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Post by Admin on Jun 7, 2021 23:24:33 GMT -5
Texas guard Matt Coleman III to do predraft workouts with Celtics
Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports By Justin Quinn
The Boston Celtics will reportedly host Texas guard Matt Coleman III for a predraft workout according to Forbes Sports’ Chris Grenham. Coleman is considered a fringe NBA prospect by most analysts and is likely a target for the team’s mid- second-round pick or perhaps a camp deal.
The Norfolk, Virginia, native is a 6-foot-2 floor general who can distribute and shoot the ball from deep efficiently and frequently. Able to create his own shot, he’s a solid defender and an occasional pick-pocket. He is a little undersized at 6-foot-2, but he posted solid stats in a competitive conference, averaging 13.2 points per game, 3.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.2 steals per game in his senior season with the Longhorns.
He also shot 48.5% from the field, 37.7% from deep and 81.3% from the line in his final collegiate campaign.
He may not be a transformative prospect by any means, but he wouldn’t be a terrible option for the Celtics to help populate their camp roster.
He might even be worth taking with the second-rounder under the Celtics’ control (No. 45).
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Post by kivancb on Jun 8, 2021 5:18:38 GMT -5
Texas guard Matt Coleman III to do predraft workouts with Celtics
Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports By Justin Quinn
He is a little undersized at 6-foot-2
Just what we've been needing |
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Post by Admin on Jun 16, 2021 7:17:22 GMT -5
Celtics reportedly work out E.J. Lidell, M.J. Walker, Troy Baxter Jr.
By Justin Quinn
The Boston Celtics conducted pre-draft workouts with a trio of fringe 2021 NBA draft prospects on Tuesday in addition to NAIA standout E.J. Onu, according to Forbes Sports’ Chris Grenham. The Celtics have been working out a number of 2021 draft prospects likely to go late in the second round or undrafted, presumably with an eye for being taken with Boston’s No. 45 pick in the latter round of this year’s draft, or perhaps to sign to a camp deal.
E.J. Lidell - Ohio State - forward
 AP Photo/Michael ConroyLike several players reported to be in the mix for Boston’s pre-draft workouts, Lidell has not hired an agent to retain college eligibility and may return to the Buckeyes based on the feedback he gets. A 6-foot-7 forward who logged 16.2 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.7 blocks per game with Ohio State in his sophomore season, Lidell needs to work on his 3-point shot (33.8%) to play as a forward at the next level.
Troy Baxter Jr. - Morgan State - forward
 Joe Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
Baxter is highly mobile both on and off the court, having transferred from UNLV to Florida Gulf Coast, and then again to Morgan State in search of more playing time for the final two seasons of his collegiate career.
A former national slam-dunk contest winner, the 6-foot-9 swingman is an older prospect at 24 who used that extra time to add a reliable outside shot to his game.
M.J. Walker - Florida State - guard
 Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY SportsWalker is a 6-foot-5 guard whose stats don’t jump off the page at 12.2 points, 2.5 boards and as many assists per game, but managed to shoot the 3-ball at a success rate of 42.3% who can score in a variety of ways. He’ll need to improve his consistency on a game-to-game basis and his handle in particular, but has solid fundamentals to build off of.
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Post by Admin on Jun 26, 2021 21:55:10 GMT -5
Another five 2021 NBA draft prospects reportedly meet with the Celtics
By Justin Quinn
The Boston Celtics continue to probe the depths of the 2021 NBA draft class, most recently focusing on a handful of players projected to be taken from the middle of the second round to potentially undrafted, per Forbes Sports’ Chris Grenham and Sport TV Portugal’s Ricardo Brito Reis.
The Celtics have only their second-round pick slated to come in at No. 45 overall, so this range makes sense if they plan on using it. But despite having traded away their first-round pick in this year’s draft, the team has been interviewing prospects projected to the first round, even including a few players in lottery range.
So, while we can’t tell you too much about what Boston might be planning based on who they’ve been interviewing and working out, we can tell you about the players they are reported to have interest in — let’s take a quick look.
