The recent news of Kansas SF Josh Jackson steadily rising on the draft boards of many could ultimately be the player Boston decides to aim for in this deep 2017 draft class (of course if they keep the pick).
With the number one pick garnishing so much talk, let’s dive into the other three picks Boston has in the 2nd round (#37, #53, #56), a pivotal section due to the amount of upperclassman projected to go late in the draft. With 4 picks in this entire draft, Boston has the flexibility to acquire more and more draft assets or future team players that Coach Stevens and GM Danny Ainge can work with.
Here are my projections for picks 37, 53 and 56 for the Boston Celtics:
#37- (Senior) Josh Hart SG Villanova– A proven winner at Villanova, Josh Hart was an elite college basketball player that stuck around to help drive the Wildcats to its first title in over 20 years back in 2016. Adding Hart to the C’s would automatically give playing time to the 6’5 guard to help spread the ball alongside Jae Crowder on the wing. A tough guard who is a scorer (over 18 points a game this year), Hart’s departure from Villanova is big shoes to fill, but Boston gains one of the most hardworking college basketball players to the blue collar team the Celtics represent themselves as, a perfect fit for Hart.
#53- (Senior) Andrew White SG Syracuse- Another big shooting guard to throw into the Celtics mix here, White is a big time scorer (over 18 points a game with one year at Syracuse). Listed at 6’7, White has the height to compete at the shooting guard position while age wise (24 yrs), gives him the experience to come in and learn the offense most likely at a faster pace than those who are underclassman declaring early. This is a stretch here for taking White, but the long term success with taking White can be beneficial for the Celtics.
#56- (Senior) Isaiah Hicks PF North Carolina- The late pick goes to the power forward to stuck around Chapel Hill four years to make a run at the NCAA championship, and succeeded. Hicks, a 6’8 235 pound forward, was overshadowed at times by the big Kennedy Meeks, but came through the clutch when the Tar Heels needed him. Averaging 11.6 points and just under 5.5 rebounds per game his senior year, Hicks was an important part of the Tar Heels squad and can contribute his stretch making abilities to this Celtics team. To some, Hicks may be undersized, but giving the big man a shot for helping the Celtics rebounding woes cannot hurt.
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