Boston Celtics: 2016 Offseason Grades

The Boston Celtics had an uneven draft night, but managed to emerge as big winners this summer anyway. Here are their complete 2016 offseason grades.

Heading into the offseason, the Boston Celtics were coming off consecutive surprisingly successful seasons that ended in a disappointing first round playoff exit. The team’s future looked bright, but it was time for general manager Danny Ainge to finally put all those stockpiled assets to good use and help this franchise take the first step back toward being championship-caliber.

The results were mixed on the night of the 2016 NBA Draft, with Boston hauling in some high value players and promising draft-and-stash prospects, but also failing to package their plethora of picks into what Ainge had been promising for years: a blockbuster trade for a superstar.

The Celtics missed out on Kevin Durant in free agency, but they still managed to land their highest profile free agent in decades by signing Al Horford to fill a big need at the center spot.

With the losses of Evan Turner and Jared Sullinger freeing up minutes for Boston’s younger players, the Celtics will look to make the leap next season. Here’s a look at how their summer went with complete 2016 offseason grades.

Next: Draft Pick No. 1

Draft Pick No. 1

The Celtics had a plethora of options with the No. 3 overall pick in this year’s draft. They were trying to package that pick in a blockbuster trade to bring a superstar to Boston, they could’ve invested in the upside of someone like Dragan Bender, they could’ve forced a trade in the backcourt by taking the highly coveted Kris Dunn; the list goes on and on.

Instead, the Celtics opted to address the 3-spot for the long-term future by taking California’s Jaylen Brown, a somewhat controversial prospect who has undeniable star potential despite his shortcomings.

In his lone season with the Golden Bears, Brown averaged 14.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game, shooting 43.1 percent from the floor and 29.4 percent from three-point range.

Brown has the length (7’0″ wingspan), athleticism, speed and defensive skill to make it in this league, especially on an elite defensive team like the Celtics. For him, the key will be developing his perimeter touch to expand his offensive repertoire beyond just being a slasher and monster dunker.

In NBA Summer League, Brown pretty much confirmed what we know about him: He’s a good defender, solid rebounder and gets to the line with ease. He averaged 16.0 points and 6.2 rebounds per game in Las Vegas, getting to the line a whopping 61 times in six games. But it was also clear he still needs to work on his efficiency (30.7 field goal percentage) and perimeter touch (27.2 three-point percentage).

If Brown can shoot as well in the NBA as he did during his two Boston workouts, the Celtics will be in great shape with an eventual replacement for Jae Crowder on the wing, but there are questions about what happens if neither he nor Marcus Smart can knock down a three-pointer.

Brown has a high ceiling and comes into the league with a solid defensive foundation. But he also has some work to do on the offensive end, and higher upside picks — or perhaps even a blockbuster trade — might have served as a superior alternative.

Grade: B+

Next: Draft Pick No. 2

Draft Pick No. 2

With the 16th pick in the draft, Danny Ainge landed the first prospect in the “Who the hell is that? I need to look this guy up” category by taking France’s Guerschon Yabusele.

A 6’8″, 240-pound power forward, Yabusele is a strong and physical 20-year-old who was called “the French Larry Johnson” by draft expert Fran Fraschilla during ESPN’s live coverage. He’s slightly undersized, but Yabusele has three-point range, is an NBA-caliber athlete and knows how to create contact to gain an edge over bigger and stronger players.

During his eight NBA Summer League appearances, Yabusele averaged 8.2 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. Though he only shot 12.5 percent from downtown, he still made a respectable 48 percent of his field goal attempts.

Yabusele will spend the next year playing for the Shanghai Sharks in China, allowing him to potentially compete for a spot on Boston’s roster next summer.

The Celtics are set in the frontcourt for now, but they don’t really have a long-term solution at the 4. Yabusele wasn’t the most conventional pick this early in the draft, but this draft-and-stash selection could wind up being a significant part of Boston’s rotation down the road.

Grade: B+

Next: Draft Pick No. 3

Draft Pick No. 3

With their third first round pick, the Celtics really created a worried stir among their fan base with another draft-and-stash selection — Ante Zizic of Croatia.

At 6’11”, this foreign center may address a position of need down the road for Boston as one of the best rebounders in the 2016 NBA Draft class. He was named the FIBA Center of the Year, but will be stashed in Europe for at least next season — even though that’s not his personal preference.

