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2024 NBA Draft grades: Experts rate Celtics’ Anton Watson pick originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The Boston Celtics didn’t make any trades in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft and selected Gonzaga forward Anton Watson.
“I really like him,” Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said of Watson at a press conference Thursday. “Anton’s strength and ability to move his feet laterally give him a chance to be one of these big, strong, hybrid forwards that can switch, guard a lot of people.
“I want him to come in here with the mindset that he’s gonna let it fly like he’s never let it fly before, because I think he’s a better shooter than he sometimes thinks he is. And so, I’m looking forward to getting him in here in eight days or so.”
The 6-foot-8, 225-pound wing averaged 14.5 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game last season, while shooting 57.8 percent from the floor and 41.8 percent from 3-point range (on just 1.5 attempts per game, though).
Watson is an efficient scorer, but his best skills are on the defensive end of the floor, where he was a lockdown versatile defender over five seasons at Gonzaga. He is comfortable guarding multiple positions.
One of the strengths of the Celtics is their defensive versatility and ability to switch just about any pick-and-roll, so from that standpoint Watson should be a pretty good fit.
He also comes from a winning program and received great coaching from the legendary Mark Few. His five years of experience at Gonzaga also make him among the most pro-ready of the second-round picks taken Thursday.
What do the experts think of the Celtics’ second-round pick? Here’s a roundup of grades.
Be sure to also check out our roundup of expert grades on Boston’s first-round pick Baylor Scheierman.
Kevin Pelton, ESPN: B+ (overall grade for both picks)
Krysten Peek, Yahoo! Sports: B
Raphielle Johnson, NBC Sports: B-
Zach Buckley, Bleacher Report: B-
Ricky O’Donnell, SB Nation: B
Kyle Boone & Adam Finkelstein, CBS Sports: C-
Kyle Irving, Sporting News: C
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/2024-nba-draft-grades-experts-140914363.html
Author : NBC Sports Boston
Publish date : 2024-06-28 14:09:14
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