This year it was a pleasure to watch Jaylen Brown play. His glimpses and flashes of potential got me really excited about the future.
This current Celtics team is fun to watch, but without any major moves, we probably aren't going to contend any time soon. But that's okay, I love watching our young guys play. Even watching Terry Rozier play a huge part in our playoff run was very exciting.
I took a quick look at our list of young players and realized how much fun I will have watching our young guys develop. All while we probably get close to 55-60 wins! Definitely not a bad place to be.
So how would you rank our young guys as far as their potential?
Here is my list:
1. Markelle Fultz- obviously he is not on our team yet but it's pretty much a sure thing that he ends up on the Celtics. Can't wait to watch him next year! He is a perfect guard prospect without any red flags or noticeable flaws. He can handle, shoot from anywhere especially off the dribble, and is also a great passer. His level of creativity offensively is off the charts and I think it is what makes him a top 3 guard prospect of the decade so far ! He is also a good athlete and seems like someone who is easy to root for given his story and character. I think he has superstar potential and as Adam Vecine said on a recent podcast: his worst case scenario is that he is only a top 20 offensive player in the world!
2. Jaylen Brown- I wasn't on this board at the time but he was the guy I wanted to take in the draft last year. Every once in a while he makes a play that makes you go "wow." I knew he was good but he blew me away this past season. Obviously his numbers weren't great and his performances were inconsistent but he showed glimpses of the TOTAL package! You name it: three point shooting is good (not great), man defense looked solid, he even showed glimpses of go-to scoring potential which really surprised the heck out of me. I love his athleticism and footwork and size/body. His handle is a bit loose so he is not always able to display his creativity and passing (which he was praised for in HS) but he can be a 20 ppg guy one day. He has to improve his team defense but he got better as the year went on. Overall he was a pleasant surprise especially his shooting and ability to be on the floor in the playoffs as a rookie. We even ran plays for a 20 year old in the post ! And he did well in those situations. I think he can start as soon as next year. He is already in the gym working on his game this summer. All this and I haven't even touched on his character and commitment to excellence!
3. Guerchon Yabusele- I assume that Ante Zizic will be here for most people at number 3 but there is something so unique and interesting about his game. I think he is going to be a very good offensive player. I am a bit concerned with his defense (mostly because I don't know how good it is) and also him staying in shape. He is ripped but has the type of body that can get out of shape quickly hopefully he does what he is supposed to unlike our pal Sully. Anyways I am not sure if he makes the team or not, let alone carve out a role but I am very excited to see what he can do in the NBA. He has really good handles, footwork, and body control for such a large human being. He overall has great offensive instincts along with the ability to legitimately space the floor. I think he can become our future stretch four and provide a whole lot more than that eventually. I'm excited to see the Dancing Bear play!
4. Terry Rozier- Terry Rozier can be a great sixth man type volume scorer. He has a couple of flaws that get on my nerves- lack of aggressiveness offensively, and his tendency to finger roll easy layups and blow them. He is a good three point shooter as well which I think is underrated. Whenever he shoots I believe that the shot will go in. The eye test also showed me that he was good defensively as well. He needs to improve his point guard skills and stop over dribbling but I think he has a shot to be a legit player in this league. I'm excited to see how much he can improve next year. He was CLUTCH in the playoffs too! I love the toughness and offensive talent. Needs to put it all together, watch some film, and start making simple layups .
5. Ante Zizic- I think he is going to be very solid player and potential starter in the NBA. He is a fantastic screen setter and has a certain toughness to his game. Very fluid and coordinated athlete as well. Hopefully he can become a Marcin Gortat type which I think his ceiling is. His defense is good according to scouting reports and to his coach David Blatt. Offensively he has good hands and has exceptional timing on his rolls. Doesn't strike me as much of a rim protector and has only a small sample size of mid range jumpers but his free throw shooting is superb for a young big. If he becomes a good mid range shooter... woah! Move him up to number 2. Lol. Overall very solid prospect and I think he has a high floor and has potential to be a high end starter if he can shoot.
6. Marcus Smart- I love Marcus Smart! The things he can do on the basketball court are amazing and the way he impacts the game with pure hustle is so impressive. He's just not that exciting. Nothing pretty or fancy about Marcus' game but I think he is an extremely valuable player. Hope we keep him around.
7. Abdel Nader- to me he looks like a sure fire NBA player. He has good handle (played some point forward in Maine) and solid size 6'6" with super long arms. He also is a good athlete with good instincts on the offensive end . Has a pretty jump shot which he shoots at a decent clip. I am 100% confident that Nader will be an NBA player. Defense doesn't look great but I am confident that he is smart enough to figure it out.
James Young, Jordan Mickey, Demetrius Jackson are bleh
Bonus Round:
Here are some youngs I would like in the future:
1. Deandre Ayton- size off the charts, coordination off the charts.. monster potential
2. Mo Bamba- size even more off the charts and seems like a high IQ high character kid
3. Michael Porter Jr.- a lot like Ben Simmons but probably not as good a passer and definitely a better shooter.. modern NBA forward
Here are some second round prospects I like for the 2017 NBA draft:
1. Semi Ojele- Jae Crowder type but more athletic, can really shoot it
2. OG Annoby- monster defensive potential, good athlete
3. Jonathan Jeanne- Rudy Gilbert type plus I hear he can really shoot..not a bad draft and stash option
Topic: How excited are you about our young guys? (Read 5026 times)