Adrian Wojnarowski, only hours before the beginning of the 2012 NBA Draft, reported that the Boston Celtics are actively looking to move up in the first round.
The Celtics own the 21st and 22nd picks in the draft, which in years gone by would have carried little value, but this year's class of college stars is deep. With Danny Ainge and Doc Rivers never fearing to be aggressive, it should come as no surprise that they are trying to move up as high as possible into the lottery.
Despite earlier reports suggesting Royce White was the Celtics primary target, nobody is certain exactly who the Celtics are attempting to acquire. Here are a few options who the Celtics could be considering:
Austin Rivers:
Position: Shooting Guard
College: Duke
With Doc Rivers son a possibility, the possibility of the Celtics drafting him is a possibility that must be addressed. Personally I don't believe Rivers would be comfortable coaching his son in the NBA not least convince his own franchise to draft him. Rivers is an intelligent enough coach to understand that he cannot be objective of his valuations of the shooting guard from Duke.
Meyers Leonard:
Position: Center
College: Illinois
Leonard's size alone is going to see him be a lottery pick as he stands at a huge 7'1. The Celtics are desperately in need of size in their backcourt to enforce the paint on the defensive side of the ball. His athleticism would be too tempting for teams to pass on while his range will allow him to be effective early on in his career. Playing with Rajon Rondo would really benefit the rookie as Rondo has excelled with Kevin Garnett's size in recent years.
John Henson:
Position: Power Forward
College: North Carolina
The Celtics, and Doc Rivers, have prided themselves on strong defense in recent years. Adding Henson gives the team a strong defensive presence that they haven't had since Kendrick Perkins. Perkins was a completely different style of player to Perkins but both would have the same impact on the court. Effort alone would help Henson be a better offensive player as he would be playing with a point guard who would provide him opportunities for plenty of tip ins and dunks by attacking the paint.
Tyler Zeller:
Position: Center
College: North Carolina
Zeller will likely be one of the most sought after seven footers in the draft because he is much more polished and experienced than his piers. The Celtics are unlikely to be able to move up high enough to grab the big man, but would definitely love the opportunity to if it comes along.
Royce White:
Position: Small Forward
College: Iowa State
The Celtics court White because of his athleticism and potential to be a game changer at what is becoming a greater and greater position of importance in the NBA. The only problem with White is that plenty of other teams are stepping up and taking notice of his quality. White could potentially sneak into being a lottery pick by tonight. If the Celtics really value him, they will be willing to trade up to draft him.
Cian Fahey writes for the Guardian, Irishcentral, Steelersdepot and FFBLife. You can follow him on twitter @Cianaf
The Celtics own the 21st and 22nd picks in the draft, which in years gone by would have carried little value, but this year's class of college stars is deep. With Danny Ainge and Doc Rivers never fearing to be aggressive, it should come as no surprise that they are trying to move up as high as possible into the lottery.
Despite earlier reports suggesting Royce White was the Celtics primary target, nobody is certain exactly who the Celtics are attempting to acquire. Here are a few options who the Celtics could be considering:
Austin Rivers:
Position: Shooting Guard
College: Duke
With Doc Rivers son a possibility, the possibility of the Celtics drafting him is a possibility that must be addressed. Personally I don't believe Rivers would be comfortable coaching his son in the NBA not least convince his own franchise to draft him. Rivers is an intelligent enough coach to understand that he cannot be objective of his valuations of the shooting guard from Duke.
Meyers Leonard:
Position: Center
College: Illinois
Leonard's size alone is going to see him be a lottery pick as he stands at a huge 7'1. The Celtics are desperately in need of size in their backcourt to enforce the paint on the defensive side of the ball. His athleticism would be too tempting for teams to pass on while his range will allow him to be effective early on in his career. Playing with Rajon Rondo would really benefit the rookie as Rondo has excelled with Kevin Garnett's size in recent years.
John Henson:
Position: Power Forward
College: North Carolina
The Celtics, and Doc Rivers, have prided themselves on strong defense in recent years. Adding Henson gives the team a strong defensive presence that they haven't had since Kendrick Perkins. Perkins was a completely different style of player to Perkins but both would have the same impact on the court. Effort alone would help Henson be a better offensive player as he would be playing with a point guard who would provide him opportunities for plenty of tip ins and dunks by attacking the paint.
Tyler Zeller:
Position: Center
College: North Carolina
Zeller will likely be one of the most sought after seven footers in the draft because he is much more polished and experienced than his piers. The Celtics are unlikely to be able to move up high enough to grab the big man, but would definitely love the opportunity to if it comes along.
Royce White:
Position: Small Forward
College: Iowa State
The Celtics court White because of his athleticism and potential to be a game changer at what is becoming a greater and greater position of importance in the NBA. The only problem with White is that plenty of other teams are stepping up and taking notice of his quality. White could potentially sneak into being a lottery pick by tonight. If the Celtics really value him, they will be willing to trade up to draft him.
Cian Fahey writes for the Guardian, Irishcentral, Steelersdepot and FFBLife. You can follow him on twitter @Cianaf
Comments