Do the Boston Celtics have their sights set on a first round point guard?

It’s smokescreen season, people.

Simply over every week from the NBA Draft and one OKC win away from a brand new champion, the offseason has been heating up for the league’s 28 non-contending groups. The Celtics have been notably shrouded in offseason buzz for the a number of commerce avenues they may discover. Most just lately, the excitement has been much less concerning the gamers on the transfer and extra concerning the gamers they might need to draft.

A latest report from Dallas-based reporter Grant Afseth paints the Celtics as a group trying to transfer up on this yr’s draft, notably angling for a degree guard.

It’s vital to notice that the Celtics haven’t held many official pre-draft exercises with level guard prospects at the moment. In accordance with HoopsHype’s go to tracker, Boston has labored out three level guard prospects at this stage within the course of and a type of gamers is Milos Uzan, who has already determined to return to varsity to play for the Houston Cougars.

It’s not like that’s the end-all, conversation-closing stamp on what might in the end be simply your basic draft smokescreen, nevertheless it does point out that anybody’s on the desk if the Celtics do go down the route of a brand new flooring common.

This yr’s crop of rookie guards is top-heavy, largely centered round probably No. 2 choose Dylan Harper and Baylor’s VJ Edgecombe, however so far as true flooring common/lead guard prospects go, it could possibly seem a bit skinny within the lottery.

Oklahoma guard Jeremiah Fears will nonetheless be simply 18 years outdated when his title is named on draft evening, and what we’ve seen in his 34 faculty video games is a high-upside scoring guard with a rising bag of tips to create his personal shot.

Fears has a sleek ballhandling type, akin to fashionable score-first shotmakers like Kemba Walker or Jordan Poole, and that scoring is the predominant purpose a group within the lottery will look to take an opportunity on the Sooners one-and-done regardless of inconsistent 3-point taking pictures and a excessive turnover fee.

One other lottery candidate is fellow one-and-done Kasparas Jakucionis, a Lithuanian prospect that frolicked on Barcelona’s reserve group earlier than a transfer to Illinois. At 6-foot-6, Jakucionis is a succesful pick-and-roll ballhandler with room to develop as a playmaker, however actually has loads of movie to point out he could make the proper reads and toss dimes with a flourish. He’s a wonderful paint attacker, showcasing pace, energy and craftiness to complete on the rim.

A package deal of picks No. 28 and 32 can solely transfer Boston up thus far, so these choices might sound out of attain until a deal surrounding Sam Hauser or Jrue Vacation included a change of fingers in draft capital.

A group within the 20s nevertheless could also be a bit extra receptive to that kind of swap. Miami (twentieth general), Atlanta (twenty second) or Orlando (twenty fifth) might have interaction in that kind of package deal, providing Boston a barely higher probability at grabbing a high-upside guard like BYU’s Egor Demin or Saint-Quentin guard Nolan Traore.

Demin, a 6-foot-9 level ahead that left after one yr in faculty like Jakucionas and Fears, flashed main potential within the NCAA Match, displaying passing aptitude, rim ending capacity and high-level athleticism. The 19-year-old has the framework of a lottery prospect, however what’s holding him again is a subpar taking pictures resume (35% within the mid-range, 27% 3P, 69.5% from the road) and questionable shot choice.

Demin’s intriguing mix of dimension and play initiating makes him an fascinating developmental prospect, nevertheless it appears unlikely for Boston to focus on a non-shooting menace from the skin which will take a while earlier than he’s prepared for a considerable NBA function.

French prospect Nolan Traore could be a extra conventional possibility than Demin that they’d contemplate in the midst of the primary spherical. Operating the purpose at Saint-Quentin, the truth that he was a main ballhandler at 18 years outdated for a group on the highest stage of French basketball is in itself an attention grabbing logline for any draft hopeful, however Traore merely appeared like he belonged at that stage once you watch him play.

