Celtics take an 18-year-old in ESPN’s most recent mock draft

Celtics take an 18-year-old in ESPN’s most recent mock draft
Forward Gregory Jackson II led South Carolina in scoring as a freshman.

BOSTON.COM By Peyton Doyle

In ESPN’s most recent mock draft posted Wednesday, the Celtics were predicted to take the youngest player in this year’s NBA Draft.

ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jason Woo have Boston taking South Carolina’s Gregory Jackson II at No. 35 next Thursday.

Jackson, who goes by G.G., led the Gamecocks in scoring this year as a freshman. What’s even more impressive is that Jackson only turned 18 last December.

The 6-foot-9-inch forward led his team in points (15.4), rebounds (5.9), and blocks per game (0..

His head coach Lamont Paris gave the No. 1 ranked power forward in his class the keys to the offense.

Over his 32 games, Jackson averaged 14.4 shots per game, nearly three more than any other Gamecock.


The issue for the South Carolina native is that he lacked efficiency and ball control.

Jackson’s 38.4 percent field goal percentage ranked in the bottom half of his team, and he led his squad with 2.7 turnovers per game. He averaged just 0.8 assists per game last year.

The good news for the Celtics, if they choose to draft him, is that Jackson has plenty of time to grow.

He has already shown that he can fit into their offense after taking 5.3 threes per game last season. He would also add another mobile, lengthy body to a defense that seems to love them.


The No. 35 pick is the only one that Boston currently holds in this year’s draft. Boston acquired the pick, which was originally Portland’s, in the 2021 trade with Atlanta and Sacramento where the Celtics moved Tristan Thompson.

Boston has used a second round pick in each of the last four drafts, taking Tremont Waters in 2019, Yam Madar in 2020, Juhann Begarin in 2021, and JD Davison last year.

No. 35 is the highest second round selection the Celtics have had since they took Deyonta Davis at No. 31 in 2016.

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Boston has used a second round pick in each of the last four drafts, taking Tremont Waters in 2019, Yam Madar in 2020, Juhann Begarin in 2021, and JD Davison last year.

We still have hopes that JD can contribute, not so much with the three prior picks.

Let's try a different approach to constantly picking guards and small forwards in the 2nd round.  Pick someone taller with some hops and develop him.  Maybe we find some gold.