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Draft Day 2019 has arrived and the Boston Celtics hold three 1st Round Picks and a single second round pick. Boston ran workouts for over 100 hopeful young prospects in the last few months and will select at number 14, 20, 22 and 51 this year. With a tumultuous free agency period looming and the impending departure of both Al Horford and Kyrie Irving, it will be interesting to see if any trades eventuate as earlier today, a report surfaced that Aron Baynes might be on the move.
With several holes to fill on the team, Boston will likely bring a few rookies in to round out a very thin roster and re-tool for the 2019-2020 season. If you are at loose end coming into tonight check out the excellent Draft philosophies article by Max Carlin of CelticsBlog who sums up the prospects:
“I still haven’t decided if this draft is good or bad. What I can say is that it’s very low on star talent and very high on rotation talent. I expect the 2019 Draft to produce a lot of good players between picks 2 and roughly 45, some of whom will likely hit at least fringe star outcomes, but the odds of more than one true superstar emerging from this class seem low.” - Max Carlin, CelticsBlog
Current mock drafts from a variety of outlets indicate very little consensus on whom the Celtics are likely to pick in the number 14 slot. If Danny Ainge can’t find value at 14, he may opt to move out of that position if he finds a willing trade partner. Teams currently without a 1st Round Pick include the Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, LA Clippers, Sacramento Kings and the recent 2019 NBA champion Toronto Raptors. With the mocks all done for another year, it is time for the real deal.
CelticsBlog has you covered with analysis of the picks and breaking news as it happens, so join us and post your draft day reactions.
2019 NBA Draft, Thursday, June 20th, 2019
| Pick | Team | Player | Notes/Trades | CelticsBlog Analysis by Max Carlin | CelticsBlog Big Board by Max Carlin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pick | Team | Player | Notes/Trades | CelticsBlog Analysis by Max Carlin | CelticsBlog Big Board by Max Carlin |
| 1 | New Orleans Pelicans | Zion Williamson, F, Duke | Williamson’s intersection of intelligence, coordination, touch, vertical and horizontal explosion, and motor make him an all-time-great prospect and by far the best available player in the 2019 NBA Draft. | Zion Williamson | |
| 2 | Memphis Grizzlies | Ja Morant, PG, Murray State | Morant seems like a good bet to be solid. At worst, he should be an offensive engine on a bad team. At best, he could be a borderline elite offensive engine, and there are a handful of reasonable ways for him to get there (develops in-between game, adds strength, high-end shooting outcome). | Jarrett Culver | |
| 3 | New York Knicks | R.J. Barrett, G, Duke | Barrett’s capable of high-level passing for a wing, or really any young initiator. He has every pick-and-roll read in his bag, which is not something that should be minimized for a 19-year-old 6’7” initiator. | Ja Morant | |
| 4 | Atlanta Hawks | De'Andre Hunter, F, Virginia | Acquired via Lakers & Pelicans | I see Hunter as a useful and versatile on-ball defender with vastly overstated defensive impact and highly questionable offensive ability. | Grant Williams |
| 5 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Darius Garland, PG, Vanderbilt | Garland was supremely confident off-the-dribble, off-the-catch, off-movement, from well, well into NBA range. Garland’s not the 47.8% 3-point shooter he was for four games in college, because he’s not the greatest shooter ever, but I’m confident he’s very good, and there are outcomes where he’s elite. | Brandon Clarke | |
| 6 | Minnesota Timberwolves | Jarrett Culver, G, Texas Tech | Acquired via Phoenix | Offensively, Culver is exceptional in two respects: playmaking and finishing. As a passer, he can operate out of the pick-and-roll at a high level, connecting with the roll man or executing skip passes to the corner. He is highly aware, fairly ambitious, and a reliable decision-maker. For a playmaking wing, he is outstanding, | Jaxson Hayes |
| 7 | Chicago Bulls | Coby White, PG, North Carolina | Coby White’s a good player, but he’s a limited one. Due to his inability to penetrate the defense and make decisions as a ball-handler, he’s most likely an off guard on offense. On defense, he’s a strong point-of-attack defender, | Darius Garland | |
| 8 | New Orleans Pelicans | Jaxson Hayes, C, Texas | Acquired via Atlanta | Hayes does all of these things with his body that simply shouldn’t be possible, and these things have positive impact on basketball games; it’s wild to watch. Wilder still is that he’s very much in the process of accustoming himself to his body following a cartoonish growth spurt over the last year or so. | RJ Barrett |
