one of the most NBA-ready. His shooting and defense next to Tatum and Brown was a scary thought, but many came to realize that the reality of Nesmith was not the same as the idea of him.

For one, his form was not fully developed, which led to in-season adjustments by the Boston Celtics coaching staff due to the shortened off-season. Nesmith’s incomplete jumper led to many DNP’s and even more cold shooting nights as he figured out how to shoot at the NBA level.

Once Nesmith got the hang of the NBA’s pace and figured out how to control his body, he began to blossom. Nesmith finished the last month of the season shooting 44% from three and overall shot 37% on the year. Nesmith’s grit and determination catapulted him into Brad Stevens’ rotation, and it’s what will earn him a spot in Udoka’s this upcoming season.

With an entire off-season under and a whole season of NBA experience under his belt, Nesmith will come into the 2021-22 NBA season how many thought he would come in last season. He’ll be ready and on par with all of Boston’s other players and coaches. His shot will be at the level it needs to be, and he’ll be able to navigate his way around the court without tripping over himself or barging into other players.

It is critical Nesmith takes these leaps, both for his own sake and the Celtics’ sake. Nesmith will have to be the Boston Celtics’ one and only movement shooter off the bench if the Boston Celtics miss the cheaper shooters in this free-agent class. His movement around the court will open up lanes and create confusion for the Jays to capitalize on, but it won’t matter if teams won’t respect Nesmith’s shot. It is imperative Nesmith plays the way he finished last season if he wants to remain on the roster and if the Celtics want to contend.

I believe in Nesmith, and I think the beginning of the 2020-21 season was a fluke for the young shooter. With no off-season, no summer league, and a shortened training camp Nesmith was set up for failure from the jump. The fact that he was even able to turn his game around mid-season was impressive alone, but how he did it was even more astounding. He won’t shoot 50% from three in the NBA as he did in college, but it wouldn’t surprise me if Nesmith finishes the season shooting 40% from behind the arc on over 150 attempts.