Sam Hauser - Virginia - forward
 Nell Redmond-USA TODAY SportsThe former Cavalier is a 6-foot-8 catch-and-shoot assassin who is seen as likely to go undrafted even though he led the Atlantic Coast Conference in 3-point percentage in 2020-21 at 41.7%. Hauser also shot 59.6% from 2 and 89.6% from the line, another candidate for being the best shooter in the draft who redshirted last season after transferring from Marquette.
Yves Pons - Tennessee - forward
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY SportsA 6-foot-6.75 swingman from Grant Williams’ alma mater with a 7-foot-0.75 wingspan, Pons is an excellent defender who can protect the rim and provide vertical spacing with his above-the-rim athleticism. Expected to go undrafted, he has a limited offensive toolkit away from the basket with a poor outside shot and can’t move with the ball. But, Pons could make for a stash project while he works on his skills given his natural gifts.
Daishen Nix - G League Ignite - guard
P Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast
The Anchorage native was an inaugural part of the G League’s Ignite team and is an elite floor general with excellent passing chops, positional rebounding and size at 6-foot-5.
His offensive game needs loads of work with a 17.6% 3-point percentage and a 38.4% field goal percentage, but there’s hope for the projected second-round pick given he shoots 71.4% from the line.
Joe Wieskamp - Iowa - forward
 David Banks-USA TODAY SportsThe 21-year-old junior shot a red-hot (and likely unsustainable) 46.2% from beyond the arc in 2020-21, and while his sizzling efficiency will likely drop at the next level, he can also move the ball a bit and rebounds well for his position. He needs to work on his free throw percentage at 67.7%, and will need to improve his lateral quickness, but has a good shot at making at as a rotation wing in the NBA, projected towards the end of the second round.
Neemias Queta - Utah State - center
 Jordan Prather-USA TODAY SportsPreviously profiled on Celtics Wire, Queta is a very tall (6-foot-11) and long (7-foot-4 wingspan) rim protector who is quite mobile in the open court despite his size. But even more interesting is his passing ability, long prized by Boston and increasingly by the league in frontcourt players. Should he be available in the Celtics’ range, the Portuguese big man would be an excellent gamble.
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Post by Admin on Jun 26, 2021 22:08:08 GMT -5
Three new 2021 draft prospects reportedly work out with the Celtics
By Justin Quinn
Though the Boston Celtics have but one pick in the 2021 NBA draft taking place at the end of next month, the team is still working out a range of prospects. Perhaps they are doing so with the intention of remaining flexible for a draft-night trade, or just to learn more about potential future additions to the team well after the dust has settled on this year’s draft.
Reports from Forbes Sports’ Chris Grenham link two new prospects and KSTP’s Darren Wolfson another to the Celtics in recent pre-draft workouts projected to go anywhere from the late lottery in the first round of the draft to the start of the second. And while Boston may only possess the No. 45 overall pick, it is not out of the question that a trade could land them a pick in that range depending on what was being dealt to which teams.
Let’s take a quick look at the three players in question.
Kai Jones - Texas - forward/center
Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY SportsJones is an athletic, 6-foot-11 big man who can protect the rim and catch lobs in a manner reminiscent of Robert Williams III, and with enough handles to be able to attack the cup with surprising fluidity for his size. He’s still raw as a latecomer to the game and needs to work on his shooting away from the basket to truly unlock his potential, but is an intriguing prospect who averaged 8.8 points and 4.8 boards per game with the Longhorns as a sophomore in 2020-21.
Trey Murphy III  Brett Davis-USA TODAY SportsMurphy is a lights-out shooter who might be the best at that craft in this year’s draft, hitting 43.3% from beyond the arc with the Cavaliers in 2020-21 at 4.8 attempts per game. He also sunk a sizzling 92.7% of his free throws, boding well for his shot to translate to the NBA. He needs to get to the line more considering his skill at it, and is a little old for a draft prospect at 21 years old, but the 6-foot-9 forward with a 7-foot wingspan would be a fine option if available in a range Boston can get to.
