Who the Boston Celtics Should Target in the 2015 NBA Draft
The Boston Celtics' impressive close to the 2014-15 season shouldn't take away from the fact that this team has some very real holes that need to be addressed this offseason.
The Celts have positional needs at small forward and center as well as glaring deficiencies in shooting and rim protection that will hamper the franchise's development going forward.
Fortunately for Boston, the benefit of having such clear needs is that the team has the opportunity to make strides in the draft.
Its late-season surge precludes it from nabbing the most elite talent out there, but there will still be useful pieces available for Boston to take with its two first-round picks.
In addition to their own selection, which falls at No. 16, the C's own the No. 28 pick, courtesy of the Los Angeles Clippers.
Obviously, there is more talent out there that could benefit Boston than just these five players, but here are a few names that President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge and the front office should absolutely have high on their draft boards for this summer.
Myles Turner, PF/C
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2014-15 stats: 10.1 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 0.6 APG, 45.5 FG%, 27.4 3P%
Consistency plagued Myles Turner in his lone season at Texas, but the big man has the potential and developing skill set to be the ideal 5 for the modern NBA.
He is both a fluid jump-shooter and a gifted rim protector, two skills the Celtics, and the league as a whole, highly value.
His three-pointer is still a work in progress and may never emerge as a real weapon, but Turner, at the very least, has some Serge Ibaka potential with his smooth mid-range game and ability to convert at the free-throw line.
Turner was rarely dominant at the college level, but he showed strong flashes and was playing in a crowded frontcourt rotation.
As Derek Bodner of DraftExpress writes, "[Texas'] congestion of big men, and the lack of creativity in which they were utilized, clearly exacerbated Turner's natural tendency to settle for jump shots and not exploit his tremendous size and length around the basket more efficiently."
With the Celtics, Turner would be able to thrive in the pick-and-pop game, but it would take some time for him to adjust to running the floor in a more fast-paced attack.
Defensively, Turner would be able to make an immediate impact as Boston's best shot-blocker. Though he picks up some cheap fouls and is still learning which shots to contest, he uses his absurd length well and has shown a good knack for timing.
Turner would be able to play with any of Boston's frontcourt rotations thanks to his versatility, and he would automatically make up for some of their defensive deficiencies with his rim protection.
Adding weight will help him hold his own guarding the post, but Turner is a smart player on both ends of the court who has the potential to grow after a lackluster college career.
As with any big man prospect, he has bust potential if he can't stay on the floor or hone his offensive game, but Turner has real NBA skills and would be a no-brainer early pick for the C's.
Sam Dekker, SF
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2014-15 stats: 13.9 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 1.2 APG, 52.5 FG%, 33.1 3P%
The Celtics are likely to miss out on the top-shelf small forward talent, but they may be able to land a starting-caliber talent in Wisconsin's Sam Dekker.
Per Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress: "One of the most versatile and efficient offensive players in the college game, Dekker does a little bit of everything even if he doesn't truly excel in any one area."
Dekker possesses a unique mix of high-level skill and athleticism that makes him an ideal NBA small forward. He can shoot the ball from deep, attack off the bounce and defend multiple positions on the other end.
Even in Wisconsin's slow-down offense, Dekker was able to bring a spark to the floor with his explosiveness, penetration ability and quickness on the offensive end.
He would be a great counterpart to Jae Crowder coming off the bench and would be a natural fit in Brad Stevens' system.
His three-point shooting has regressed from the 39.1 percent clip he posted as a freshman, but his overall scoring game has expanded, and Dekker can surely get his stroke back in the league.
Although not a terrific playmaker, Dekker keeps the ball moving and is always willing to make the extra pass, a must to make the pace-and-space system successful.
Defensively, Dekker has the quickness to stay in front of most wing players and is a player who should adapt well to guarding the pick-and-roll in the NBA.
The Celtics struggled all season long to cover pick-and-roll ball-handlers, but Dekker will give them some useful versatility in that department.
He may not have superstar potential, but Dekker projects as a quality pick who should be in play for the higher of Boston's two first-rounders.
Bobby Portis, PF
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2014-15 stats: 17.5 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 1.2 APG, 53.6 FG%, 46.7 3P%
Jared Sullinger put up a valiant effort against Cleveland, but the athleticism of the Cavs clearly exposed Boston's frontcourt limitations.
While drafting an athletic center like Turner would be one way to address the C's frontcourt issues, another possibility would be to snag Arkansas' Bobby Portis, who had a tremendous sophomore campaign.
