2025 NBA Draft Scouting Report for Boston Celtics No. 57 Pick Max Shulga

The Boston Celtics have selected Max Shulga with the No. 57 pick in the 2025 NBA draft.

The Ukrainian guard spent five seasons in college, finishing out his career with VCU, where he averaged 14.5 points and shot 40.2 percent from deep across two seasons.

Shulga was first-team All-Atlantic 10 twice at VCU thanks to his solid all-around game that includes a good outside shot and a willingness and ability to create for others.

Essential Facts and Stats

Previous Team: VCU | Position: PG/SG | Height: 6'4" | Weight: 204 | Age: 23 | Wingspan: 6'6" | PPG: 15.0 | RPG: 5.9 | APG: 4.0 | BPG: 0.1 | SPG: 1.7 | FG%: 44.5

Realistic Pro Comparison: Ron Baker

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Like Ron Baker, Shulga is a combo guard with versatility and limited athleticism.

Neither are blow-by ball-handlers, but both have shown the ability to run offense, pass, make shots and switch between both backcourt positions.

The key to Shulga lasting longer in the NBA than Baker did will be whether or not his outside shooting in college translates. Baker's didn't.

Strengths

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Shooting: Shulga is a more-than-reliable catch-and-shoot threat, which could be important for his NBA staying power. If he isn't entrusted to engineer possessions on his own, he needs to be a trustworthy receiver.

Rebounding: Despite standing 6'4", Shulga averaged 5.9 rebounds in 2024-25 thanks in large part to a nose for the ball that helped him get to loose balls before others could.

Passing: Shulga's passing numbers may not be great for a point guard, but they are for a shooting or combo guard. And his passing ability itself should be enough to force defenders to respect it, potentially opening a bit more space on his jumpers.

Weaknesses

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Athleticism: Shulga is not the kind of vertical or lateral athlete that many players at his position are.

Complacency: Shulga was occasionally prone to lapses or possessions in which his effort appeared to wane on defense. Even a half-second off in the NBA could lead to points for the opponent.