Boston Celtics Draft Review

Current Roster
PG: Isaiah Thomas/Terry Rozier/Demetrius Jackson/Kadeem Allen
SG: Avery Bradley/Marcus Smart/Jabari Bird
SF: Jae Crowder/Jaylen Brown/Jayson Tatum/Semi Ojeleye
PF: -
C: Al Horford/Jordan Mickey/Tyler Zeller

2017 Free Agents
Unrestricted
G Gerald Green
F Jonas Jerebko
F Amir Johnson
G James Young

Restricted
C Kelly Olynyk

Who They Drafted
1-3 Jayson Tatum, SF/PF Duke
2-37 Semi Ojeleye, SF/PF SMU
2-53 Kadeem Allen, PG Arizona
2-56 Jabari Bird, SG California
After trading down from number 1, the Celtics drafted Jayson Tatum, who apparently they wanted at number 1 too (sure...). Tatum has a high upside and decent floor offensively, mostly because of his polished mid-range game. He has excellent footwork and touch on his mid-range shots, scoring in classic iso-style, by holding the ball, slowing it down and using many advanced moves to create space for his jumper. Tatum also likes to work in the post, bullying smaller opponents to get to his turnaround jumpshot. While able to get all the way to the rim when he has an opening, that isn't a huge part of his game, and when he gets there Tatum wasn't a great finisher anyways and will need to improve significantly in that area. While he shot the ball okay from three his one year at Duke (.342%) he is definitely more comfortable shooting from closer in and will need to show he can shoot from the further back NBA line. He can get a little myopic offensively and slow down an offensive flow, though when he applies himself he can be a good passer. Tatum's game is a throwback to the last decade of the NBA and not really a tremendous fit in the modern NBA, however his ability to go out and get a bucket has value, even if he will really need to take steps to become an efficient scorer. The biggest question for Tatum, and one that will be crucial for his time with the Celtics, is whether or not he can play power forward in more than just spot minutes in the NBA. While he has the height and reach of a combo big, he will need to get stronger and play with a higher intensity level. On the wing, Tatum could become an average defender, though he isn't particularly physically overwhelming. It will be important for Tatum to play the 4 for the Celtics not only because it will open up their log-jam on the wing a little more but also because he is far more likely to have success playing there. Tatum played at the 4 the majority of the time at Duke, where he almost always had the athletic advantage and still wasn't dominant, and as we've seen with Justise Winslow and Brandon Ingram, playing the 3 in the NBA is a lot tougher than the 4 in college.
Despite the fact that they already have 3/4s Jae Crowder, Jaylen Brown, and Tatum on the roster, plus wanting to acquire Paul George and Gordon Heyward, not to mention Al Horford who is probably best at power forward, the Celtics found the value in the second round of Semi Ojeleye (who many thought would go in the first round) too much to pass up. Ojeleye has an extremely strong frame and explosive athletic ability, good enough that he should be able to guard bigs, wings, and guards, the kind of versatility and switching ability that is ideal of modern NBA defenses. One concern with his defense is that for all of his athletic ability, Ojeyele was not a productive defender, averaging just a half a block and steal per 40 minutes. Also his rebounding was very poor even for a small forward (11.8 rebound rate, which would rank 48th among NBA small forwards last season) and downright awful for a power forward. Considering the Celtics were one of the worst defensive rebounding teams in the NBA last season, Ojeleye's inability to help isn't ideal. Offensively, Ojeleye's best weapon is his jumper, though he can make plays in transition and off the ball due to his athletic ability. Ojeleye should be a solid role player for the Celtics (though he probably won't play much) because he can guard multiple positions and shoot so well, however his lack of rebounding and impact defensive ability probably cap his upside to backup.
With their last two picks, the Celtics took two Seniors who are unlikely to ever play for them but will probably fill out their G-League roster. Already 24, Arizona guard Kadeem Allen is one of the best guard defenders in college last season, a hardnosed, highly competitive defender that loves to get up and pressure opponents. He also is a solid shooter and can make some plays off the dribble, however he lacks the playmaking ability to be a lead guard and doesn't have the size to play anything else. Allen could be a guard in the Patrick Beverley mold if everything works out just right.
Their other draft pick was Jabari Bird, a highly recruited wing that never lived up to expectations and is frankly a bizarre selection, though Bird is a good (not great) shooter, he doesn't really do much else.

What They Need Going Forward
The Celtics are fishing for the best available talent this summer, and that means Gordon Heyward, Blake Griffin, and Paul George. Though it hasn't been mentioned as often as an option, now that Chris Paul has left the Clippers and Blake Griffin may be on the way out, the Clippers will likely be willing to deal DeAndre Jordan, who would really fix a lot of the Celtics problems and could turn their defense into a monster, especially if paired with Heyward or George on the wing. If, however unlikely, they are unable to land anyone at all, then it makes the most sense for them to keep their power dry and try again at the trade deadline and next summer.

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