Why surging big Allen Graves is escaping the Celtics' draft range (and that's OK)

Three adjectives that describe Allen Graves? Smart, skilled, and active. He has an excellent feel for the game, good touch as a shooter, and it seems like he's always involved in the play at both ends of the floor.

The Santa Clara star redshirted his first year with the program. Rather than that decision by head coach Herb Sendek sending him to the transfer portal, Graves returned to deliver one of the best individual seasons in Broncos history. He claimed a spot on the All-West Coast Conference's First Team and earned Rookie of the Year and Sixth Man honors in the WCC.

That has taken the 6' 7.75'' forward from barely being on the NBA's radar entering the 2025-26 campaign to draft experts like ESPN's Jeremy Woo believing he's trending towards being a top-20 selection.

However, some, such as Adam Finkelstein from CBSSports.com, still have him 28th on their big board and 29th in their most recent mock draft. It seems like Graves is surging up the board. While it appears doubtful that he'll be available for the Boston Celtics to select with the 27th overall pick, it was still a player this author wanted to scout. And who knows, maybe he'll end up in green. It's hard to believe that will be the case, but crazier things have happened at the draft.

While the most popular mock drafts, such as the two mentioned above, help this author gauge a prospect's projected range, these scouting reports come from watching a handful of games on players like Luigi Suigo and Jayden Quaintance.

For Graves, it's an assessment formed while evaluating him against Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament and Gonzaga in the West Coast Conference Tournament.

Allen Graves' offensive scouting report

Spending the previous season studying from the sideline had to help with his ability to read the game. Knowing where to be and what to do allows him to play with confidence and control.

Graves shot over 51 percent from the field in his lone year suiting up for Santa Clara. He does a nice job of utilizing the glass with a soft touch on jump hooks and floaters. He also knocked down 41.3 percent of the 2.6 threes he hoisted.

He's also an effective screener, delivering them with force. And he's active on the glass at both ends of the floor. That includes grabbing 2.8 offensive rebounds per game.

Against Kentucky, he found himself in early foul trouble. However, Sendek went back to him with 10 minutes left in the first half. That spoke to his trust in Graves.

Unfortunately, the Sophomore star picked up his third foul less than three minutes later. That was a testament to his aggressive style of play. He likes to initiate contact at both ends of the floor, including when he drives downhill. He fouled out of seven games this year. To his credit, the WCC Rookie of the Year did not pick up another foul the rest of the game, even with it going to overtime.

That foul trouble had a lot to do with him not getting a ton of touches throughout the matchup. Graves still inserted himself into the center of the action on offense. He frequently set screens on the ball and stayed active to remain involved.

And as it got deeper into the contest, the Broncos made it a point to get him the ball down low. It might not always work out, but he consistently makes good decisions.

In one of the wildest sequences in this year's tournament, sandwiched between five points from the Wildcats in 10 seconds, Graves showcased his proficiency from beyond the arc, swishing a 3 from comfortably behind the line to put his team in front 73-70 with 2.4 seconds left.

Unfortunately for him and Santa Clara, Otega Oweh countered by banking in a triple from 32 feet to beat the buzzer. That led to Kentucky prevailing in overtime, ending the Broncos' season.

Lastly, a takeaway that was on display more against Gonzaga, when he wasn't fighting through foul trouble. Graves likes to get the ball in a post-up position far out on the baseline. He's looking to find a cutter or an open shooter. It's a nice option to play inside-out, but how often would the Celtics tap into this ability of his? It's useful and could add value, but might not receive many reps.

Allen Graves' Defensive scouting report

At the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, the Louisiana native's measurements included a seven-foot wingspan and an 8'10.25" standing reach.

That length helps him against taller options down low. Kentucky's Malachi Moreno has about three inches on Graves. Before deciding to return to the NCAA, he was considered a potential first-round pick. However, he was nearly invisible when they matched up in March. That also had quite a bit to do with how the Wildcats ran their offense, but the Santa Clara star forward did his part.

Where Graves' length becomes even more disruptive is against the pick-and-roll. He does an excellent job of playing angles, stunting to slow down the ball-handler before getting back to guard the screener.

As is the case on offense, the All-West Coast Conference First Team selection is constantly active on defense. He understands positioning, is always looking to help his teammates, and executes timely switches. He had two steals against Gonzaga and factored into more turnovers by the Bulldogs.

Graves also did a good job of meeting six-foot-nine Senior Graham Ike early and not allowing him to get deep positioning before catching the ball down low.

There were also instances when he struggled while dealing with Ike's size. And at the start of overtime against Kentucky, Graves couldn't keep six-foot-11 Brandon Garrison off the offensive glass.

The Allen Graves reality for the Celtics

This standout from the West Coast Conference is someone people would love to coach or have as a teammate. And he would bring a different dynamic to the four position in Boston. He would be a great option to utilize off the bench in double-big lineups.

And while there are shades of a smaller Al Horford, another player he evokes comparisons to is Grant Williams. Between these two, the Celtics have a role they could plug-and-play Graves into.

Unfortunately for Boston, it appears that his name won't be on the board at 27. He might not even be available at 20. And, for as much value as he may add to the NBA franchise that drafts him, it wouldn't justify the Celtics trading up for him.

Graves is a prospect whose intellect, skill, and constant activity make him fun to watch and easy to root for. But it's also not as if this is a dream prospect for what Boston must address the most. Missing out on good players is a part of the draft. That's the experience the Celtics figure to be in for with Graves on Jun. 23. And that's totally fine. The answer isn't to get carried away in moving up for him. It's to find as many options as possible that they like in their range. That way, they follow up last year's selection of Hugo Gonzalez, who they took with the 28th overall pick, with another individual they are excited to bring on board.

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