What They Are Saying About Our Picks

https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2019/06/nba-draft-2019-how-romeo-langford-grant-williams-fit-into-boston-celtics-evolving-roster-video.html




Celtics NBA Draft 2019: Romeo Langford, Grant Williams, Carsen Edwards, Tremont Waters earned mixed grades from draft experts




Today 1:33 AM



By Matt Vautour | mvautour@masslive.com




After a collection of trades in a draft full of them, the Boston Celtics ended up with two first round selections and two second round picks in Thursday’s NBA Draft.

The internet didn’t lack for instant analysis of those picks:



No. 14 Romeo Langford

ESPN: "Celtics coach Brad Stevens had told colleagues in the lead-up to the draft that he was enamored with Romeo Langford, as he was very familiar with the Indiana product since both grew up in the Hoosier State.


Langford was one of the most hyped players in Indiana high school basketball history, which likely helped quite a bit in masking his somewhat disappointing freshman season, which was hampered by a wrist injury. Langford falls into an ideal situation, in which he will be asked to utilize his intriguing ballhandling and playmaking ability in a variety of different roles and positions on a Boston roster that is in quite a bit of flux at the moment." -- Jonathan Givony

CBS: “It’s a bit of a surprise, but I think it’s an OK pick. He’s a good player, and there were only a couple guys I had above him left. His freshman season at Indiana was disappointing, but he was hurt. This is a long-term play. He won’t be very impactful in Year 1, especially with all the perimeter talent the Celtics have. Grade: C”

Bleacher Report: “If Kyrie Irving and Al Horford are really on the way out, the Boston Celtics will have plenty of shots to go around. Indiana’s Romeo Langford won’t mind taking them, but making them from range could be a challenge.He is a natural scorer with the agility to shake his man, the length to shoot over him and the strength to absorb contact at the rim. His confidence isn’t lacking, and he’s a threat to pull from anywhere.That said, opponents will live with him launching outside shots until he proves that’s an unwise strategy. While a thumb injury perhaps explains some of his three-point struggles at Indiana (34-of-125, 27.2 percent), concerns about his jumper predate his Hoosiers tenure.Langford’s ability to find volume and efficiency from distance could determine the length and impact of his NBA career. Non-shooting 2-guards with questionable creation skills don’t exactly have long shelf lives in the Association.The ball could get sticky between Langford, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, and it’s possible the latter is the only consistent sniper of the bunch. If Langford’s shot comes around, though, this trio could be a terror.Grade: B-”


Yahoo: “Langford had an abysmal season at Indiana but is still a five-star high school recruit with plenty of upside. The Celtics need depth in the backcourt and they get it here.”

The Ringer: “The Celtics are gambling on upside with Langford. He was one of the most highly regarded prospects in the country coming into the season, but he had an up-and-down freshman season after tearing a ligament in his thumb in November. Langford has some real red flags in his profile: He’s a scorer who didn’t shoot particularly well in college, and has only average athleticism for his position. Boston is hoping that a healthy version of Langford is closer to the player he was in high school. The Celtics have never been afraid to take risks under Danny Ainge, and having as many as three first-round picks in this draft gave them the freedom to roll the dice at the end of the lottery. Grade B"


No. 22 Grant Williams

ESPN: “Boston has some major holes in the frontcourt to address with Al Horford likely departing, prompting the Celtics to select one of the most productive big men in college basketball in Tennessee’s Grant Williams. Williams’ toughness, basketball IQ and defensive versatility will fit right into what the Celtics wanted their culture to look like before things went off the rails for them, which might be one of the reasons they elected to add him to the fold. NBA executives had question marks about Williams’ lack of size and explosiveness, but the Celtics’ strong player-development structure might be able to mitigate that by helping him continue to improve his shooting range, which already looked better than advertised in the pre-draft process.” -- Jonathan Givony


CBS: “What is he exceptional at? He’s exceptional at playing basketball. He’s not as tall or athletic, no, but he played in the most athletic league in the country and got where he wanted to get. Look back at a recent drafts -- at a different position: The same things people say about Grant Williams, they said about Fred VanVleet, Jalen Brunson. NBA GMs are learning: Just take guys who are awesome at basketball. Grade: B”

Yahoo: “He’s going to score plenty at the next level and could contribute right away for the Celtics.”

