A lot of lives are about to change tonight, as prospects achieve their lifelong dreams of making it to the NBA.
And the ones who are lucky enough will become members of the Boston Celtics, who hold three first-round picks and one second-rounder entering the selection show.
Entering the Draft, the Celtics held the Nos. 14, 26, 30 and 47th picks. But of course, this was subject to change and it did, as Boston gave up the 30th pick to the Memphis Grizzlies.
Check back for updates as the Celtics announce their draftees.
Round 1 (No. 14): Aaron Nesmith, Wing, Vanderbilt
Boston needed some production off the bench. They may have found it in Aaron Nesmith, who possesses a lethal jumper. He even wore a plaid green suit, just for the occasion. How fitting.
It’s a little surprising that he was still available by the time the Celtics got their turn. He certainly was the best shooter available, and one of the best of this draft class.
Nesmith is 6-foot-6, 213 pounds and is known for his hustle. He averaged 23 points per game and shot 52% from beyond the arc in a small sample size last year (he missed some time due to a foot injury). He’s comfortable shooting off the dribble and is elite off the catch and off screens. Nesmith seemingly has unlimited range and will help add offensive production and space the floor with Boston’s second unit.
Driving down the lane isn’t his strong suit, nor creating his own looks, but off the bench next to Marcus Smart he’ll get the job done. And though he’s not the best athlete of the draft, he’s a smart defender that will be a nice fit in Boston as he continues to develop.
Round 1 (No. 26): Payton Pritchard, Point Guard, Oregon
Boston really turned heads with its second first-rounder. They grabbed another shooter in Pritchard, but there were a few great options like Desmond Bane (a senior who seemed to be made in a lab for the Celtics’ defensive style of play) still on the board.
Instead, they chose another four-year collegiate athlete with Pritchard, a shifty point guard who shot 41.5% from three in his final season with the Ducks. He’s just 6-foot-2 but is known for his hustle and ball security. Despite being undersized, Pritchard is by all accounts a confident player, especially in scoring. Will we get Isaiah Thomas vibes watching him off the bench for Boston one day?
Pritchard is a consistent play maker, natural leader and smart decision-maker with a decent handle to boot. Celtics fans will love him for his high motor on defense, on and off the ball.
In 2020, Pritchard was a first-team All American, Pac-12 Player of the Year and was First-Team All Conference. He’s born, raised and educated in Oregon, but we welcome Pitchard to the East Coast.
Round 2 (No. 47): Yam Madar, Point Guard, Israel
For starters, let’s start with his first name, which is not pronounced like the orange root vegetable that you may eat on Thanksgiving. In Israeli, “Yam” rhymes with “bomb” and it means “sea.”
Now that we’ve established that, we’ll move on to the obvious. Madar is another shifty point guard, slightly taller than Pritchard at 6-foot-3, who plays for Hapoel Tel Aviv of the Israeli Premier League, where he was 2020’s Most Improved Player. He signed a four-year deal there in 2018, so it’s safe to assume that Madar will be Boston’s draft-and-stash player this season given its roster and salary cap crunch.
Madar is best known for his ballhandling and great facilitating skills. He’s incredibly fast in everything he does, and that court vision and quick decision making helps him get off surgically sharp and accurate passes. He’s not afraid to drive hard to the glass and finish through contact, but has a reputation from the mid-range. Expect a lot of floaters, pull-up jumpers and pivot shots, though he’s expected to get more consistent from the 3-point range with further development. Same with his defense, which is expected to improve if he puts on a little weight. But with that quickness he possesses, anticipate his quick hands and footwork to maybe help force some turnovers in TD Garden one day.