Zizic has very little range and is still learning the intricacies of the game, but he’s only 19 years old and has the makings of a tough interior presence for an already formidable Boston defense.

It may be awhile before Celtics fans get to enjoy him, especially since he did not participate in NBA Summer League, but Ante Zizic should be able to make an impact when he does come stateside.

Grade: A-

Next: Draft Pick No. 4

Draft Pick No. 4

Halfway through the second round, a dynamic point guard like Demetrius Jackson probably shouldn’t have been available. But even in a crowded backcourt like Boston’s, Jackson represents tremendous value for the Celtics at No. 45.

Already signed to a four-year, partially guaranteed $5.5 million deal, the Celtics’ first selection of the second round somewhat proved his NBA merit in Summer League.

Though he only averaged 5.2 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game in Vegas, he shot a respectable 45 percent from three-point range and played with more composure than the raw numbers would suggest.

At 6’0″, his size is clearly not working in his favor at the NBA level, but Jackson is an explosive athlete and fiery competitor. He’s lightning quick with the ball in his hands, is a pass-first point guard and sees the court extremely well.

If he can spread the floor and bring some of the same leadership qualities he displayed at Notre Dame with him, he’ll become a fan favorite off the bench in no time.

Grade: A-

Next: Draft Pick No. 5

Draft Pick No. 5

At No. 51, the Celtics once again got very good value with Ben Bentil, a 6’9″ forward from Providence. As a player who can score from anywhere, Bentil runs the floor, has a 7’2″ wingspan and plays with a lot of energy.

More from Boston Celtics

• Why the new and improved Celtics are a major threat
• These two Celtics will be crucial to unlocking Kristaps Porzingis’ potential
• The new-look Celtics are closer than ever to an 18th title
• 3 Reasons Boston will regret trading Marcus Smart
• Ranking the 5 best available power forwards in 2023 NBA free agency

Though his defense isn’t great, Bentil still averaged 21.1 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game in his sophomore season, shooting 46.2 percent from the floor and 32.9 percent from three-point range.

His perimeter touch is still a work-in-progress, but there’s no question about Bentil’s ability to put the ball in the hole. His 4.0 points and 3.5 rebounds per game on .316/.143/.734 shooting splits in Summer League were discouraging, but again, he was the 51st pick in the draft.

Already signed to a three-year, partially guaranteed deal, Bentil has work to do to even make Boston’s roster. But this was a high-value pick for that late in the second round and if he manages to outwork R.J. Hunter and James Young, he could be a nice offensive addition in the future.

Grade: B

Next: Draft Pick No. 6

Draft Pick No. 6

Phew. With Boston’s sixth and final selection in the 2016 NBA Draft, Ainge used the 58th overall pick on Abdel Nader, a 6’6″ forward from Iowa State.

Right now, Nader and the Celtics are at a bit of an awkward place; Boston may not have enough room for him on the roster, but he played too well in Summer League — 10.0 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 49.0 FG%, 36.3 3P% — to be stashed in the D-League or overseas.

Nader shot 37 percent from three-point range last year for the Cyclones and could spread the floor for Boston at some point, but only time will tell where he ends up for the 2016-17 season.

Grade: B

Next: Adding Al

Adding Al

The Celtics didn’t land a superstar in the draft, they didn’t package their picks in a trade for an All-Star and they missed out on the Kevin Durant sweepstakes behind Golden State and Oklahoma City, despite a pitch that included Isaiah Thomas and Tom Brady.

But the reason Boston emerged as a big winner in the 2016 NBA offseason was the signing of Al Horford, who was lured away from the Atlanta Hawks by Brad Stevens and a four-year, $113 million contract.

Hardwood Houdini

Best of luck to the rest of the league trying to score on a top-5 defense that just added one of the NBA’s most underrated interior defenders in Horford, especially now that the Celtics’ young core has such a positive locker room influence to learn from.

Horford doesn’t put up big numbers, averaging 15.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.5 blocks per game last season, but his range will help spread the floor for Boston’s penetrators.

Keep in mind, this is a guy who shot a respectable 34.4 percent from three-point range last season despite multiplying his career-high number of three-point attempts per game by six…at age 30.

