Boston Celtics

The annual NBA draft is taking place on June 25, 2015. The Boston Celtics have four draft picks, two in the first round and two in the second. After a respectable season where they made the 8th spot in the playoffs and finished 40-42, the team is looking to use these draft picks to improve their roster and return to the top of the Eastern Conference.

According to the general manager of the Celtics Danny Ainge, the team is exploring trade options that would allow the team to “move up” with both of their picks in the first round. The team has a lot of different needs that they would like to improve for the 2015-2016 season.

Some of the team needs include rim protection, versatile power forwards, and wings with the ability to shoot from the perimeter. Here is a list of players that fit the Celtic needs and have the potential to help the team improve next season. 

Sam Dekker

Dekker is a junior 6’9” wing player out of Wisconsin University. He is coming off of his best year as a collegiate athlete where he averaged 13.9 ppg along with 5.5 rpg. Dekker was one of the best players for the 2015 NCAA runner-up Badgers.

He received First-Team All-Big 10 honors both his sophomore and junior seasons. Some of his strengths are his offensive ability and size for position, along with his athleticism. He proved to be somewhat inconsistent during his time at Wisconsin but when he is playing well he proves to be one of the best wings coming out of this draft. 

Willie Cauley-Stein

The Celtics will need to make a trade in order to move up in the draft but if they can, Willie Cauley-Stein would be a huge selection for the team. The Celtics desperately need rim protection and a defensive presence and there is no better defender coming out of the draft than Cauley-Stein. At 7’0” with a 7’3” wingspan, Willie Cauley-Stein possesses some of the best physical tools in the draft.

To go along with his size and length, Cauley-Stein is extremely mobile and agile for his position and can guard any spot on the floor. This past year he was awarded Consensus First-Team all-american while averaging 8.9 ppg, 6.4 rpg, and 1.7 blocks per game to help lead the Kentucky Wildcats to an impressive 38-1 record.

Cauley-Stein isn’t much of a threat on the offensive end which could hurt a team but his defensive presence is undeniable and if the Celtics have a chance to make a trade to draft him then that would be ideal for the teams future. 

R.J Hunter

R.J Hunter is one of the more unfamiliar players in the draft but is a player that the Celtics should keep their eye on. Hunter burst on the scene during the 2015 NCAA tournament where he nailed a 3 pointer to help Georgia State upset the Baylor Bears in the first round.

At 6’6”, Hunter possesses good size for the wing position. He is a natural scorer with the ability to really shoot the ball from deep to go along with a high basketball IQ. This past year Hunter averaged 19.7 ppg along with 4.7 rpg and 3.6 apg.

Coming from Georgia State, Hunter may not have played some of the teams others in the draft have played during his tenure in college but with his size, length, and jump shot, he has the potential be a very productive player for the Celtics if they decided to take him on draft night. 

Myles Turner

Just 19 years of age, Myles Turner averaged 10.1 ppg and 6.5 rpg during his freshman campaign at the University of Texas. Although he was just a freshman, Turner also averaged 2.6 blocks per game and proved to be one of the best rim protectors in the country.

Standing at 6’11”, Myles Turner has the rare ability to step out and make jump shots from the perimeter and also play with his back to the basket and score from the inside. One of the things that Turner really struggles with is his athleticism. He is not a fluid athlete and sometimes struggles getting end to end on the floor.

Although the athleticism may be a concern, at 19 years of age with his offensive ability and shot blocking skills, the Celtics would be extremely satisfied with drafting Myles Turner in the near future. 

Kevon Looney

After finishing his freshman campaign at UCLA, Kevon Looney is viewed as a lock first round pick in this years draft. Standing at 6’9” Looney averaged 11.6 ppg and 9.2 rpg this past season for the Bruins.

Looney was one of the more versatile players in the country this past season with the ball handling and athleticism that he has for his size. To go along with his frame, Looney also has a 7’3.5” wingspan which is one of the longest in this years draft.

Looney isn’t very polished offensively and sometimes struggle the score the basketball in the half court. But with his athleticism, ball handling, and basketball IQ, Looney has star potential and has one of the highest upsides in this years draft.