The NBA draft is being held June 25 and 26, and the Celtics, at least for now, hold the 28th and 32nd overall picks. Here are few of the names to watch for, according to the mock drafts.
Maxime Raynaud (Stanford, Senior)
7’1” | 235
J. Kyle Mann: “Raynaud’s four-year arc of improvement at Stanford was fascinating to watch. Over his Palo Alto tenure, he expanded from a floor spacer and screener to a highly productive, high-usage player. He has many effective outlets in his game. … (he) shot at a 44 percent clip on spot-up 3s (84 attempts!) and 77 percent from the line. There’s reason for optimism that his touch is good enough to be molded into something useful.
Karalis’ take: There is a strong temptation to go for someone like Raynaud because Boston is going to need a skilled big to take over for the eventual (or impending) departures of Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis, and Luke Kornet.
He’s 22 years old, so he would step into the NBA with some maturity behind him, which is something the Celtics might value as they try to extend their window of contention. It’s not like Raynaud is completely plug-and-play, but there is more polish to his game than some younger players. He’s probably not anywhere close to an NBA defender, but hopefully he’d get a year or two to learn from Horford before becoming a bigger contributor.
On top of everything, he has won the Skip Prosser award as the ACC’s top scholar athlete. A smart kid from Stanford with a versatile offensive skill set? That's a nice starting point for someone at the bottom of the first round.
Noah Penda (France)
6’8” | 225
Jonathan Givony: “Finding a combo forward such as Penda, who's capable of soaking up minutes, hopefully gaining some experience and perhaps emerging as capable of adding value in a year from now, would be a major win. Penda's versatility and strong feel for the game played an important role in carving out a strong role in the French first division. He is an intelligent passer who slides all over the court on defense and plays a mature style of basketball for a 20-year-old.”
Karalis’ take: At this spot in the draft, NBA teams are looking for someone with at least one elite skill around which they can develop a more well-rounded game. Penda and his defensive versatility might be that kind of player.
He’s a big wing but his shooting isn’t where it needs to be. It’s okay as a spot-up shooter, but it’s not yet at a level where it needs to be feared. He’s an excellent passer and offensive rebounder, so he can find ways to contribute, but his shooting and finishing need work.
On the plus side, those are skills that can be taught and refined with a lot of work and reps. His defense might be good enough to get him closer to the middle of the draft, but his offense might be what pulls him down closer to the bottom of the draft. He’d need some time to develop, but if his scoring can come around, he’s a potential steal.
Adou Thiero (Arkansas, Junior)
6’8” | 220
Kevin O’Connor: “Thiero is a slasher with a jacked frame and an explosive first step, but he has severe limitations on offense as a shooter. If he’s able to figure out the shot, then his length and versatility would make him a classic 3-and-D role player. The Celtics have had good success at improving shooters, so he’d be a fair bet at this choice considering his other strengths are tailor made for their system.
Karalis’ take: Thiero is another elite defender who needs to figure out his offense. His ability to move with the ball comes from him growing more than a foot throughout high school, going from small guard to forward with NBA size.
Thiero’s value is in his ability to hold his own guarding any position on the floor. We know the Celtics value that level of versatility. And I wouldn’t say his jumper is broken, per se, even though he’s not a good 3-point shooter. It just looks very deliberate, as if he’s talking through the shot (“elbow in … spot the rim … high release … hold the follow through”). I’d say he shoots a little bit like a center who has extended his range as opposed to an NBA 3-and-D forward.
That could be fixed with time and reps, but that's not guaranteed. Whether the Celtics take him or not might depend on their confidence in how hard he’ll work to fix it.
Hugo Gonzalez (Spain)
6’6” | 205
Rafael Barlowe: “González plays hard, competes, and brings real athleticism to the floor. He’s uber-confident on both ends, embraces defense, and is a stat-sheet stuffer who finds ways to contribute even when he’s not scoring. He’s got the type of intangibles you love to bet on.”
Karalis’ take: Gonzalez has one of those international stories that makes you want to grab him if he’s available. He’s only 19 but he’s been in Real Madrid’s system for 10 years. He started playing professionally as a teenager and has had some success at high levels against people much older than him.
That would bring a different level of basketball maturity to the team even in a kid who’s not even 20. But there isn’t one particular skill that makes him a must-grab. There's a chance he can still be available when the Celtics pick at 32, which would make him an interesting project.
Ideally, he’d be open to staying overseas to keep developing before coming over, giving the Celtics an opportunity to guide him without paying him. He hasn’t gotten enough opportunity with Real Madrid yet to establish what his NBA identity would be, so a draft-and-stash could be best for both parties here.
Drake Powell (UNC, Freshman)
Size: 6’6″, 195 lbs
Jonathan Wasserman: “Teams figure to put extra stock into Drake Powell’s NBA combine performance and workouts after he spent the year spotting up 49.2% of North Carolina’s possessions and taking just 5.7 shots per game.
Despite the lack of production, there could still be first-round interest based on his outstanding physical profile, defensive projection and 37.9% 3-point shooting.”
Karalis’ take: He could be someone Boston looks at in the second round. It seems like he has a lot of the tools to drive and finish, shoot, and defend, but his sample size in college is small and flawed. I guess that can describe him, too, because at 6-foot-6 and 195 pounds, he’s a little small for a wing.
I can see Boston taking him if he agrees to a two-way deal and spends some time developing in Maine. I think at his best, he can become a solid bench contributor with some work. At worst, he could be a good G League guy who never graduates to NBA-level production.