Five potential shooting upgrades for Celtics in 2020 NBA Draft

For years, the Celtics front office has preached taking the best player available in the NBA Draft above all else. However, after finishing as an Eastern Conference finalist with a roster already jam-packed with rookies (six), Danny Ainge signaled a bit of a shift in that mentality last month in his end-of-season press conference.

“You’ve gotta take all those things into consideration when you’re drafting," Ainge said. "Typically you want to draft the best player and not worry about positions, but we’ve all heard the rhetoric before and that’s true. But there are times when you need to draft for specific needs, especially when we’re drafting in the positions that we’re drafting this year and with the draft that we have this year.”

With the Celtics holding the No. 14, 26 and 30 picks in the NBA Draft on November 18th, there will be plenty of paths for the Celtics to maximize those choices. While it’s unlikely they will use all three first-round picks and a second-round selection to add to a crowded depth chart (potentially 12 players under contract already), there is a case to be made that drafting some NBA-ready youth in 2020 is an appealing option given an underwhelming free agency class that is hitting the market and Boston's lack of payroll flexibility.

The Celtics will have to choose wisely to weigh how they want to address certain needs on the roster (via free agency, trade or the draft) but one spot where an upgrade is needed is bench shooting. Boston was exposed on this front amid injuries in the postseason as teams turned to zone to dare the Celtics to beat them with the outside shot.

In the 2019-20 regular season, Semi Ojeleye (37 percent) and Brad Wanamaker (36 percent) were Boston’s bench 3-point shooters off the bench and neither are considered high volume or reliable shooting threats. With no surefire answers among the team’s 2019 draft class (Romeo Langford, Grant Williams, Carsen Edwards) in the 3-point shooting department for next season, this will be an area that should be on Ainge’s shopping list this fall.

So what players available later this month via the draft could help Boston right away in this department? Let’s look at five sharpshooting prospects that could be available for the Celtics in various ranges.

GOING TO HAVE TO MOVE UP TO TAKE HIM

Tyrese Halliburton
SG/SF
6-foot-5
175 lbs
Sophomore (Iowa State)
Age: 20
Notable stats: 15.2 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 6.5 apg, 2.5 spg, 41.9% 3pt

Thoughts on fit with Celtics: The Celtics are probably going to have to package some picks to move up here and land a player that many project to be a top-10 pick. His shooting is just one of his many strengths on the offensive end (41.9 percent on catch-and-shoot 3s) as his passing and playmaking have earned him rave reviews during his two years at Iowa State as well. He’s a high IQ player on both ends of the court, giving him the look of a rotation player from day one in the NBA. An ability to be used on and off the ball on the offensive end would take some of the onus off of Boston’s other playmakers and potentially create better-attacking opportunities for them with his ability to collapse defenses and find other teammates. He’s not a great finisher or a strong man-to-man defender but he plays well within the defensive scheme for a team, something that is required of Brad Stevens to get onto the floor. His athleticism is a bit of a question mark and that hampers potential NBA upside but his overall skillset fits quite well as a jack of all offensive trades.

AVAILABLE AT NO. 14?

Saddiq Bey
Wing
6-foot-8
216 lbs
Sophomore (Villanova)
Age: 21
Notable stats: 16.1 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 2.4 apg, 45.1% 3pt (5.6 attempts/G)

Thoughts on fit with Celtics:: Some bigger size on the wing here (6-foot-10 wingspan) to go with the 3-point shooting. Hisage is a concern that has kept him from pushing into the lottery in most draft projections but less upside could also translate into an ability to help right away. He’s a strong defender that can handle multiple positions thanks to his size and he’s also strong away from the ball, a requirement for Boston’s switching scheme. Offensively, he will probably remain Celtics fans of Jae Crowder with a better 3-point shot. He’s not explosive with his drives but he’s smart about getting to where he wants to go with line-drive attacks. He stays within his lane and makes sound decisions with the ball, whether it’s a shoot for himself or a pass to an open man/cutter. He’s not going to create for himself much in isolation situations due to a lack of athleticism but that’s why he’s available in the middle of the first round as opposed to the top end of this draft. One of the less ‘pure’ shooters on this list due to a lack of sample size but probably the best all-around defender of the bunch.

Aaron Nesmith
Wing
6-foot-6
213 lbs
Sophomore (Vanderbilt)
Age: 20
Notable stats: 23.0 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 0.9 apg, 52% 3pt (8.2 attempts/G) (14 games)

Thoughts on fit with Celtics: Probably the best pure marksman in this draft that should have a role in the NBA for a long time to come as a shooting specialist. His range at Vanderbilt went out to the NBA 3-point line already and he’s the type of player that teams will have to keep track of at all times, coming around screens. He’s also capable of firing away off the dribble and plays well within a team’s scheme. He already knows the tricks to get open through screening or taking advantage of defenses when they send too many guys at him to find the open man on the floor. He’s not going to be much of a threat on the drive or someone the Celtics could count on to create for himself in most spots. His defense also can be picked on as well in individual matchups despite his decent size (he’s smart within a team scheme). However, he would be an ideal complement off the bench next to Marcus Smart to help open up the floor more for Jayson Tatum with the second unit.

AVAILABLE AT END OF FIRST ROUND?

Tyrell Terry
Guard
6-foot-2
174 lbs
Freshman (Stanford)
Age: 19
Notable stats: 14.6 ppg, 3.2 apg, 40.8% 3pt, 89% FT

Thoughts on fit with Celtics:: This is the young upside bet if you are Danny Ainge and want to add a dynamic shooter to the bench that can help right away. He’s not a true wing so he’s going to be defensively limited to guarding point guard but he should be a threat from all areas of the floor. He can handle the ball well and finish at the rim adequately for his size but he’s an even bigger weapon from the perimeter. He was tremendous on catch-and-shoot 3s (48 percent), is crafty moving off the ball to open areas and can run the pick-and-roll as well. He’ll need to work on his body to avoid getting countlessly targeted on defense, a worry with another small point guard on the roster in Kemba Walker. However, he’s one of the most pure shooters in his draft and isn’t limited to being a threat on the perimeter like some of the other guys on this list.

Desmond Bane
Wing
6-foot-5
215 lbs
Senior (TCU)
Age: 22
Notable stats: 16.6 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 3.9 apg, 44.2% 3pt (6.5 attempts/G)

Thoughts on fit with Celtics: Draft seniors at the end of the first round doesn’t always work out well for the Celtics (just ask Danny about JaJuan Johnson). However, if the Celtics want to go elsewhere at No. 14 and intend to make one of their picks at the end of the first round, Bane could provide some good value in that slot (if he lasts that long). Like Nesmith, he’s a pure shooter with a long and impressive track record at TCU (43 percent from 3 in his career). Whether it’s off the dribble or coming around screens, Bane is comfortable getting up deep shots all over the floor, a skillset that the C’s could use more off of the bench to keep opposing defenses honest. Like Bey, there are understandable questions about his athleticism at the NBA level and whether he will be able to create separation against NBA-level defense since he lacks the burst of other top prospects. However, as a high IQ proven commodity at the college level with a jumpshot any team could use, there’s a strong chance he could help a playoff team at the back end of the first round right away despite his limited upside. The question is whether it will be in Boston.