Celtics Mock Draft Roundup With One Week To Go Until 2019 NBA Draft
BOSTON (CBS) -- There is just one week left until the picks start flying off the board at the 2019 NBA Draft, so the draft mockers are really picking up their mock game, so to speak.
The Celtics still have three picks at their disposal, though we'll see if that changes with the Anthony Davis extravaganza heating up. If the Celtics do acquire Davis between now and draft day, chances are at least one of those picks will be heading to New Orleans.
But for now, Danny Ainge has a trio of selections to make, and there are a whole slew of players who the experts think the Celtics will draft when they're on the clock:
No. 14: Jaxson Hayes, C, Texas
Athletic center whose experience playing wide receiver in high school has given him the ideal tools as a rim running big.
Previous Mock: Nassir Little, F, North Carolina
No. 20: Grant Williams, F, Tennessee
Team-first player who runs the show from the post in college but will need to expand his game to the perimeter at the next level.
Previous Mock: Talen Horton-Tucker, F, Iowa State
No. 22: Dylan Windler, F, Belmont
Sweet shooter who led Belmont to the NCAA tournament this year; he projects as a 3-and-D wing at the next level.
Previous Mock: PJ Washington, F, Kentucky
No. 14: Brandon Clarke, PF, Gonzaga
[Zion] Williamson, as noted above, had the highest Player Efficiency Rating in college basketball this season. But Clarke's PER ranked second nationally; it was more than three points better than everybody else's. And the 6-8 forward was a big reason why Gonzaga finished a perfect 16-0 in the West Coast Conference while earning a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Clarke averaged 16.9 points, 8.6 rebounds and 3.2 blocks in 28.1 minutes per game. The San Jose State transfer is a high-energy big who is a plus-player on both ends of the court. Any franchise obsessed with advanced stats, which is most, will seriously consider him anywhere outside of the top 10.
Previous Mock: Clarke
No. 20: Ty Jerome, SG, Virginia
Show me a smart player with good size for his position who can play either backcourt spot, dribble, pass, shoot and be tough on the defensive end of the court, and I'll show you somebody who will have a long career playing professional basketball. Jerome is such a player. The 6-5 combo guard averaged 13.6 points, 5.5 assists and 4.2 rebounds in 33.9 minutes per game for a Virginia team that won the national title. The success other recent Virginia alums have had in the NBA, combined with the fact that Jerome made 39.2% of the 424 3-pointers he attempted in college, will help him with front offices looking to avoid a mistake.
Previous Mock: Jerome
No. 22: Kevin Porter Jr., G, USC
From a purely basketball perspective, Porter is a lottery talent who would be a steal for the Celtics, or anybody else, this low in this draft. But he's done very little, and possibly nothing, to eliminate some of the red flags that figure to make selecting him in the lottery a non-starter for some -- not all, but definitely some -- franchises. The 6-6 wing spent part of his freshman season injured, part of it suspended and was something less than the model student-athlete while averaging just 9.5 points in 22.1 minutes per game for a USC team that finished with a losing record. None of that alone means Porter won't emerge as one of the 10 best players from this draft. But some of that is why he's unlikely to be one of the top 10 players selected in this draft.
Previous Mock: Luguentz Dort, G, Arizona State
No. 14: Brandon Clarke, PF, Gonzaga
Clarke is one of the oldest projected first-rounders in this class, and also one of the safest projected first-rounders because of what he brings to the table as an athletic leaper, shot-blocker and efficient scorer around the basket. After leading the NCAA in blocked shots and field-goal percentage last season, it's clear he can be an immediate impact player for a contender like the Celtics -- and he can create most of his production without requiring touches.
No. 20: Matisse Thybulle, SF, Washington
The Celtics don't lack for offense, particularly at small forward. So adding a defensive specialist in Thybulle makes tons of sense here. While he needs to improve as a shooter to become a premium 3-and-D wing, his worth as a defensive stopper will be invaluable in Boston.
No. 22: Bol Bol, C, Oregon
Danny Ainge has enough equity as Boston's GM to afford a big risk in Bol Bol, Oregon's 7-2 center. Bol played just nine games last season before sustaining a season-ending stress fracture to the navicular bone in his left foot that required surgery, but he showed flashes of unicorn talents by shooting 52 percent from 3-point range and blocking 2.7 shots per game. Questions about his durability, frame and defense will keep him out of the top 10, but upside as a unique offensive weapon is worth a dart throw at No. 22.
Jeremy Woo, Sports Illustrated
No. 14: Tyler Herro, SG, Kentucky
Herro has become a viable option for teams in the late lottery due to his potent jumper and developing off-dribble game. At this point, his floor is thought by some to be Orlando at No. 16. He's one of the better perimeter scorers in the draft, and one of the few who couple outside shooting with some legitimate long-term upside. With three first-rounders and some forthcoming roster uncertainty, safe to say Boston will have a lot of options on draft night, and likely won't make all their selections. Adding another shooter to the mix here might be a prudent place to start.
Previous Mock: Gogo Bitadze, C, Republic of Georgia
No. 20: Kevin Porter Jr., SG, USC
The Celtics can afford to take a big swing here, with three first-rounders in hand. Porter has a wide variance of outcomes right now, but would be a fascinating risk-reward pick for them here. The sense right now is that his range begins at the end of the lottery with Charlotte and Miami, but myriad concerns regarding off-court issues at USC and his overall maturity are hurting him a bit. On ability alone, he's totally justifiable in the lottery, teams just have to feel comfortable that they can put him in a positive environment to help him get acclimated and avoid distractions. Boston might have the right type of roster to help insulate his development path early on.