Matthew Hurt - Duke - forward
 Nell Redmond-USA TODAY SportsWhile a bit old as well at 21 years of age, Hurt is another knock-down shooter who connected on 44.4% of his shots from deep as a sophomore Blue Devil. There’s some concern he won’t be quite so lethal at the next level given his mediocre free throw percentage (72.4%), and his average wingspan (6-foot-9 for a 6-foot-9 player) makes him a little small positionally to play the 4 in the NBA, but he’s still an interesting option if he slips to Boston’s range.
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Post by Admin on Jun 26, 2021 22:15:55 GMT -5
Projected high lottery pick Scottie Barnes has reportedly interviewed with Celtics
Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports By Justin Quinn
Per Michael Scotto of our sister site HoopsHype, the Boston Celtics have interviewed 2021 NBA draft prospect Scottie Barnes, who is projected to be a high lottery pick.
This is especially noteworthy given the Celtics do not possess a draft pick in this year’s first round — never mind a lottery pick. Don’t get too excited, as it could simply be the Celtics doing due diligence on a player they’ve had their eye on for some time with some future deal in mind. But, it could also signal an interest in the team’s front office to get into the range Barnes is expected to be taken in.
A 6-foot-8 forward out of Florida State, Barnes was something of a point forward with the Seminoles. That, itself, is an intriguing skill set for a team sorely lacking playmaking last season.
While he would not necessarily be an impact player for some time in the unlikely event he did end up in Boston — particularly given the state of his 3-point shooting (27.5%) with the ‘Noles in 2020-21 — this is certainly a prospect to keep tabs on given Boston’s evident interest.
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Post by Admin on Jun 26, 2021 22:27:22 GMT -5
Celtics work out six more 2021 prospects including Miles McBride, Sharife Cooper
By Justin Quinn
The Boston Celtics upped the ante in terms of projected 2021 NBA draft stock in Thursday’s latest round of pre-draft workouts per reporting from Forbes Sports’ Chris Grenham.
Prior to today, virtually all of the players invited by the Celtics to conduct pre-draft workouts with the team had been fringe players projected to be taken by teams in the middle or late stages of the second round or going undrafted. Many had not hired an agent, allowing them to retain NCAA eligibility. The players from Thursday’s cohort of prospects are projected higher, from the mid-first round to the mid-second of this year’s draft.
Let’s review some basic information about each of the six prospects reportedly working out with Boston Thursday.
Balsa Koprivica - Florida State - center
Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports
While Koprivica is perhaps the lowest-projected prospect in today’s cohort. He was once a top-10 NCAA recruit who has a 7-foot-4 wingspan to match his 7-foot-1 frame. He has a soft touch and ability to protect the rim.
He’s not especially athletic or mobile however, and has yet to develop much of a game away from the basket. But he has the raw tools to make for an intriguing second-round option.
Nah' Shon Hyland, VCU
Geoff Burke-USA TODAY SportsMocked anywhere from the late first round to the middle of the second, Hyland is an intriguing if flawed offensive powerhouse. Extremely turnover-prone, the 6-foot-3 shooting guard has a solid 3-point shot connecting 37.1% of the time. He can get to the line and move the ball and can pick your pocket on defense if your attention wavers.
Kofi C.ockburn - Illinois - center
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY SportsAnother of today’s fringe candidates, C.ockburn is a mountain of a man banking on himself to remain in the draft despite two more seasons of NCAA eligibility. While he’s built like a freight train in the paint at 7-feet tall and 285 pounds, he’s also very slow with no jumper of note. He has good footwork, but will need to add to his game to be more than a third-string frontcourt specialist in the modern NBA.
Miles McBride - West Virginia - guard
Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
An elite point of attack defender, McBride is seen as going late in the first round to early in the second. He was a knockdown shooter with the Mountaineers, connecting on 41.4% of his attempts from beyond the arc in 2020-21.
