The Boston Celtics hold the No. 3, No. 16 and No. 23 picks in the first round of the NBA Draft, and while they are looking to use some of those picks to make a trade for an established superstar, keeping them also put the Celtics in position to draft several impact players. However, drafting the wrong players could cause them to take a step back. Here are three players they should avoid in the first round - one for each pick:
Jaylen Brown, Fr., SF, Cal Golden Bears
6'7", 225 lbs - 14.6 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 2.0 apg
Brown is a virtual lock to be a top 5 pick, yet he's the kind of player that will struggle to make an impact in the league. Teams love his elite size, but that doesn't outweigh the negatives that come with his game. He's an absolute non-shooter (29.4 percent from three-point range at Cal), lacks soft touch around the rim, and often pre-determines where he wants to go on drives - which gets him into trouble (3.1 turnovers per game).
Brown can develop into a very good defender because of his size and strength, but he won't become an impact player. Boston would be smart to look elsewhere with the No. 3 pick.
Deyonta Davis, Fr., PF/C, Michigan State Spartans
6'10", 230 lbs - 7.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 1.8 bpg
Davis is the kind of prospect that always gives me pause. He wasn't a real impact player at Michigan State, but is projected to be a lottery pick because of his potential. Davis is an excellent athlete, which should give him an advantage over other big men in the NBA, yet it will take him a while to see significant playing time because he's still extremely raw. He also faded out of games way too often offensively, showing a lack of aggression.
There's a chance he could be available with the No. 16 pick, at which point many people would think he's a steal. However, they'd be very smart to pass on him.
Cheick Diallo, Fr., PF/C, Kansas Jayhawks
6'9", 220 lbs - 3.0 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 0.9 bpg
Diallo was projected to be a top 10 pick before the season started, but a lengthy NCAA investigation into his eligibility and then inability to crack Bill Self's rotation made his freshman season a forgettable one. However, the potential for stardom is there, making him a late first-round prospect.
While I think Diallo could become a very good player in this league, that won't happen for several, several years - time Boston simply doesn't have. Plus, he wouldn't see any time on the court, which would completely hinder his development. He needs to go somewhere that will give him a chance to play and develop, which simply won't happen in Boston.
Back to the Boston Celtics Newsfeed