Boston Celtics: 3 options with the No. 14 pick in the NBA draft
Boston Celtics NBA draft option No. 2: Jalen Smith
The center position is the obvious area that the Celtics need to upgrade. Daniel Theis and Robert Williams III is a solid duo for now, but there’s definitely a need for big to come into Boston at some point. This draft class contains a number of bigs. James Wiseman and Onyeka Okongwu are the two premiere guys, both of whom will most definitely be off the board by the time the Celtics come up. One player who will likely be available and could be a good fit for the C’s is Jalen Smith of Maryland.
Firstly, Celtics fans will love the fact that Smith modeled his game after Kevin Garnett. If he can be even a percentage of the player that KG was, he’ll be more than welcome in Boston. Smith is a 6’10 power forward who can play like a guard. In his sophomore season with the Terrapins, he averaged 15.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game on .538/.368/.750 percent shooting. He’d bring the dominance on the boards that the Celtics need from that five-spot, and plenty more. The Celtics have a decent 3-point shooter at center with Theis, but Smith is on a different level, he has the potential to become a true stretch-big (36.0 percent on 87 attempts in the 2019-20 season). He also attacks the offensive glass, which is something they’ll miss with Enes Kanter departing.
He’s a modern-day five, with the ability to cover the four too. Smith’s ability to handle the ball and move quickly as a five will allow him to fit into the Celtics’ scheme, while also bringing the size with it, which makes him a valuable piece. He will be vital to the pick-and-roll game as he has the ability to set good screens for his teammates. Then you have the dual-threat presence he can roll hard to the rim and finish effectively or pick-and-pop and become a 3-point threat – which will cause the defense to keep on him outside, indirectly creating space for his teammates cutting to the basket in the process.
The only glaring weaknesses his game possess right now are on the defensive end, but this will come as he develops. Given his 6’10” height, he is only 225 lbs, so will likely be overpowered by NBA bigs. But, again, he will fill out over his rookie year. And when he has that frame to go with his skill set he’ll be a big problem on both ends.