Last year’s Final Four was a feast for NBA fans hungry for a look at future pros. Twelve players were drafted, and nine of those were in the first round, including seven of the top 13.
The crop of NBA-ready talent in this year’s Final Four . . . not so much. But if you’re a Celtics fan, there’s still plenty to see. There may not be a horde of first-round talent playing in Houston, but Boston still has a horde of picks in this year’s draft – three in the first round and five in the second.
Chances are good only two of players on the court in Houston on Saturday will become lottery picks in June – Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield and North Carolina’s Brice Johnson. Some underclassmen could be first rounders if they declare, and some will turn into first rounders with time, but there is definitely not the same smorgasbord of potential superstars as there was a year ago. Here’s a look at how some of them might fit in Boston and what they might do in the next game, or two, to enhance, or hurt, their draft stock with the Celtics and the rest of the league.
Hield was projected as a first-round pick when the season began. He pushed himself into the late lottery conversation during the year as became the consensus national player of the year. Now, after a tournament destined for Sooner folklore, Hield seems a lock to be a top-5 pick, where the Celtics will likely get a chance to consider him with the Brooklyn pick they own.
The tenacious Hield went off for 37 points against Oregon in the Elite Eight, shooting 13-for-20 from the field and an absurd 8-for-13 from 3-point range. He averaged 29.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in four tournament games while hitting at a 46.5 percent rate from 3.
Hield has amazing shooting range and quickness, a non-stop work ethic and shines in the brightest moments. He looks like a future NBA All-Star and someone worthy of that Brooklyn pick the Celtics are holding, but . . . Boston is loaded with similar guards who they have used five first-round picks on in the last six years – Avery Bradley, Marcus Smart, James Young, R.J. Hunter and Terry Rozier. Unless there is a trade involving several of these players, it seems unlikely the Celtics will take Hield. Then again, it also seemed unlikely Danny Ainge would take Rozier last year for the very same reasons.
Johnson hasn’t been the star of the tournament (that would be Hield) or even the most impressive big man (that would be Gonzaga’s Domantas Sabonis), but Johnson is probably second in both categories. The North Carolina senior has averaged 21 points, 9.8 rebounds and 3.5 blocks in his four tournament games, numbers that confirm what everyone saw during the regular season as Johnson averaged 17.1 points, 10.5 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and shot 61.6 percent from the field for the Tar Heels.
Johnson should be taken somewhere in the 10-20 range, which means the Celtics can consider selecting him with the Dallas pick they own (top seven protected, would likely by No. 13 if the season ended now). Johnson doesn’t have the shooting range to be a stretch power forward (he didn’t attempt a 3-pointer at UNC) and he’s too small to be a traditional center. But he plays with exceptional intensity, can’t get enough rebounds, has developed a mid-range jumper, guards multiple positions and is the kind of small-ball big man that is trending up in the modern NBA.
The rebounding and athletic defending Johnson can provide something the Celtics primary power forwards (Jared Sullinger and Kelly Olynyk) don’t. Jordan Mickey, a second-round pick last year, is a similar player, but his development into a legitimate NBA player is not guaranteed. How Johnson plays against Syracuse’s diverse big men (the rangy and athletic Tyler Roberson, the physical DaJuan Coleman and the shot-blocking Tyler Lydon) will help answer some questions about his own potential development.
Lydon isn’t the prospect Johnson is right now, but the 6-8 freshman has more pro potential. Lydon isn’t expected to declare for the draft this season, but if he did his mix of outside shooting (40.9 percent from 3 this season), defense (1.8 blocks per game) and size (7-foot wingspan) make him an ideal candidate for a long career as a stretch power forward and someone who could be available when (and if) the Celtics use their own first-round pick (likely to be somewhere in the 20-25 range). There’s also a local connection with Lydon, who went to the New Hampton School.
The other Orange freshman making a national name for himself in the last two weeks is Malachi Richardson. The 6-6 wing fueled Syracuse’s 25-4 run against top-seed Virginia with a mix of athleticism and outside shooting that led to 21 second-half points. Like his regular season (13.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 2.1 apg)), Richardson’s tournament has been up-and-down – he had 23 points against UVA and 21 in the first round against Dayton, but just 14 combined points in the two games in between. Like Lydon, he’s better off returning to school for a year. But also like Lydon, Richardson could be a late first-round pick if he leaves, and his size and skill set make him a the kind of 3-and-D wing the NBA craves these days.
These four are a mix of second-round fodder and potential future first rounders, as are Oklahoma’s Isaiah Cousins, Villanova’s Jalen Brunson and Daniel Ochefu, North Carolina’s Kennedy Meeks and Isaiah Hicks, and Syracuse’s Roberson and Coleman.
Marcus Paige, 6-1, 175, G – The North Carolina senior hurt his draft stock with a subpar senior season (12.3 ppg on 39.6 percent shooting after putting up 14.1 ppg on 41.3 percent shooting last year and 17.5 ppg on 44.0 percent as a sophomore), but anyone who has shown shooting skills like Paige deserves at least a look in the league.
Josh Hart, 6-5, 205, G – The Villanova junior rebounds well above his size (6.7 rpg), is a hard-working defender and led the Wildcats in scoring (15.3 ppg), but his 3-point percentage dropped from 46.4 last year to 35.3 this season.
Justin Jackson, 6-8, 193, SF – The North Carolina sophomore averaged just 12.2 ppg and shot only 28.1 percent from 3 this season, but he has the right kind of all-court versatility and physical tools to become a sneaky good pro.
Michael Gbinije, 6-7, 200, G/F – The Syracuse senior leads the team in scoring (17.6 ppg) and assists (4.4 per game) and has 3-and-D NBA potential.