Bleacher Report: “The Celtics added safety, toughness and a high skill level with Tennessee’s Grant Williams. He’s sort of a funky prospect, though.On one hand, he’s a proven performer. He had a productive three years at Tennessee and double-doubled seven times just last season. He doesn’t take plays off or miss rotations. He’s a skilled and smart passer, which allowed the Volunteers to run their offense through his post-ups.On the other, his role with the Celtics could look significantly different than the one he filled for the Volunteers. At 6′7½”, 240 pounds, he isn’t big enough to man the NBA post. That lack of size might mute his scoring and rebounding, and his athletic limitations will hurt his shot-creating and wing defense.He has the smarts and skills to find a niche, but his transition might require a fairly significant transformation.Grade: C"


The Ringer: “The Celtics are taking advantage of having so many first-round picks to attack the draft in multiple ways. Langford was a classic buy-low pick—a player who might have been drafted lower than he should have because of extenuating circumstances (in this case, a broken thumb). Williams is the opposite. The junior big man was one of the most dominant players in the NCAA last season, but concerns about his athleticism and lack of an NBA position caused him to slide to the end of the first round. The key for Williams, who played out of the post in college, is to become more of a 3-point shooter. He could certainly make the transition. He’s an excellent midrange shooter with a high basketball IQ and a soft touch around the basket. If he extends his shot, he has a chance to dramatically outplay his draft position in Boston. Grade A”


No. 33 Carsen Edwards

ESPN: “The Celtics traded down to No. 33 to select Carsen Edwards here. The Celtics picked Edwards, one of the best shooters in this draft, with this pick they extracted from the 76ers. Edwards put on one of the most impressive performances in NCAA Tournament history against Virginia in the Elite Eight, and while not possessing prototypical size or court vision for a point guard, has the type of athleticism, scoring instincts, range and confidence you look for at this stage in the draft. -- Jonathan Givony”


CBS: “The Celtics, who traded for this pick, could use a microwave scorer. And Edwards brings that to Boston. He’s a microwave scorer who can fill it up off the dribble, off the catch and running off screens. Grade: A”

Bleacher Report: “Sayonara, Kyrie Irving? See you when we see you, Terry Rozier? Who knows what free agency holds for the Celtics, but they just found a spark plug in Purdue’s Carsen Edwards.He has enough shake to separate from defenders, and he’s a shooting threat from anywhere. His sprint through the NCAA Tournament was basically a four-game fireworks show. He averaged 34.8 points and 7.0 triples while blitzing both defending champion Villanova and eventual champion Virginia for 42 points apiece.The question is whether he can score efficiently at this level. That was a challenge even at Purdue (career 41.2 percent shooting). If he’s not putting up points, he’s probably doing more harm than good since he’s not much of a distributor and will be targeted at the defensive end.Does a Boston team with (at least) Gordon Hayward, Marcus Smart, Tatum, Brown and Langford have enough touches to maximize Edwards’ value? That’s debatable. But if anyone can solve the puzzle, it’s probably Brad Stevens. Grade B"



No. 51 Tremont Waters

ESPN: “LSU’s Tremont Waters fell deep in the second round due to concerns around his lack of size and slender frame, but he may be able to earn a roster spot in the NBA down the road thanks to his excellent ball-handling skills, shiftiness, pull-up jumper and court vision.” -- Jonathan Givony

CBS: “With so much uncertainty surrounding Boston -- especially at the point guard position -- Waters brings great value as a steady-handed ball-handler capable of doing everything an NBA starting point guard can do. At the very least, a great insurance piece at an important position. Grade: A”

Bleacher Report: "The Celtics clearly plan to be in the point guard market, and Tremont Waters potentially gives them another option there.

He has the moves and change-of-pace ability to manipulate a defense, plus the passing touch to slip dimes through tight spaces. He can pull up from distance or bury triples off the catch, although his three-point consistency isn't quite there (career 34.0 percent).

He’ll compete defensively, but he’ll also be singled out as a 5-10¾", 172-pound target. Few undersized players last in this league, and it’s not certain Waters’ offense will make him one of the exceptions."




bob



.

Langford at 14 was in the range of where most felt he would go. and no question he could become an NBA starter in time.

I think most felt that another non big man was a shock more than a diss on Langford.

Dboss wanted Sekou Doumbouya (who went at 15) and it will interesting to see if he or Langford will end being the better NBA player.

Bitadze was another big selected soon after also.

time will tell, but some of us feel Danny is not the best at drafting big men.

Grant Williams could be ready faster than most, if his game can survive the size of the NBA players. there are some comparisons to Draymond Green there. Maybe Draymond light is his ceiling?

Edwards seems like a bigger I. Thomas to me. Maybe he can develop his ball handling skills over time and be an off the bench spark plug earlier?


all in all not what most Celtic fans expected coming out of this draft. But many of the big men ranked to go in the first dropped to the second round. So maybe the value simply wasn't there.

Let me tell all the good things that I think about Boston's selections in the 2019 NBA draft....

dboss wrote:Let me tell all the good things that I think about Boston's selections in the 2019 NBA draft....

But I thought you wanted players who get to the free throw line...

Hedge, Hedge, Hedge.

Not one person here has any clue what will happen over time with this draft. This draft was top heavy, so after top 4 or 5, it was all down to position, intuition etc. People who complain about they should have drafted X or Y, not Z - are just hedging their bets for future years, when one of the picks below Romeo turns into a good player.

And if Romeo or Grant or Carsen become stars, you wont hear a peep.