Boston Celtics draft: Draft or pass on 3 prospects linked to Cs by B/R

Boston Celtics second round draft target #3: Isaiah Livers, SF/PF, Michigan

The issues that Kessler Edwards would face in his first year in Boston are much more amplified than the problems Michigan senior Isaiah Livers would face.

While Edwards is far from a finished product even as a junior, Livers is much readier to be thrown into the shark infested waters that is an NBA game. Having grabbed six boards per game in his senior year in the Big Ten, Livers was able to use his 230-lb frame to battle bigs in the paint.

That should translate to the NBA, whereas Edwards would be at a physical disadvantage in most matchups. What should also translate to the Assocation is his ability to torch nets at a persistent pace. Livers raised his 3-point shooting to 43% from the field in five attempts per game.

Livers has been on a Final Four team, so he has experience in big games, and he is the most NBA-ready prospect of the trio that B/R’s Jonathan Wasserman listed. As he said, teams looking to contend should want him:

"Playoff teams like Boston looking for immediate depth should show interest in Livers. He has a convincing role-player profile: a 6’7″ wing who almost never turned the ball over (career 9.9 turnover percentage) and shot 41.2 percent from three and 85.6 percent from the line through four seasons at Michigan."

The Boston Celtics are most certainly looking to contend next season after giving up a first round pick to acquire the expensive deal of Al Horford. Livers is a slam dunk selection in the second round if he’s still available by the time Brad Stevens is on the clock for the first time in his front office career.