Portis is a versatile player on both ends of the court who fits into the Sullinger mold somewhat but is also taller and a better athlete.
He has a polished jump shot and projects to be a legitimate stretch big man at the next level. He only attempted 0.8 three-pointers per game, though, so it will likely take time for him to become a volume shooter from deep.
Still, he should fit well into Stevens' offense as a pick-and-pop big right away, and he does a good enough job running the break to succeed in the pace-and-space system.
Portis doesn't have much of a back-to-the-basket game, but that's something he can develop in the pros, and it isn't essential with Kelly Olynyk and Sully both capable of playing on the block.
He's a strong rebounder who uses his length well, and he's particularly active on the offensive glass. Boston was a decent rebounding team in 2014-15, slotting in 13th at 43.8, but it could be better on the offensive glass.
Boston rebounded just 24.7 percent of available offensive boards, a relatively low percentage that makes sense given that players like Brandon Bass and Olynyk aren't exactly active on the offensive glass.
On the defensive end, Portis could prove to be an unlikely source of shot-blocking, which would be a huge boost. He isn't going to be Anthony Davis, but he averaged 1.4 rejections per game and has good timing for help defense.
His fundamentals in guarding the post could use work, but overall, Portis is a fairly disciplined defender who should translate well to the league.
Drafting Portis would be a wise insurance policy in case Bass leaves in free agency while giving the C's a skilled, young big man to slot in off the pine.
Justin Anderson, SG/SF
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2014-15 stats: 12.2 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 1.7 APG, 46.6 FG%, 45.2 3P%
A fractured finger derailed a strong season from Virginia’s Justin Anderson, as he missed eight games and came back at less than 100 percent for the postseason run.
Still, the junior guard has serious NBA potential as a two-way impact player.
Per Derek Bodner of DraftExpress, “He has very quick lateral mobility, and changes direction very well on the defensive side of the ball. He also has a long, 6‘11“ wingspan and great closeout speed…”
The Celtics’ perimeter defense is much stronger than their interior, so drafting a defensive-minded player isn’t necessarily a need, but Boston could use someone to log minutes behind Crowder.
He has the physical tools to be a poor man’s Kawhi Leonard, and should immediately be a decent catch-and-shoot option in the league.
He experimented with launching more three-pointers as a junior, taking 4.0 per game, although it’s unlikely he’ll come into the league and be the long-range gunner Boston needs, but Anderson will provide some immediate floor spacing.
Anderson was initially projected to be a late lottery pick, but with his poorly timed injury he could be available in the latter portion of the first round, potentially with the C’s second first-rounder.
Obviously Boston has more glaring holes, but if they don’t feel like they can land a quality swingman in free agency Anderson could be a wise choice.
R.J. Hunter, SG
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2014-15 stats: 19.7 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 3.6 APG, 39.5 FG%, 30.5 3P%
R.J. Hunter had a down season percentage-wise, but he is still the kind of big time scorer the Boston offense could use.
Hunter was never staggeringly efficient at Georgia State, but his percentages dipped considerably with an increased workload as a junior.
The season prior, he shot a much more respectable 44.4 percent from the field and 39.5 percent from beyond the arc.
The reality is Hunter was a big time scorer in his college career and could give Boston’s offense a nice spark they lacked in 2014-15.
Despite Stevens’ creativity, Boston often relied on long, contested jumpers and not enough shots around the hoop.
As Bleacher Report’s Daniel O’Brien notes, “No one will label him a dynamic dribbler or a great athlete, but he can attack with either hand and is quick and creative off the bounce. He's wafer-thin, yet he scores quite proficiently through contact.”
In his last season, Hunter did a terrific job creating contact and getting to the foul line, averaging 6.6 attempts per game.
He would give the Celtics’ offense a dash of off-the-dribble creativity that they sorely lacked this year.
He is also adept at moving without the basketball and curling off of screens to create shots. Hunter should be able to slide into a complimentary role off the bench and play nicely alongside Thomas.
The concern with taking Hunter would mean that James Young would likely lose minutes and his athleticism probably gives him a higher ceiling than Hunter.
Still, if the Celts are looking to bolster their bench and get a player capable of making an immediate impact they could certainly look at snagging Hunter.
He should be available with the Clippers’ pick and presents a low-risk option to fill out the roster.
He needs to gain some weight before he’s able to check the game’s bigger 2-guards, but Hunter would be a nice fit on the Celts.
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