NBA Draft 2011: 5 Players the Boston Celtics Could Draft in the First Round

If the Boston Celtics want to contend for a championship in the future, they will need to get younger. And with the NBA draft coming up, they have the perfect opportunity to do just that.

Although Doc Rivers has a reputation for not playing rookies, this trend will most likely not continue with the new rookies the Celtics will draft because the Celtics will need all of the youth they can get.

With the 25th pick, they will not be getting overwhelming talent, but they can fill voids, such as size, rebounding, and athleticism in this draft. And they may need to to stay in contention.

Kenneth Faried

Drafting Kenneth Faried would be best-case scenario for the Celtics given their position in the draft.

A big man—although undersized—that dedicates himself to rebounding, hustle, defense. He led the country in rebounding with 13.3 per game while also averaging two blocks and two steals per game. 

The Celtics need this exact type player that has unrelenting energy and hustle, excels on the boards, and will sacrifice his body for the team. The Celtics have been missing this ever since Leon Powe tore his ACL, and it seems Faried has much more potential than Powe.

However, the national attention he got in the NCAA tournament greatly increased his stock in the draft and he will probably go before the Celtics pick. Hopefully, the prior teams will focus on his weaknesses such as his size (only 6'8") or the fact that he played in a small conference.

Tobias Harris

At just 18, Tobias Harris would certainly be a work in progress. With his size at 6'8", a wingspan of 6'11" and his versatility to play both forwards, Harris is potentially a worthwhile investment.

He greatly improved throughout his freshman campaign at Tennessee. But his offensive game, particularly his jump shot, could still use some improvement. If the Celtics draft him, Paul Pierce can take him under his wing and help him develop.

He may not pay immediate dividends, but with his work ethic, Harris will eventually be a force in the NBA. 

Trey Thompkins

Trey Thompkins is a big man with exceptional post moves and scoring ability. He has great footwork on the post with a variety of moves and pivots that he uses. He also has a decent jump shot—that with his high release, he can get off on most defenders.

Thompkins gets good position down low and with a player like Rajon Rondo feeding him entry passes, he would thrive. But while his offensive game is excellent, his defense could definitely and conditioning could definitely use work. In the Celtics system his defense would no doubt improve. And Kevin Garnett could take him under his wing and help him develop.

JaJuan Johnson

Like Thompkins, JaJuan Johnson is a big man with incredible scoring ability. He has a great mid-range jump shot along with a dependable fade-away jump shot and hook shot. And at 6'10" with a lengthy 7'2" wingspan, he has great size as well which contribute to his shot blocking on the defensive end.

However, his rebounding could use work and will need to improve if he wants to be a force in the NBA. A greater commitment to rebounding along with bulking up could fix this. Besides that though, his size and offense make him a solid prospect for the Celtics. 

Davis Bertans

A young player at just 18 coming from Latvia, he is possibly the second best shooter in this year's draft. He mainly shoots off the catch, and with his ability to square to the hoop quickly and quick release he excels at it. And standing at 6'10" as a small forward on the perimeter he will almost always have the height advantage over opponents and that will make it easier to shoot over defenders.

However, he lacks the athleticism to be much more than a spot-up shooter and will likely be a defensive liability. But he has great potential to be a role player off the bench for the Celtics that can knock down shots.