Celtics Draft Pick Hoping To Carve Out Similar Role To Al Horford

While Boston Celtics second-round draft pick Anton Watson is years away from making an impact like Al Horford, he hopes to carve out a similar role during his NBA career.

Watson spent five seasons at Gonzaga before he was drafted by the Celtics. The 6-foot-8, 228-pound big man prides himself on his defense while adding offense when on the court.

The forward wants to learn from Horford and the role he has taken on with Boston.

“Shooting is obviously a big piece. Kind of like that Al Horford role,” Watson told reporters, per SB Nation’s Bill Sy. “He’s a great shooter. I think learning from him is going to be huge for me and actually all the veterans on this team.

“Shooting is going to be huge and just my defense, using that to my strengths and coming out and guarding every single game. That’s going to be big for me.”

In his final season with Gonzaga, Watson averaged 14.5 points as he shot 57.8% from the field with 7.1 rebounds and two assists. He was voted to All-West Coast Conference First Team and is second in Gonzaga history in career steals (215).

The 23-year-old is confident in his defense but wants to continue to improve his shot, something Horford could help him with.

“I feel like I got a good shot. I just gotta be more confident with it,” Watson said. “Let it fly in practice and shoot it as much as I can.”

Celtics fans can get their first look at the second-round pick during the 2024 2K25 Summer League in Las Vegas. Boston’s first game is set for July 13 at 6:30 p.m. ET against the Miami Heat at Cox Pavillion.