Previous Mock: PJ Washington, F, Kentucky
No. 22: Bol Bol, C, Oregon
As we reported Monday, Bol will work out for select teams in private on Wednesday, according to league sources. After skipping medicals at the combine, it's imperative that Bol demonstrates that he's made progress physically after fracturing his foot during the season at Oregon, and even then, teams have real worries about his long-term health. Ultimately, his landing spot will hinge on who has access to his medical information, and how confident they feel taking the risk. Boston is thought to be an interested party, and Bol should be on the board for them at No. 14, but the concerns about the injury as well as his work ethic are tangible enough that he could still be available in the 20s. The upside tied to his three-point shooting and shot-blocking ability remains intriguing.
Previous Mock: Luguentz Dort, G, Arizona State
No. 14: Nickeil Walker-Alexander, PG, Virginia Tech
Regardless of Kyrie Irving's free agency decision, the Celtics will need a point guard. Walker-Alexander, cousin of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, is the best point guard left at this point and a good fit for how Brad Stevens likes his offense. He's among the top distributors in this point guard class, and would thrive in an equal-opportunity offense similar to the one in Boston.
He's an average athlete, but possesses above average size and length for a point guard, which will be huge as he progresses on the defensive end. He plays with a steady hand and ranks up with the best passers of this class, and can shoot. The Celtics need an immediate contributor in this draft class, not a long-term potential bet. Walker-Alexander gives a little bit of both.
No. 20: Nassir Little, F, UNC
Like [Romeo] Langford, Little was considered a high lottery pick prior to an underwhelming season at North Carolina, and the Celtics buy low here. He's shown flashes in the past of a nightmarish defender who could wreak havoc on opposing offenses. He's an elite athlete who's good enough to survive off smart cuts and dribble drives as the defense collapses. His potential hinges entirely upon his shooting right now, though.
Little is an enticing trade piece if they do decide to ship off half their team for AD, and a potential building block to round out their core of wings if Ainge neglects to mortgage their future to New Orleans. A good fit and good value at this point in the draft.
No. 22: Jalen McDaniels, F, San Diego State
With the last of their trio of first-rounders this year, the Celtics grab a unique and versatile player in McDaniels. At 6'9" and a 7'0" wingspan, he has the length and size to defend 1-4 adequately. Offensively, he brings a wide skillset to the table, able to attack off the bounce and create for others, finish at the rim, and isn't far off from having a decent three-point shot. He needs to fill out his frame to be able to hold his own down low in the post and rebounding, and some of his turnovers were downright ugly at San Diego State. But his skillset is unique enough that he's worth a pick in the 20s.
In the future, he could play as a small-ball center, and right now can provide enough shooting that Boston could play him at the four without compromising their spacing.
Jonathan Wasserman, Bleacher Report
No. 14: PJ Washington, F, Kentucky
The Boston Celtics could see a positionless prospect in PJ Washington, whose improved conditioning and shooting—plus that 7'2¼" wingspan—might allow head coach Brad Stevens to play him at multiple spots on the floor.
Despite Kentucky's loss to Auburn in the NCAA tournament, he finished strong with 28 points, 13 rebounds, two threes, two steals and two blocks.
Washington took a sizable step forward this season. Though a lack of explosion and shot-creating skill hint at a lower ceiling, the Celtics could detect value in the middle of the first round for his high floor and fit.
Previous Mock: Bitadze
No. 20: Tyler Herro, SG, Kentucky
The Celtics could always use shooters to surround their core scorers, and Herro is bound to wow during workouts with his textbook form and effortless range.
Previous Mock: Herro
No. 22: Keldon Johnson, SG, Kentucky
With questions about Johnson's ball-handling and shooting but promise tied to his downhill scoring ability, set shots and defensive potential, he figures to earn consideration in the tier that follows the lottery. Even if his ceiling is limited, he'd give Boston a tough competitor—though it's also possible the Celtics trade their third first-rounder.
Previous Mock: Chuma Okeke, F, Auburn
No. 14: PJ Washington, PF, Kentucky
Strong big man who can rebound and score in a variety of ways; Solid 3-point shooter who shows off NBA range
NBA.com only mocked lottery picks, those slackers.
No. 14: Tyler Herro, SG, Kentucky
This could be the spot for the sharpshooter out of Kentucky after reports of Herro impressing the Celtics. Although Herro struggled in his one year at Kentucky, shooting 35.5 percent from the three, he reportedly made 80 out of 100 threes to end his workout with Boston.
No. 20: Bol Bol, C, Oregon
The son of Manute Bol has extreme upside with his size and natural talent, but will be a project for any team. There are a few questions causing him to fall in the draft because of chronic foot injuries and a lack of passion for the game at times. The Celtics will have time to be patient with Bol as he develops. He's already an elite rim protector and can knock it down from deep.
No. 22: Talen Horton-Tucker, SF, Iowa State
Horton-Tucker is a hybrid guard/forward with size and shiftiness. His shot-making ability off the dribble makes him a true threat in the lane. There are reports that Horton-Tucker has worked out with the Celtics, Thunder and Pacers, but it's hard to see him slipping past the Celtics at 22.
