The Celtics are currently on track to have the #27 pick in the first round of the 2018 NBA draft. It occurred to me that the 27th pick has turned out to provide useful players lately. So I took a look at the history of the 27th pick in the NBA draft. Obviously, this has no bearing on who is ultimately taken at 27 this year. But the fact is that in every draft, good players slide in favor of lesser players with more perceived promise. And the end of the first round seems to be a place where some of those players are ultimately picked.
Going through the list, I see a bunch of "useful" players. And the Celtics could stand to nab a cheap, useful player to supplement a developing core over the next couple of years.
Who might be that player, picked at #27, this year?
http://www.basketballinsiders.com/history-of-the-nba-draft-by-pick/history-of-the-nba-draft-pick-number-27/Number 27
Year Player School/Country Team
2017 Kyle Kuzma, Utah Brooklyn Nets
2016 Pascal Siakam, New Mexico State Toronto Raptors
2015 Larry Nance Jr., Wyoming Los Angeles Lakers
2014 Bogdan Bogdanovic, Serbia Phoenix Suns
2013 Rudy Gobert, France Denver Nuggets
2012 Arnett Moultrie, Mississippi St. Miami HEAT
2011 JaJuan Johnson, Purdue University New Jersey Nets
2010 Jordan Crawford, Xavier University New Jersey Nets
2000s
2009 DeMarre Carroll, University of Missouri Memphis Grizzlies
2008 Darrell Arthur, Kansas New Orleans Hornets
2007 Arron Afflalo, UCLA Detroit Pistons
2006 Sergio Rodriguez, Spain Phoenix Suns
2005 Linas Kleiza, Missouri Portland Trail Blazers
2004 Sasha Vujacic, Snaidero Udine (Italy) L.A. Lakers
2003 Kendrick Perkins, Clifton J. Ozen HS (Texas) Memphis Grizzlies
2002 Chris Jefferies, Fresno State L.A. Lakers
2001 Jamaal Tinsley, Iowa State Memphis Grizzlies
2000 Primoz Brezec, Slovenia Indiana Pacers
1990s
1999 Jumaine Jones, Georgia Atlanta Hawks
1998 Vladimir Stepania, Republic of Georgia Seattle Supersonics
1997 Jacque Vaughn, Kansas Utah Jazz
1996 Brian Evans, Indiana Orlando Magic
1995 Mario Bennett, Arizona State Phoenix Suns
1994 Brooks Thompson, Oklahoma State Orlando Magic
1993 Malcolm Mackey, Georgia Tech Phoenix Suns
1992 Byron Houston, Oklahoma State Chicago Bulls
1991 Pete Chilcutt, North Carolina Portland Trail Blazers
1990 Elden Campbell, Clemson L.A. Lakers
1980s
1989 Kenny Battle, Illinois Detroit Pistons
2nd round:
1988 Shelton Jones, St. Johns University San Antonio Spurs
1987 Nate Blackwell, Temple University San Antonio Spurs
1986 Dennis Rodman, Southeastern Oklahoma State University Detroit Pistons
1985 Dwayne McClain, Villanova University Indiana Pacers
1984 Ron Anderson, California State University, Fresno Cleveland Cavaliers
1983 John Garris, Boston College Cleveland Cavaliers
1982 Fred Roberts, Brigham Young University Milwaukee Bucks
1981 Howard Wood, University of Tennessee Utah Jazz
1980 John Stroud, University of Mississippi Houston Rockets
1970s
1979 Reggie Carter, St. Johns University New York Knicks
1978 Wayne Radford, Indiana University Indiana Pacers
1977 Glenn Williams, St. Johns University Milwaukee Bucks
1976 Phil Hicks, Tulane University Houston Rockets
1975 Walter Luckett, Ohio University Detroit Pistons
1974 Leon Benbow, Jacksonville University Chicago Bulls
1973 Tom Ingelsby, Villanova University Atlanta Hawks
1972 Dennis Wuycik, University of North Carolina Boston Celtics
1971 Richard Fisher, Colorado State University Portland Trail Blazers
1970 Fred Taylor, University of Texas-Pan American Phoenix Suns
1960s
1969 Dick Garrett, Southern Illinois University L.A. Lakers