Celtics select Juhann Begarin with 45th pick

With the 45^th pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, the Boston Celtics have selected Juhann Begarin.

Begarin is a 6’5’’ guard out France. He’s one of the youngest players in the 2021 draft pool, as he doesn’t turn 19 years old until August 7.

The expectation is that Boston will stash Begarin overseas for at least one season. This is a similar approach to the one the team took with 2020 second round pick Yam Madar. Madar will join the Celtics for 2021 Las Vegas Summer League and may be in play for a 2021-22 roster spot.

Begarin has played professionally for four years for two different clubs in France. This past season in 39 games for Paris Basketball, Begarin started 38 times. He averaged 11.7 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. Begarin shot 45.6% from the field and 34.2% from behind the arc. He also averaged an impressive 1.4 steals per game.

Begarin projects to be a solid athlete in the NBA. He has a massive 7-foot wingspan for his 6’5’’ height, which shows up with his finishing and on the defensive end of the floor. As it stands now, Begarin uses his size and athleticism to overpower opponents. He’ll need to add skill and refine his feel for the game to contribute in the NBA.

It’s expected that Begarin will be a combo guard at the NBA level. He’s a solid ballhandler and playmaker, but a score-first player. His shot can be inconsistent and is a poor free throw shooter for his position. His length makes him a solid defender, but he can lose focus off the ball.

Begarin has played for the Under-18 and Under-16 French National Teams at the European Championships. He faired well in 2018 with the Under-16 team, scoring 15.6 points per game over seven contests. In 2019, Begarin struggled with his shot and averaged 7.9 points per game.

As part of the pre-draft process, Begarin took part in the G-League Elite Camp.