A little undersized at 6-foot-2, the Ohioan has solid playmaking chops that would fit well on Boston’s second unit, though it’s unclear if he’d be around late enough for the Celtics’ second-rounder and could be a reach at No. 16.
Jordan Hall - Texas A&M - forward
Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
A 6-foot-8 point forward hailing from Robert Williams III’s alma mater after transferring from St. Joseph’s, Hall is seen as a late-second round option if he chooses to remain in the draft.
He logged 10.6 points, 5.9 boards and 5.1 assists per game in his freshman season at St. Joes while hitting 35.1% of his treys in 2020-21.
Sharife Cooper - Auburn - guard
Arden Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
Cooper is by far the most interesting prospect of today’s cohort in our opinion, the 6-foot-1 floor general projected anywhere from 16th (where Boston selects in the first round) to the latter third of the first round.
While undersized for the NBA, Cooper has elite court vision, and recorded 8.1 assists per game with Auburn last season. He’s very much a work in progress when it comes to scoring, but the Celtics already have that.
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Post by Admin on Jun 27, 2021 11:03:24 GMT -5
From the Draft Combine:
Four players who most improved stock with athletic testing
By Bryan Kalbrosky | June 24, 2021 ET
The NBA draft combine is underway in Chicago and it has already been an incredibly productive few days for scouts around the league.
As the top decision-makers in the game gather to watch the next generation of talent audition for a spot on a roster next season, many of the top prospects have been able to separate themselves from the pack. While scrimmages are considered the most exciting part of the activities, measurements and athletic testing are imperative as well.
Tennesse’s Keon Johnson set the record for the max vertical jump, shattering the previous best by more than two inches. That will certainly ingratiate him in the eyes of some scouts and executives working for NBA teams.
Meanwhile, below are some of the other players who were able to move the needle at the combine so far this week.
Note that all anthropometric and strength/agility scores are courtesy of NBA.com.
Scottie Barnes  (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)This draft class typically has the same five names (Cade Cunningham, Evan Mobley, Jalen Green, Jalen Suggs, Jonathan Kuminga) listed consecutively, in some order, at the top of most rankings. It’s time to start including Scottie Barnes in that tier. The former Florida State standout is widely seen as a top-ten pick in the 2021 NBA draft, so this take isn’t exactly bold. But there is a strong case that he is someone who ought to be strongly considered with one of the first five picks in the draft.
While many players in his draft range typically sit out athletic testing or skip the combine altogether, Barnes took the opposite approach. That risk was met with a fantastic reward for his fans as his performance was truly stellar.
Barnes is 6-foot-7 without shoes, which is about the height of most wings. But his wingspan is just a quarter-inch shy of 7-foot-3, offering more length than even your prototypical NBA big man. For a physical comparison, a tool from nbadraftcomp.herokuapp.com offers Rudy Gay – who has played 14 years in the NBA – as a comparison.
 (via nbadraftcomp.herokuapp.com)
According to Synergy, however, he finished 23.3 percent of his possessions as the ball handler in pick and roll sets and an additional 18.0 percent as the ball handler in transition. Pair that with his next-level court vision, where he offered an assist percentage of 31.6 percent, which was the best mark among all high-major players 6-foot-5 or taller.
Meanwhile, he has all of the athleticism that you would want for a defender who is as versatile as he is. The shuttle run (2.99 seconds) he recorded was just a mere 0.01 seconds short of the top score among all participants at the combine this year. It is also worth noting that his standing vertical (36 inches) was third-best as well.
He used that to his advantage in games as his steal percentage (3.4 percent) ranked fourth-best among all high-major freshmen.
Barnes was already seen as a lottery talent but he is making sure everyone knows why he is worthy of becoming a top-five pick.
Jericho Sims
(AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Texas Longhorns big man Jericho Sims averaged just 6.6 points a game during his four years in the NCAA and he took just one three-pointer in his collegiate career.
But before the draft combine began this week, an NBA scout who spoke to HoopsHype on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on behalf of their team, said that Sims was easily the most impressive player that their staff saw in team workouts.