For those concerned about Horford’s age and fit with this roster, Stevens is the wunderkind of the NBA head coaching ranks and should be able to make this kind of ideal fit work. The Celtics didn’t have to give anyone up to add Horford and they’ve still got flexibility and future assets to add a superstar if the opportunity presents itself.

Boston probably shouldn’t hold its breath on landing a Blake Griffin or a Russell Westbrook via trade anytime soon, and rebounding may be an issue for this team. But with Horford joining the party, the Celtics may have launched themselves into the conversation of “biggest threat to Cleveland in the East.”

Grade: A

Next: Going Green/Odds And Ends

Going Green/Odds And Ends

Rounding out Boston’s summer included signing veteran gunner Gerald Green to a one-year, minimum contract; re-signing restricted free agent Tyler Zeller two a two-year, partially guaranteed $16 million deal; and signing former Boston University standout John Holland to a partially guaranteed two-year deal.

In Green, the Celtics get a bit of scoring help and return G-Air-ald to the franchise where his NBA career began more than a decade ago. Last season in Miami, Heat fans were treated to the full up-and-down Gerald Green experience, as he averaged 8.9 points per game in uneven minutes — mostly due to his underwhelming .392/.323/.783 shooting splits.

Green can’t really be relied upon by contenders, but he’s had his best seasons when he’s been unleashed like he was with the Phoenix Suns. Perhaps Stevens will be able to give him enough leeway to rediscover his pressure cooker scoring again.

https://twitter.com/Marc_DAmico/status/758499096667750400

Zeller, who is entering his fifth NBA season at age 26, has yet to find his place in the league. It was only two years ago that he put up 10.2 points and and 5.7 rebounds per game in 82 appearances for the Celtics, but his numbers shrank to 6.1 points and 3.0 rebounds per game last year in nearly 10 fewer minutes per game.

The Celtics don’t really need Zeller, especially with Horford now on board, but a little extra depth in the frontcourt never hurts.

Finally there’s Holland, who agreed to a two-year, partially guaranteed deal and will have to work his way onto Boston’s final roster after training camp.

A 6’5″ shooting guard from Puerto Rico, Holland went undrafted in 2011 before spending the next five years playing in France, Spain, Turkey and the NBA D-League. He played in one playoff game in 2016 for the Celtics, logging a grand total of one minute.

None of these acquisitions move the needle much, but Green could be useful in a pinch — even with Boston’s backcourt logjam and Green’s defensive lapses being well known issues by now.

Grade: B-

Next: Overall

Overall

Most of Boston’s offseason activity came on draft night, with the Celtics surprisingly — and disappointingly — using all six of their draft picks on actual players. Three of them were draft-and-stash selections for a team rapidly running out of roster spots, but that actually made Boston’s draft haul feel even more underwhelming to a fan base expecting a franchise-altering move.

More from Hoops Habit

• The 5 most dominant NBA players who never won a championship
• 7 Players the Miami Heat might replace Herro with by the trade deadline
• Meet Cooper Flagg: The best American prospect since LeBron James
• Are the Miami Heat laying the groundwork for their next super team?
• Sophomore Jump: 5 second-year NBA players bound to breakout

Though Ainge’s picks weren’t ill-advised in and of themselves, the Celtics were armed to the teeth with assets and once again failed to cash in on them. There was also a strong sentiment that a high-upside pick like Dragan Bender or a better overall player like Kris Dunn would’ve been preferable to taking Jaylen Brown at No. 3.

Again, Boston found good value with almost every single one of its draft picks, but Ainge’s inability to turn his treasure trove of assets into, you know, actual treasure was a disappointment for the second year in a row. Brown has his work cut out for him, and it’s unlikely any of Boston’s new rookies will help in any significant way next season.

These picks can only hope to bolster the roster down the road, but the good news is the Celtics still managed to emerge as big winners of the offseason because of the Al Horford acquisition. The fact that they were even in the conversation for Kevin Durant speaks volumes about the direction this franchise is heading in.

More hoops habit: Toronto Raptors: 2016 Offseason Grades

Missing out on Durant means Boston remains one superstar away from making the leap to contender status, but the Celtics could wind up being Cleveland’s greatest challenge in the East. Horford is a great basketball and personnel fit, and Boston is still in a great position to add a superstar down the road.

Grade: A-