New mock projects Celtics to draft ‘shooting with size’ in 2021 NBA draft
As the 2020-21 NBA season progresses, we draw closer to the time of the year when collegiate basketball steals the spotlight away from the NBA for a while and we start daydreaming about which top prospects emerging from March Madness might make sense on our favorite teams.
The Rookie Wire — our sister site — has already been working on exactly that issue along with the other top NCAA analysts in the college game, and is already on its second mock draft of the season. Along with it comes another prospect projected to the Celtics, and quite an intriguing one at that.
Let’s take a look at what they have in mind.
The Celtics are estimated to select at No. 17 overall based off of their current record, and while it may well pan out somewhere else by the time the dust settles on the current NBA season, the team's recent rough play will at least have the silver lining of an improved draft pick to use on a potentially better prospect. Of course, this assumes they'll hang onto the pick in the first place, but that's another article entirely. Should they, editor Cody Taylor of the Rookie Wire has found a target for Boston that fills the need for wing depth, and more importantly the "shooting with size" GM Danny Ainge is on the lookout for via the trade market. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0YNktRZoBY
That prospect would be Michigan sophomore forward Franz Wagner, a sharpshooting swing who can protect the rim, defend and pass the rock as well. With a collegiate 3-point rate of 37.9% and a free throw rate of 81.6%, he should be a multi-tool, two-way player at the next level. According to Synergy, Wagner is excellent both in transition and half-court offense, able to excel in the post and is very good as a pick-and-roll ballhandler and spot-up shooter. While he still needs work on making defensive decisions late in the shot-clock and as an isolation cover, Wagner rates as a very good to excellent defender across most categories. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVRxXFtDFKY
As we alluded to above, there's a better-than-good chance the Celtics use this year's pick to secure a trade of some magnitude -- if not a star. But if they do hang onto it and the Michigan product is still on the board when Boston is on the clock, Wagner makes all the sense in the world for the Celtics to select. This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook! [jwplayer AFsSzqOn-z6KDnl0B] [lawrence-related id=47104,47076,47067,47062] [listicle id=47075]
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