The scout told HoopsHype that Sims was such an incredible athlete that it would be shocking if he did not hear his name called in the 2021 NBA draft. But that became even more likely when the big man recorded what was at the time the second-best max vertical among anyone who has ever participated at the combine.
His ability to look like he is jumping on a trampoline would be notable even in a vacuum but his physical measurements are just as exciting.
Sims has a 7-foot-3 wingspan, the second-longest among all participants in the event. He was dunking over just about everybody during scrimmages and that translates during live game action, too.
He had the fifth-most dunks among all D-I players in college basketball this past season, per Bart Torvik. He shot 79.6 percent from within five feet of the basket, beating out projected top-five pick Evan Mobley for the best overall mark among all high-major players with at least 100 attempts in this zone.
Before scrimmages, no one has done more to help their draft stock than Sims has done so far in the combine.
Scottie Lewis
 (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Florida’s Scottie Lewis was a top-ten recruit coming out of high school and a presumed one-and-done candidate for the 2020 NBA draft.
Lewis instead opted to return to school to improve his draft stock after what some would consider a disappointing freshman campaign. However, he was not able to show much offensive productivity, which limited his upside in the eyes of some evaluators.
But during athletic testing and measurements, he was able to remind the top decision-makers why he is worth serious consideration when their team is on the clock next month.
Lewis dominated during the strength and agility drills, producing one of the best marks in almost every category.
His max vertical leap (42 inches) led all players except Texas big man Jericho Sims and Tennessee wing Keon Johnson, who set the combine record. He tied South Carolina’s AJ Lawson for the fastest mark at the three-quarter sprint (2.98 seconds) and he also recorded the fastest lane agility time (10.45 seconds) among all combine participants in 2021.
 (via NBAthlete.com)If you plug in his measurements to the simulator tool from NBAthlete.com, two of the players with similar measurements are stellar wing defenders Marcus Smart and De’Anthony Melton. Both of these players notched a “similarity score” to Lewis of at least 91 percent. The 21-year-old had his limitations on the offensive side of the floor but like Smart and Melton, his primary strength in the NBA is going to be his defense and athleticism. While he is just 6-foot-4 without shoes, Lewis also measured with a 7-foot wingspan during the event. That elite length gives him a huge advantage on the defensive side of the floor, as you can see in this highlight below:
As noted in this mock draft, Lewis was the only D-I basketball player in a high-major conference who averaged a block and steal percentage both over 3.5 percent this past season. While he might not be someone whose numbers pop out, Lewis certainly has the makings of someone who is going to earn his way on an NBA roster and keep his spot.
Joe Wieskamp
(AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Iowa’s Joe Wieskamp was a bit overshadowed playing alongside Luka Garza, who was the top player in college basketball this past season.
But the 21-year-old wing is someone who gained a lot of fans by shooting 46.2 percent from beyond the arc as a junior in 2020-21. He averaged 1.46 points per possession on catch and shoot jumpers, per Synergy, which put him in the 97th percentile among all D-I players.
He gained even more respect, however, based on how well he tested at the combine when he participated in the athletic testing and measurements.
Wieskamp recorded a 42-inch max vertical, the third-best mark among all participants. For comparison, reigning dunk contest champion Anfernee Simons notched his 41.5 inches back in 2018.
He also had the fourth-fastest lane agility time, clocking in at 10.7 seconds, among all participants as well.
Meanwhile, with a wingspan measured at 6-foot-11, he has competitive length even for a frontcourt prospect. But if you put him on the wing, he will actually have a size advantage over some of his NBA peers at his position.
As a floor spacer with solid athleticism, he is going to make a team very happy at the next level.
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Post by Admin on Jul 24, 2021 10:01:30 GMT -5
Who's been in Boston so far for pre-draft workouts:
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Post by cole on Jul 24, 2021 10:49:17 GMT -5
I thought simms looked good late in the year.
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Post by Admin on Jul 25, 2021 12:03:07 GMT -5
PF? These guys are high on Thor:
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