NBA Draft fits for the Celtics

It has slipped under the radar with all that’s been going on lately, but the 2013 NBA Draft takes place Thursday. The Celtics have needs, and their most pressing holes are in the middle of the paint and directly behind Rajon Rondo in the backup point guard role. President of basketball operations Danny Ainge owns just one pick, No. 16, so he can’t fill them all here. The 16th pick is the team’s highest selection since 2007, when they selected and traded Jeff Green with the No. 5 pick. Ainge has yet to tip his hand as to which direction the team will go, but the Celtics have been bringing in several players for workouts. They’ve also been rumored to have a promise in with another player. See which players would be good fits in a Celtics uniform.

Gorgui Dieng

Position: Center
Age: 23
Height, weight: 6-11, 230 pounds
Last played: University of Louisville
2012-13 stats: 9.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.5 blocks in 31 minutes
DraftExpress.com projection: No. 20 pick
Strengths: Length, shot-blocking, wingspan
Weaknesses: Post game, strength on defense/rebounding

Skinny: Dieng was the Big East Defensive Player of the Year and the anchor of one of the best defenses in the country, averaging 3.2 blocks per 40 minutes of play. He also became adept at guarding the pick-and-roll and switching onto smaller players, skills that will translate very well to the NBA. Where Dieng is lacking a bit is in guarding and boxing out stronger players, though he’s added about 50 pounds to his frame and is no longer a too-skinny prospect.

On offense, Dieng has developed a midrange jump shot, knocking down 50 percent of his attempts last season. His post-up game is a work in progress. He’s gotten much better at catching and finishing around the rim. The 23-year-old has been playing basketball for six years and figures to be a defensive specialist in the NBA, at least to start.

Cody Zeller

Position: Forward/center
Age: 20
Height, weight: 7-0, 230 pounds
Last played: Indiana University
2012-13 stats: 16.5 points, 8.1 rebounds, 56.2 percent shooting
DraftExpress.com projection: No. 11 pick
Strengths: Versatility, polished offensive game, mobility
Weaknesses: Strength, interior defense, wingspan

Skinny: Zeller’s stock fell dramatically after he bypassed the chance to be a top-10 pick last year and came back for his sophomore season at Indiana. Playing another year in the national spotlight exposed Zeller a bit, calling into question his toughness and response to double-teams and added pressure. There’s no question he remains one of the more polished players in the draft offensively. In that way, he reminds me of Jared Sullinger, who slid in the draft despite playing at the highest level in college. Zeller lacks Sullinger’s tenacity. He also lacks a consistent jump shot; he attempted just 24 of them in 36 games last season. He makes free throws at a high rate. Zeller can run the floor, and he improved his rebounding from his freshman to his sophomore season — that was one of the big question marks about his game. He’s a 7-footer with skills and is still a lock to be a top 20 pick.

Shane Larkin

Position: Point guard
Age: 20
Height, weight: 5-10, 171 pounds
Last played: University of Miami
2012-13 stats: 14.5 points, 4.6 assists, and 2.3 turnovers in 36 minutes
DraftExpress.com projection: No. 14 pick
Strengths: Pick-and-roll, agility, speed, scoring. Larkin’s 44-inch vertical leap was the second-highest ever recorded at the combine.
Weaknesses: Size, defense

Skinny: Undersized guards are something of a trend following Nate Robinson’s standout performance for the Bulls in this year’s playoffs. Robinson aside, the Celtics could use someone to run their offense when Rajon Rondo goes to the bench (or in case Rondo isn’t ready for the start of the season). On Monday, we profiled German point guard Dennis Schroeder. Larkin is more ready to contribute now. If you watched college basketball this season, you’re familiar with the explosiveness Larkin possesses. The Celtics are familiar, too. Larkin was a high school rival of Doc Rivers’s son Austin in Orlando. He played at Miami for Jim Larranaga, father of Celtics assistant Jay Larranaga. The Celtics have already brought him in for a workout. “For me, I think he showed the things I’ve watched over the last two years in playing for my father,’’ said the younger Larranaga, who ran the workouts. “Shane, I thought he did what he normally does. He’s a very athletic, unselfish, tough player.’’

Larkin’s father, Barry, was a Hall of Fame shortstop for the Cincinnati Reds.

