How Will The Boston Celtics Approach The 2021 NBA Draft?
NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 10: David Duke #3 of the Providence Friars dribbles up court during the Big ... [+] East Men's Basketball Tournament - First Round college basketball game against the DePaul Blue Demons at Madison Square Garden on March 10, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) Getty Images  The Boston Celtics sent their lone first-round pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder along with Kemba Walker last week, leaving president of basketball operations Brad Stevens with just one selection mid-way through the second round. Boston parted ways with the No. 16 overall pick, but that was a likely scenario entering this pre-draft process anyway. As their roster stands right now, the Celtics dont need another mid-first round draftee. The goal is to make life easier for Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, and another draft pick wont do that right away. With that in mind, Bostons willingness to attach the No. 16 pick to Walker in last weeks trade made sense. Parting ways with that package means increased financial flexibility moving forward, something that will allow Stevens to bolster the Celtics support cast. The NBA Draft Combine and G League Elite Camp now take on a bit of a different meaning for Stevens and the rest of the front office. The focus is no longer on late-lottery and mid-first-round prospects. While Boston will continue to keep an eye on players projected in that range, it will keep a closer watch on second-round prospects and potential undrafted free agents. In addition to the No. 45 pick, the Celtics will have to fill two two-way slots for the upcoming season now that Tremont Waters and Tacko Fall have completed the maximum length of time on their respective two-way contracts. Boston will likely bring in potential two-way players to summer league and training camp before ultimately locking up those spots. While this years class has much more hype to it than the 2020 rookie group, much of that is concentrated at the top. Depth was a strength of the 2020 class despite a lack of star potential, and the 2021 class presents the exact opposite profile. That will make things a little tougher on the Celtics, but it isnt do-or-die when dealing with second-round picks and undrafted free agents. A few players have stuck out early in the NBA Draft Combine, some of which the Celtics should have their eye on. Lets go through a few of those prospects. David Duke Jr., Providence, Guard  Right now, its safe to project Duke in the range of pick Nos. 35-45, but he could see his stock rise following the NBA Draft Combine. He measured in at 6-foot-5 with a wingspan just under 6-foot-9. A point guard with size, length and athleticism is a profile that every NBA team wants, and Duke very clearly fits that mold. He can score and sees the floor well enough to run the offense, and his body control pairs nicely with the aforementioned athleticism in transition. Duke shot 40% during his last two seasons at Providence, but his shot form could use a little tweaking as its slightly rigid in its current form. Despite the latter point, his shooting is projectable, and thats a positive. Lets not overthink this, though. Duke is a big point guard who can create on offense and shows good activity on defense. Yes, hes an older prospect at 21, but he likely has a higher floor than some of his second-round counterparts. Neemias Queta, Utah State, Center  Quetas measurables were eye-popping when they came in Wednesday morning at the draft combine. He came in as the class tallest player at 6-foot-11.25 without shoes and a wingspan of 7-foot-4. That size is incredibly intriguing, and Quetas upside will draw the attention of plenty of NBA front offices. Hes a very good passer for his size and showed some promising scoring flashes from the block over his career at Utah State. His defensive impact is a major plus. Even though Queta is a raw prospect, he already boasts a good feel on that end of the court, which should project nicely at the NBA level. Hes one of the more appealing project picks that could go in the second round this year. Josh Christopher, Arizona State, Wing  Its more than likely that Christopher will be off the board at No. 45, but if he does slide, hed be a second-round steal. Simply put, hes a scorer. If hes able to improve his shot a bit, hell become a real threat with the ball, but the concern comes when hes off the ball. His lone season at Arizona State was rather disappointing, but his base skill set is a good one to build off of. Keep an eye on Christopher if he slides into the mid-second round, which could happen due to concerns about his all-around game. Joe Wieskamp, Iowa, Wing  Wieskamp has good size on the wing and can shoot it with the best of them. In his final season at Iowa, the 21-year-old knocked down 46.2% of his 3-pointers at 5.1 attempts per game. He showed off his athleticism Tuesday at the combine, posting a 42-inch max vertical jump with the first group of the day. If he continues to impress during his pre-draft process, Wieskamp likely will become a second-round lock, and a good one at that. Hed be an ideal player for Boston to develop in Maine for a year before using him as a shooting wing with size to help space the floor. Austin Reaves, Oklahoma, Wing  Reaves really impressed me during day one of on-court work at the combine. His defensive activity was effective and his shooting clearly stuck out early among the first few groups. The versatility of his shot was eye-opening, as he didnt skip a beat on or off the ball. Thats something a lot of prospects can struggle with, but Reaves seems to already have that perimeter versatility many teams look for. Out of all combine prospects early in the week, he is my biggest riser, and if that continues, he wont be available when Boston is on the clock at 45.