| 9 | Washington Wizards | Rui Hachimura, F, Gonzaga | Hachimura was a strong faceup scorer in college, relying on good burst and a reliable mid-range stroke. But a lack of range limits his scoring potential and creates role concerns. Will the Wizards use him as a post-up four like he was in college? The bigger issue with Hachimura is his feel, though. He’s a virtual non-passer and is one of the least aware off-ball defenders you’ll ever see. He has some scoring upside, but Hachimura makes little sense in an NBA team concept. | Goga Bitadze | |
| 10 | Atlanta Hawks | Cam Reddish, F, Duke | Reddish has great appeal as a high-value role player. Oversized wings who can defend multiple positions, create significant impact as team defenders, and launch a high volume of difficult 3-point attempts are both intensely valuable and hard to come by. | P.J. Washington | |
| 11 | Pheonix Suns | Cam Johnson, F, North Carolina | Acquired via Minnesota | I’m concerned about Johnson defensively, both vs. primary assignments and as a potential target of mismatch hunting. Nonetheless, it’s hard to envision a shooter of his caliber with plus size failing as an NBA rotation player. If his movement skills continue to improve, Johnson could be as much as a good starter on a very good team. | Cam Reddish |
| 12 | Charlotte Hornets | P.J. Washington, F, Kentucky | He excels, perhaps even more, as a passer. Washington can pass on the move, hit cutters and shooters out of the post, and is an outstanding interior passer, throwing eye-popping little darts to his front court partners. He’s a very good finisher and equally comfortable doing so with either hand. He’s a very capable ball-handler who’s highly effective attacking closeouts. | Romeo Langford | |
| 13 | Miami Heat | Tyler Herro, G, Kentucky | Herro doesn’t have the explosion to break down defenses himself, but given forward momentum, he can be rather useful due to his robust in-between game, elite mid-range shooting, and solid passing. | Talen Horton-Tucker | |
| 14 | Boston Celtics | Romeo Langford, G, Indiana | Strength and touch is a potent combination, and post offense could be yet another avenue for Langford to create for his team. It’s a throwback suggestion, but I believe Langford is a bit of a throwback player. I buy these sort of low-end star outcomes, where Langford can shoot off-the-dribble, destroy as a slasher, create in the post, wreak havoc on-ball defensively, and create events off-ball. | Coby White | |
| 15 | Detroit Pistons | Sekou Doumbouya, F, Limoges CSP | Doumbouya is painfully unaware and extraordinarily far from being a viable NBA player. Eventually, he could be an interesting do-it-all combo forward, but given the time it’ll take and the low baselines for Doumbouya’s skill and feel levels, I’m highly skeptical of using a top-20 pick on him and the perceived “upside” associated with him. | Jontay Porter | |
| 16 | Orlando Magic | Chuma Okeke, F, Auburn | I’m not worried about the long-term implications of the torn ACL Okeke suffered during Auburn’s NCAA Tournament run, but it’s a hurdle that must be acknowledged and will sideline him for some portion of his rookie season. That said, Okeke is an outstanding basketball player who produces impact in a low-usage role that will scale very well to good teams. | Chuma Okeke | |
| 17 | Atlanta Hawks | Nickeil Alexander-Walker, G, Virginia Tech | Acquired via Brooklyn & New Orleans | There’s nothing spectacular about Alexander-Walker (defensive awareness probably comes closest), but there’s a lot of good. More importantly, that good should translate well to a variety of NBA roles (bench handler, off guard, wing). Versatile, smart, and well-rounded, Alexander-Walker should be a really nice NBA piece. | Kevin Porter Jr. |
| 18 | Indiana Pacers | Goga Bitadze, C, Georgia | Like any ideal center, defense drives Bitadze’s impact, but he’s a very good offensive prospect, too. He has great touch around the rim, and while the ABA is a physical league, he was such an overwhelming force, he compiled a 0.801 free-throw rate (a tad higher than Nurkic’s 0.793 mark in ABA play). Bitdaze’s most enticing offensive skill is likely his shooting, though: | De'Andre Huner | |
| 19 | San Antonio Spurs | Luka Šamanić, F, Croatia | Bol Bol | ||
| 20 | Philadelphia 76ers | Matisse Thybulle, G, Washington | Acquired via Boston Celtics | Thybulle shot 35.8% from 3 on 4.0 attempts per game across his four years at Washington. Coupled with a solid 78.2% free-throw percentage, he seems like a decent bet to be a serviceable shooter. However, he is hesitant at times, turning down open looks he’ll need to take in the NBA to be a passable offensive player. | Nickeil Alexander-Walker |