Steven Adams

Position: Center

Age: 19
Height, weight: 7 feet, 255 pounds
Last played: University of Pittsburgh
2012-13 stats: 7.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2 blocks in 23 minutes
DraftExpress.com projection: No. 10 pick
Strengths: Size, offensive rebounding, ability to run the floor
Weaknesses: Free throw shooting, offensive repertoire
Skinny: To this point, we’ve profiled two point guards. That’s one direction the Celtics might go in, but they also need size. This 19-year-old New Zealander is a true 7-footer and a true center, something the Celtics haven’t really used much on their roster in recent years. Adams worked out for the Celtics a couple of weeks ago and was impressive. “I thought he was great,” assistant coach Jay Larranaga told ESPN Boston. “I think he showed his size and athleticism, which is what most people first see. He competed, and he showed a high basketball IQ. I think through these workouts, he’s shown maybe more skill than people realized he had during his year at Pittsburgh. He was just a lot of fun to work with.” Former Celtic and current NBA analyst Brian Scalabrine compared Adams to center Omer Asik in terms of athleticism and physicality. Adams has a 33-inch vertical leap. The physical profile is impressive, but Adams has yet to show that dominance on the court. Pittsburgh ran just 11 percent of its offense through Adams. He shot 44 percent from the free throw line. Most of his scoring came on offensive rebounds.

An athletic big man is a commodity, and Adams is projected to be gone before the Celtics pick. If he slips, look for Boston to pounce.

Dennis Schroeder

Position: Point guard
Age: 19
Height, weight: 6-2, 165 pounds
Last played: NY Phantoms Braunschweig, International (German)
2012 stats: 11.8 points, 3.3 assists, and 2.5 turnovers in 25 minutes
DraftExpress.com projection: No. 15 pick
Strengths: Quickness, ball handling, athleticism
Weaknesses: Experience, finishing at the rim, lack of strength
Skinny: The Celtics need a backup to Rajon Rondo. A wiry, athletic player with a long wingspan, Schroeder was suspended for one game by his German coach last season for insubordination. Remind you of anyone?
“I play like him a little bit,” Schroeder said about Rondo. “He’s got defense, too, he’s got the long arms. After the pick-and-roll, he finds the open guy. I think I play a little bit like him.”

Schroeder has entered the realm of potential lottery pick only recently. He’s a risk, but so was Rondo. He won’t be NBA-ready right away. If the Celtics pick Schroeder, they’d be mortgaging the present for a high upside. Depending on how the chips fall on the roster, they could be willing to do just that. There was a report that the Celtics had made a promise to Schroeder at No. 16, but the player and his agent have denied that.

Tim Hardaway Jr.

Position: Guard
Age: 21
Height, weight: 6-6, 200 pounds
Last played: Michigan
2012-13 stats: 14.2 points, 2.4 assists, 4.5 rebounds
DraftExpress.com projection: No. 20 pick
Strengths: Shooting, athleticism, size for position
Weaknesses: Ability to beat people off the dribble, strength
Skinny: Hardaway is an unfinished product, but he showed flashes in a high-octane offense at Michigan. He attempted five 3-pointers per game and made 38 percent of them. He projects as an NBA shooting guard, and in addition to the shooting, he’ll need to develop his overall game. Still, a guard with size is something the Celtics don’t have.

Mason Plumlee

Position: Center
Age: 23
Height, weight: 7 feet, 238 pounds
Last played: Duke
2012-13 stats: 17.1 points, 9.9 rebounds, 1.4 blocks
DraftExpress.com projection: No. 14 pick
Strengths: Scoring ability, post play, pick-and-roll
Weaknesses: Perimeter shooting, lateral quickness
Skinny: Plumlee saw his scoring average increase during his senior season. Forty percent of his possessions came in the post, which is where you want your big man to be. The improvement is encouraging, but some of Plumlee’s game is better suited for college than the pros. He’ll need to develop some semblance of a jump shot.

Jamaal Franklin

Position: Guard
Age: 21
Height, weight: 6-4, 191 pounds
Last played: San Diego State
2012-13 stats: 17.0 points, 9.5 rebounds (!!!), 28 percent shooting on 3-pointers
DraftExpress.com projection: No. 21 pick
Strengths: Rebounding, size, toughness, versatility
Weaknesses: Long-range shooting, lack of position
Skinny: Franklin is a combination inside-outside player who is always in attack mode. He led his team in points, rebounds, assists, and steals as a junior. His rebounding numbers are insane for someone his size. His shooting and efficiency numbers, however, leave something to be desired.

