The weird part isn't that the Celtics are trading down; I actually like the decision to pass on Fultz, although I think they could probably have gotten more for it (Kings' #5 and #10 and a future first might have been attainable). The weird part is that, by all accounts, the Celtics are doing this because they want to draft Josh Jackson.
Why???
I'll admit, the first time I saw Jackson's tape I was impressed. He's a very athletic wing who can dunk spectacularly. But that's about all I see from him as a prospect, and it's not like being very athletic has historically been enough to manifest a high-level NBA player.
Here's what Jackson can't do:
- His handles are mediocre, as he himself has admitted, and his passing isn't elite (that is to say he's not Ben Simmons);
- He's not a consistent shooter, and will probably face problems adjusting to NBA defenses and range;
- He's athletic and has a high motor, and scouts say he looks great on D, but his short wingspan (6'10 on a 6'8 frame) means he's not going to be a defensive game-changer at the 3 like Kawhi Leonard or even LeBron;
- He's a weird sort of tweener, because he's not long enough to defend 3s, but you wouldn't want to play him at 2 when he can't shoot very well.
Let's take a moment and think of all the great athletic forwards with no shot, no handles, and a non-elite wingspan who have made it in the league. Here's my list of the best ones:
1.
Oh, right.
The rest of the draft:
I desperately hope the Lakers take Lonzo Ball. There are three reasons for this: First, I think he's the best prospect in the draft. Second, I think Jackson is going to bust. And third, if Lonzo becomes a star (as I think he will), I would detest seeing him on the Celtics. That would be the worst possible outcome.
Fortunately, the Lakers are in a position now where they have an extremely good chance of landing Lonzo, which is something I've wanted since even before the draft lottery. The dream would be that we take Lonzo, we overperform next year and give a late lottery pick to the Sixers (and not the Celtics), and Boston fades back into obscurity (and, preferably, the Atlantic Ocean).
There aren't a whole lot of other prospects I'm high on in this draft, but I haven't looked that deep, either. The one guy I really like is Malik Monk, who looks like an elite shooting guard who was unfortunate enough to end up in a 6'3 body. I hope he ends up somewhere nice, preferably somewhere with a big guard to put on 2s so Monk can guard 1s. You know, like the Lakers.
That's mostly a joke but I have actually looked into scenarios. The most plausible would be swapping D'Angelo Russell for, say, the Kings' 5th and 10th picks. But that backcourt is extremely questionable defensively and anyway I'm excited to see what Russell can do as a primary 2-guard.
It's weird, actually. I've seen a lot of people, including plenty of Lakers fans, ask whether Russell can play SG. He literally played it his entire life until he landed on the Lakers. He was the inaugural winner of the Jerry West Award for the best SG in the country. (Which is a little ironic, because West is the prototypical combo guard and played a lot of his pro career at point. The most recent winner of the award, by the way, is Monk.) Russell will survive and thrive as a 2-guard who just happens to be an excellent passer.
