For some NBA fans, the playoffs are the pinnacle of entertainment. The excitement and intensity that come along with late-spring hoops bring the game to an entirely new level. For others, the NBA Draft is more their speed. Seeing the futures of 60 league hopefuls from around the world be decided, and evaluating their fit with potential landing spots is more their speed.
Well, those sickos only need to wait two more days until they get their 2025 draft fix. Ironically, even if you’re a Boston Celtics fan who lives for the big playoff moments, the draft has likely been a bigger deal to you this year -- as it has for me.
The Cs will pick 28th and 32nd this week, with hopes of landing two players who can contribute to winning basketball in the near future.
There’s no way of knowing who will be on the board by the time it’s Boston’s turn to select a prospect, but draft experts have been pointing to Creighton center Ryan Kalkbrenner as a name to watch.
Experts from The Athletic, CBS Sports, SB Nation, and others have projected Kalkbrenner, a college teammate of Baylor Scheierman, to be the Celtics’ first-round selection in their most recent mock drafts.
The 23-year-old Missouri native appeared in 35 games for the Bluejays in his super senior season. He averaged 19.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks per game while shooting 65.3% from the field and 34.4% from beyond the arc.
The Celtics are widely projected to pick Ryan Kalkbrenner
Considering Boston’s draft range, Kalkbrenner makes a lot of sense for them. Sure, he’s on the older side at 23, but he’s got NBA-ready skills, which could allow him to slide into the Celtics rotation right away. Rotation minutes may become even more realistic depending on what happens with Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, and Luke Kornet, who aren’t at all guaranteed to be back in green next season.
Ironically, Kalkbrenner’s game is very similar to Kornet’s.
The seven-foot-two-inch big man thrives most as a defender. He captured his fourth consecutive Big East Defensive Player of the Year award this past season at Creighton, thanks to his shot-blocking ability. Kalkbrenner rejected almost three shots per game, and he did so without fouling often. His 1.4 fouls per contest is the fewest amongst the top 500 shotblockers in college basketball.
The discipline, feel for the game, and timing that Kalkbrenner defends with should enable him to be an effective defender in the NBA -- at least in the paint. He’s less effective once he’s asked to defend smaller players on the perimeter. Most players of his size are. Fortunately, there are ways around this. Boston could always resort to playing drop coverage on screens, rather than asking Kalkbrenner to switch onto the ballhandler in that situation.
It’s easy to envision the Celtics similarly using him as they’ve used Kornet. Both players are excellent finishers in the paint. Kalkbrenner shot an impressive 72.4% at the rim this past season, showcasing an ability to catch and finish in tight spots. He also grew as a playmaker in his final collegiate campaign.
"He can make basic kickout passes out of the short roll, he can laser passes to shooters, and he’s not afraid to make a bounce pass into traffic," Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O'Connor wrote of the big man’s vision. "He doesn’t necessarily project as a playmaking hub, but he’s not a liability if he needs to make a pass."
Being comfortable making decisions out of the short role was important to Kornet’s growth for Boston this past season. If Kalkbrenner can mimic his arc, there’s a fair chance that he sticks in Joe Mazzulla’s rotation eventually.
It’s unclear whether or not the Cs would look to use him as a floor spacer or rather as a dunker’s spot guy. But if they did want him to shoot, the foundation is there, as Kalkbrenner buried 34.4% of his triples last year.
For a more in-depth look at potential Celtics prospects, check out the "How 'Bout Them Celtics" draft preview, where Jack Simone and I run through plenty of names with No Ceilings' Tyler Rucker.