The Celtics hoped to work out Franklin this week, but an ankle injury may keep him from working out before the draft. A guard with size is valuable, but a guard without a position is something they seem to have too many of. You can watch Franklin knock down jumpers in a workout in the video below. Maybe there’s something they can work with there.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

Position: Guard
Age: 20
Height, weight: 6-6, 204 pounds
Last played: Georgia
2012-13 stats: 18.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists
DraftExpress.com projection: No. 9 pick
Strengths: Scoring off the dribble, shooting ability
Weaknesses: Too dependent on perimeter shooting
Skinny: Caldwell-Pope has the size and shooting ability to be a classic NBA shooting guard. The Bulldogs used him heavily, and the big shooting guard delivered with outstanding efficiency and very few turnovers, considering the workload. Caldwell-Pope has been invited to the green room, so unless the Celtics trade up, he’ll be gone by the time they pick.

Shabazz Muhammad

Position: Small forward
Age: 20
Height, weight: 6-6, 222 pounds
Last played: UCLA
2012-13 stats: 17.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 0.8 assists
DraftExpress.com projection: No. 15 pick
Strengths: Scoring, strength, instincts
Weaknesses: Efficiency, quickness, height
Skinny: Muhammad may be the biggest lighting rod in the draft. His assist-to-turnover ratio of 1:2 is a good place to start. NCAA eligibility issues and a disappointing freshman season dropped Muhammad’s stock. He’s also an inch or two too short to play the small forward position the way he does, without the perimeter skills of a shooting guard. The Celtics do, however, need to start looking for score-first players to replace Paul Pierce when he eventually departs.

Michael Carter-Williams

Position: Point guard
Age: 21
Height, weight: 6-6, 184 pounds
Last played: Syracuse
2012-13 stats: 11.9 points, 7.3 assists, 2.8 steals
DraftExpress.com projection: No. 13 pick
Strengths: Size, passing
Weaknesses: Decision-making, perimeter shooting
Skinny: Carter-Williams has been compared to Shaun Livingston, a big, lanky point guard who had a ton of promise before a devastating knee injury. The comp is a good one, but Carter-Williams still has some maturing to do. Turnovers are a major issue; the point guard turned the ball over on 28 percent of his pick-and-roll possessions, the highest rate among his peers. He’s also not much of a perimeter shooter.

Tony Mitchell

Position: Power forward
Age: 21
Height, weight: 6-9, 236 pounds
Last played: North Texas
2012-13 stats: 13.2 points, 8.5 rebounds
DraftExpress.com projection: No. 27 pick
Strengths: Speed, combination small forward/power forward skill set
Weaknesses: Efficiency, shooting, turnovers
Skinny: Mitchell took a step back in his sophomore season, shooting the ball at a higher rate with less success. The athletic big man can run the floor well and has the skills to play two positions, but he needs to decide what he wants to be and focus on improving his game in that area.

Jeff Withey

Position: Power forward
Age: 23
Height, weight: 7 feet, 222 pounds
Last played: North Texas
2012-13 stats: 13.7 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.9 blocks
DraftExpress.com projection: No. 29 pick
Strengths: Shot blocking (and then some), consistency, defensive presence
Weaknesses: Upside, offense
Skinny: Withey has a polished game for a big man. He’s older than his competition, so there are question as to whether or not he has a lot of room to improve. Withey has a huge wingspan and good athletic ability.

Kelly Olynyk

Position: Center
Age: 22
Height, weight: 7 feet, 234 pounds
Last played: Gonzaga
2012-13 stats: 17.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.1 blocks
DraftExpress.com projection: No. 12 pick
Strengths: Post scoring, efficiency
Weaknesses: Athleticism, running the floor
Skinny: Olnyk presents an interesting case. He is polished and efficient in the halfcourt, and he’s excellent as the roll man on the pick-and-roll. He’s not as athletic in the up-and-down game as some of his compatriots, and he’s a little unorthodox. He doesn’t take many outside shots, but when he does, he can knock them down.

Your turn

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