Celtics Sign Shot-Blocking Big Man Jarvis Varnado From NBADL (Video)

by Ben Watanabe on Mon, Dec 24, 2012 at 1:07PM

The last time the Celtics signed a shot-blocking force from the NBA Development League, he turned out to be a big part of their frontcourt rotation.

Jarvis Varnado is no Greg Stiemsma, but it made sense when the Celtics announced Monday that they had signed the 6-foot-9 forward, who played most recently with the Sioux Falls SkyForce in the D-League. Varnado, 24, was a second-round pick by the Miami Heat in 2010 after setting the NCAA record for blocked shots at Mississippi State.

Varnado was leading the NBADL with 3.9 blocks per game, along with 14.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game. He has played in Italy and Israel but has never appeared in an NBA game.

The signing comes on the heels of 2012 first-round pick Fab Melo posting a triple-double of 15 points, 16 rebounds and 14 blocks for the Celtics’ D-League affiliate in Maine on Saturday.

Check out Varnado’s shot-blocking exploits in the video below.

Thumbnail via Facebook/Jarvis Varnado