NBA Draft 2020 Mock Draft 1.0: The New Orleans Pelicans Can Try for Homerun
Jalen Smith. player. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. Power Forward / University of Maryland. Boston Celtics. 17. 18
Like the New Orleans Pelicans, the Boston Celtics are in the enviable position of not needing to draft out of need.
The Celtics are already loaded with some of the best young talent in the NBA in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, so they can swing for the fences here or try to add some depth.
The Celtics already have plenty of position-less wings, but have struggled to find reliable interior scoring and defense, especially with Enes Kanter on the floor.
Jalen Smith would be an immediate upgrade defensively, as he has good size at 6-foot-10 and is already averaging 2.3 blocks per game, a statistic that usually translates well in the NBA.
You never really know what Danny Ainge will do with his picks and the Celtics always seem to have plenty of them to spare, so this could very well be packaged with one of their wings in a trade.
If the Celtics do decide to keep their pick then they will likely take a big, so it will really come down to which of the remaining power forwards or centers is ranked highest on their board.