NBA Draft: Here’s who the Celtics are predicted to draft at No. 25
Boston acquired the first-round pick from Memphis in exchange for Marcus Smart.
Following the reported trade that would send Marcus Smart to the Grizzlies and the No. 25 pick to the Celtics, The Athletic and ESPN released updated mock drafts.
Celtics
In The Athletic’s mock, Zach Harper has Boston taking Xavier guard Colby Jones with its new pick.
Jones, who just completed his junior year with the Musketeers, will provide some backcourt depth for the Celtics.
The 21-year-old has plenty of experience, starting in 82 of his 86 games over his three-year college career.
The 6-foot-5-inch guard impressed as a jack of all trades at Xavier.
Each season he’s shown solid skill as a wing defender with his 6-foot-8-inch wingspan. In college, Jones averaged at least 1.3 steals per game every year. He’s also consistently flexed his playmaking, averaging 3.6 assists per game for his career.
Even his rebounding numbers were impressive for a guard, averaging 6.2 a game in his three seasons.
Here’s why Harper thinks Boston could take him.
“He’s a tough defender who can kind of shoot the ball,” Harper wrote. “It’s tough to know if Jones finally fixed his outside shooting, but he’s a pretty good playmaker out of the wing. He can score the ball, and he can play all over the floor. Pairing him with guys like Derrick White or Malcolm Brogdon will only help him get up to speed as a rookie.”
For ESPN, Jonathan Givony predicted the Celtics will take French wing Rayan Rupert at No. 25.
The 19-year-old Rupert played professionally last season for the New Zealand Breakers.
The wing stands at 6-feet-6-inches and has a 7-foot-3-inch wingspan.
This is how Givony defended the pick for the Celtics.
“After losing some depth in the Smart trade, the team could be in the market for a wing with the versatility to defend point guards, as it has quite a bit of shot creation already with Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Derrick White,” Givony wrote. “Rupert’s ability to wreak havoc with his 7-foot-2 wingspan and high intensity level could be interesting at this stage of the draft.”
Givony also mentioned the possibility of Boston taking a former top prospect who has fallen down boards due to injury concerns, like Dariq Whitehead or Brice Sensabaugh.
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