| 21 | Memphis Grizzlies | Brandon Clarke, F, Gonzaga | Acquired via OKC Thunder | Clarke needs to land in the right situation, but the outcome I expect is high-level defensive impact with some strong slashing and short-roll playmaking, mild self-creation, and proficiency on easy catch-and-shoot looks. That player’s a piece the right great team will treasure. | Cam Johnson |
| 22 | Boston Celtics | Grant Williams, F, Tenessee | Williams’ strength needs to be discussed more as a game-changing athletic trait. Strength, when applied to all the aspects of the game Williams applies it to, is as valuable as any athletic ability. Watch players lacking positional size like Marcus Smart or PJ Tucker dominate defensively through strength. Tune into the highest levels of play to see Kawhi Leonard ride strength to a Finals MVP. Physically, Williams has the tools to exert his will on NBA basketball games. | Matisse Thybulle | |
| 23 | Utah Jazz | Darius Bazley, F, Princeton High School | Yoval Zoosman | ||
| 24 | Phoenix Suns | Ty Jerome, G, Virginia | Acquired via 76ers, Boston | Jerome’s so limited in those respects, it’s difficult to envision him reprising the lead handler role he starred in at Virginia, but he’s so elite as a shooter, smart as a defender, and will be such a menace as a secondary creator, I’d be happy to spend a late first on him. | Ignas Brazdeikis |
| 25 | Portland Trail blazers | Nassir Little, F, North Carolina | Little has enough redeeming qualities to sneak into my top 30, though. He’s not a terrible bet to shoot, is a genuinely good finisher and impressive vertical athlete, has a great motor and frame, and is by all accounts an elite human being. I can envision him growing into a useful energy big with on-ball defensive versatility and spacing equity, but Little’s lack of feel puts a very hard cap on his ceiling. | Ty Jerome | |
| 26 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Dylan Wilder, F, Belmont | Sekou Doumbouya | ||
| 27 | LA Clippers | Mfiondu Kabengele, F, Florida State | Acquired via Brooklyn Nets | Tyler Herro | |
| 28 | Golden State Warriors | Jordan Poole, G, Michigan | Nassir Little | ||
| 29 | San Antonio Spurs | Keldon Johnson, F, Kentucky | Terence Davis | ||
| 30 | Milwaukee Bucks | Kevin Porter Jr. G, USC | If it all comes together, and those raw skills fit synergistically the way they conceivably could, yielding a wing initiator with plus defense, Porter Jr. could be one of the very best non-Zion players in the draft. I don’t think it’s likely, so I can’t get too high on him, but the path is there. | Alen Smailagic | |
| 2nd Round | |||||
| 31 | Brooklyn Nets | Nic Claxton, C, Georgia | |||
| 32 | Miami Heat | KZ Okpala, F, Stanford | Acquired via Phoenix, Indiana | ||
| 33 | Boston Celtics | Carsen Edwards, PG, Perdue | Acquired via 76ers | ||
| 34 | Philadelphia 76ers | Bruno Fernando, C, Maryland | |||
| 35 | New Orleans Pelicans | Marcos Louzada Silva, G, SESI Franca | Acquired via Atlanta | ||
| 36 | Charlotte Hornets | Cody Martin, F, Nevada | |||
| 37 | Detroit Pistons | Deividas Sirvydis, F, Lithuania | via Dallas Mavericks | ||
| 38 | Chicago Bulls | Daniel Gafford, C, Arkansas | |||
| 39 | Golden State Warriors | Alen Smailagic, F, Santa Cruz Warriors | Acquired via New Orleans Pelicans | ||
| 40 | Sacramento Kings | Justin James, F, Mountain West | |||
| 41 | Atlanta Hawks | Eric Paschall, F, Villanova | |||
| 42 | Philadelphia 76ers | Admiral Schofield, F, Tennessee | |||
| 43 | Minnesota Timberwolves | Jaylen Nowell, G, Washington | |||
| 44 | Denver Nuggets | Bol Bol, C, Oregon | Acquired via Miami Heat | ||
| 45 | Detroit Pistons | Isaiah Roby, F, Nebraska | |||
| 46 | LA Lakers | Talen Horton-Tucker, G, Iowa State | Acquired via Orlando Magic | ||
| 47 | New York Knicks | Ignas Brazdeikis, F, Michigan | Acquired via Sacramento Kings | ||
| 48 | LA Clippers | Terrance Mann, G Florida State | |||
| 49 | San Antonio Spurs | Quinndary Weatherspoon, G, Missouri State | |||
| 50 | Indiana Pacers | Jarrell Brantley, F, Charelston | |||
| 51 | Boston Celtics | Tremont Waters, PG, LSU | |||
| 52 | Charlotte Hornets | Jalen McDaniels, F, San Diego State | |||
| 53 | Utah Jazz | Justin Wright-Foreman, PG, Hofstra | |||
| 54 | Philadelphia 76ers | Marial Shayok, G, Iowa State | |||
| 55 | New York Knicks | Kyle Guy, PG, Virginia | |||
| 56 | Brooklyn Nets | Jaylen Hands, PG, UCLA | Acquired via LA Clippers | ||
| 57 | Detroit Pistons | Jordan Bone, G, Tennessee | Acquired via Atalanta, New Orleans | ||
| 58 | Utah Jazz | Miye Oni, G, Yale | Acquired via Golden State Warriors | ||
| 59 | Toronto Raptors | Dewan Hernandez, F, Miami | |||
| 60 | Sacramento Kings | Vanja Marincovic, G, Serbia |