Traore has an elite trait, and it’s his pace with the ball in his fingers. The man simply leaves folks within the mud along with his straight line acceleration. All he wants is an easy jab right here, a fast crossover there, and he’s gone. Not many defenders might sustain with him.

It’s not all positives although. The younger Traore doesn’t have a constant bounce shot at this level, and on protection, he has a troublesome time working round screens, usually getting thrown out of the motion.

Even when Boston stands pat at 28, I don’t suppose it’s out of the query to see them nonetheless goal a guard. Prospects which have been talked about ceaselessly at the back of first spherical discussions like Ben Saraf (Ratiopharm Ulm), Walter Clayton Jr. (Florida) and Kam Jones (Marquette) all current good worth at 28.

Walter would arguably be the most well-liked choose of the bunch after stealing the present throughout Florida’s run to the NCAA Championship. At 6’3”, Clayton’s a bit undersized, however he showcased limitless taking pictures vary and the arrogance to attain from any spot towards any matchup.

There’s a lot goal to what Clayton does with the ball in his fingers. He’s all the time trying to rating, however he has an understanding of the gravity he possesses and has the imaginative and prescient to maneuver the ball into area due to that gravity. Hardly ever does it really feel like Clayton is out of concepts, and when he does wrestle to seek out an avenue to attain, he’s keen to cross it out of the state of affairs and re-route as an off-ball menace.

The truth that he’s an off and on-ball shooter actually makes it a better promote on his scoring capacity. Suppose Anfernee Simons-level creation as a ceiling, and you’ve got a good suggestion of how influential Clayton will be on the ground.

There are identifiable concern areas, notably in his overly-aggressive point-of-attack protection, however the truth that he’s not so closely reliant on self-creation and works onerous within the non-scoring areas reveals a participant with excessive potential for a late first-round choose.

Saraf presents an easy level guard with room to develop as a scorer.

Saraf has confirmed show-running traits with the ball in his fingers. He has good dimension, a affected person type and the imaginative and prescient to essentially hold a protection on its toes, spraying passes all throughout the ground. As a scorer, Saraf is a little bit of a blended bag. He’s obtained the instruments and dealing with capacity to create for himself on the drive, however that doesn’t prolong to his jumper, which in itself is a serious weak point to his sport.

Defensively, he’s succesful, boasting good off-ball instincts, fast fingers and the body to deal with his personal when a guard tries to drive by him. Will he ever be a real plus on this finish? Seemingly not, however he does his job adequately.

Then there’s Marquette’s Kam Jones, a four-year faculty standout with 137 video games underneath his belt. Most ceaselessly mocked within the early elements of the second spherical, Jones lacks severe explosiveness, but has been a confirmed bucket for the reason that day he stepped foot on Marquette’s campus.

He’s been an environment friendly double-digit scorer and dependable shooter (profession 37% on 3-pointers) the final three seasons, whereas entering into a bigger ballhandling function as a senior after the departure of Tyler Kolek. With extra duty, Jones showcased severe playmaking upside as a standard pick-and-roll level guard, although his companies are greatest suited to a score-first taking pictures guard that may combo between operating offense and enjoying off the ball.

Jones’ sturdy, cumbersome body is noticeable in his on-ball protection. He doesn’t get pushed by fairly often and does nicely defending with the physique with out fouling. He anticipates passes defending off-ball, and was usually used as a roaming free security defender that would survive larger matchups in a pinch. At 28 or 32, Jones’ artful scoring capacity and balanced sport might give Boston a prospect that’s prepared for minutes in 12 months 1.

What’s actually been nice about this specific draft course of is how open it’s for the Celtics. The expectation, for the primary time in a very long time, is that the Celtics intend, and albeit want, so as to add to their cost-controlled prospect pool. Even when Joe Mazzulla doesn’t love rookies, there are minutes up for grabs throughout all place teams. Whoever hears their title referred to as has a severe probability to show their price out of the gate.

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If that first spherical choose finally ends up being a guard prospect, who do you want? Remark under and tell us.