While it might seem an odd time to think about the 2023 NBA draft with the Boston Celtics playing the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the 2023 NBA playoffs, some members of the Celtics organization are furiously preparing for when their second-round pick is on the clock.
Cody Taylor of Rookie Wire, our sister site, put together a full post-NCAA tournament mock draft. We dropped in to see what prospect Boston would take with the 35th pick of the draft owed them by the Portland Trail Blazers, barring surprises from the Houston Rockets’ draft lottery.
Taylor sees the Celtics taking point guard Marcus Sasser out of Houston, an interesting take given Boston’s backcourt already has prospects a-plenty.
Jerseys set for Games 1 – 4 of Boston Celtics – Atlanta Hawks first round series https://t.co/n8IfQxV3Vp
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) April 15, 2023
But if Payton Pritchard were no longer with the organization or the team cut bait on some of its other nascent floor generals developing overseas, we can see the logic.
A 6-foot-2 senior who put up 16.8 points, 2.8 boards, 3.1 assists, and an impressive 1.6 steals per game in his final season at the NCAA level, his volume 3-point shooting hints at a solid if undersized role as a backup 3-and-D prospect.
Still pretty raw and prone to turning the ball over, he’s certainly a name to watch, though barring a player who might have an elite skill to develop slipping this late, we’d be fine with such a selection.
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