Next month’s NBA Draft will see the Boston Celtics add two new players to their roster. The hope, of course, is that the Cs manage to find at least one young guy who can contribute to winning.
The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie projects Boston to select Duke guard Isaiah Evans with pick No. 27.
Evans put together a strong sophomore season for the Blue Devils. He averaged 15.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game in 38 starts. The six-foot-five-inch guard’s scoring came at an efficient clip, too, as he shot 43.3% from the field and 36.1% from beyond the arc.
What does Isaiah Evans offer to the Celtics?
He’s going to shoot that thing.
Evans fits the typical, 2020s Celtics mold. He makes his threes, and he’s not afraid to take them, either. The North Carolina native’s overall three-point efficiency could be a bit misleading --36.1% doesn’t exactly jump off of the stat sheet, right?
Despite the lower-than-ideal percentage, Evans thrives in many areas where he’d have opportunities in Boston. Per No Ceilings, the 20-year-old sank 40.2% of his open catch-and-shoot attempts, 44.8% of his corner attempts, and 39.4% of his attempts off of screens.
He also shot well (35.6%) on contested catch-and-shoot threes.
Think about how the Celtics use someone like Sam Hauser. Evans is well-equipped to grow into a role like that down the line. Especially if Boston elects to trade Hauser away this summer.
Not to mention that he can make defenders play when they overcommit to contesting his jumper. Evans finished well at the rim (62%) and is athletic enough to throw down the occasional dunk.
Inadequate defenders don’t typically see the floor under Joe Mazzulla, though.
Hauser didn’t start seeing consistent run until he could hold his own in that regard.
Evans is going to have to improve similarly if he hopes to crack the rotation, especially as a rookie. More than anything, he’s got to add some muscle. His 186-pound frame will encourage opposing offenses to try and attack him one-on-one.
Beyond that, there are a lot of defensive green flags. Evans plays with a perpetual effort on that end of the floor. His willingness to crash the glass serves as a great reflection of that with his 6.5 boards per game.
If that part of his game comes along, then it seems like Evans could be the next product of the Celtics 3-and-D conveyer belt.
“Isaiah Evans is an electric sharpshooting wing that’s armed with infectious confidence, positional size, defensive tools, and an evolving skillset,” wrote No Ceilings draft expert Jamaill Hines. “His bona fide three-point shooting and off-ball expertise allow him to seamlessly excel alongside any type of star/superstar and instantly impact any NBA team.”
With the way Brad Stevens spoke of wanting to improve Boston’s roster, it’s possible that Boston takes a bigger, riskier swing at the draft. But, if they decide to play it safe with Evans, his path to becoming an everyday player couldn’t be clearer.
Add us as a preferred source on Google