A day after the Celtics bolstered their depth by drafting sharpshooter Baylor Schierman out of Creighton with the thirtieth general choose, Brad Stevens and his employees added a flexible wing to their pipeline of expertise.
Boston drafted Gonzaga wing Anton Watson with the 54th general choose within the 2024 NBA Draft on Thursday, with the Celtics bringing in a fifth-year participant with a excessive motor and loads of upside as a tireless defender.
Right here’s 4 issues to find out about Boston’s newest draft choice.
Watson was a flexible contributor for the Bulldogs in 2023-24
Very like Boston’s different 2024 draft choice in Schierman, Watson is among the older gamers in his draft class, with the previous Gonzaga stalwart set to show 24 earlier than the beginning of the Celtics’ 2024-25 season.
A fifth-year participant with Gonzaga, Watson — who hails from Spokane, Washington — developed right into a Swiss Military knife for Mark Few and the Bulldogs throughout his last collegiate season.
An All-Convention First Workforce choice within the West Coast Convention (WCC), Watson ranked second on the Bulldogs final season in scoring (14.5 factors per sport) and rebounds (7.1 per sport), whereas additionally averaging 2.6 assists (third on staff) and 1.5 steals (first on staff) per contest.
Watson completed with over 1,400 factors, 700 rebounds, and 200 assists in faculty, with solely Corridor of Famer John Stockton recording extra steals than Watson (215) throughout his time with the Bulldogs.
Throughout Watson’s 5 seasons with Gonzaga, the Bulldogs made 4 journeys to the Candy 16, together with an look within the nationwide championship sport in 2021.
Watson’s strengths revolve round protection and ending
Whereas Boston clearly prioritized 3-point taking pictures with its number of Schierman within the first spherical, the Celtics are banking on Watson’s defensive upside as a worth add with choose No. 54.
Watson’s size (6-foot-8, 7-foot wingspan) allowed him to develop right into a relentless on-ball defender throughout his time in faculty, with that prime motor providing up hope that it will possibly translate to the following stage in due time.
“Versatile defender who frolicked defending everybody from Zach Edey to scoring wings to small guards,” The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor mentioned of Watson in his 2024 NBA Draft Information. “Although he’s fairly giant, he strikes like a wing himself when navigating screens, so he ought to have positional vary on the subsequent stage, too. Gifted rim protector due to his really feel, fundamentals, and size.”
O’Connor in contrast Watson’s sport to “shades of outdated Al Horford”, harkening to his capability to defend each forwards and guards alike and his pure really feel for the sport on offense.
Although Watson’s general toolkit on offense isn’t assorted, he had a knack for changing on the rim with the Bulldogs. He shot 57.8 p.c from the sphere final season — good for third general within the WCC — and closed out his faculty profession with a 58.6 p.c area purpose share over 5 seasons.
He has room to develop offensively
It’s all however a on condition that Watson’s capability to transform on the basket will take a success on the subsequent stage.
As such, the 23-year-old wing might want to spherical out his general ability set on offense if he needs to stay within the NBA ranks.
In contrast to Schierman, Watson wasn’t precisely a menace from 3-point vary throughout faculty, hitting simply 30.7 p.c of his makes an attempt past the arc over 5 seasons at Gonzaga.
It ought to be famous that he made enhancements in that division all through his profession, hitting 41.2 p.c of his 3-pointers in 2023-24 off of 1.5 makes an attempt per sport.
Add in the truth that Watson solely transformed on 62.7 p.c of his free throws at Gonzaga, and the versatile ahead might want to make a concerted effort towards growing his general sport within the coming years.
As intriguing as he could be on the defensive aspect of the ball, the Celtics can’t make the most of him as an everyday rotation participant if he can’t provide a lot down the opposite finish of the court docket.
He’s signed to Lil Wayne’s sports activities company
Within the lead as much as the 2024 NBA Draft, Watson signed on with Younger Cash APAA Sports activities, a sports activities company group based by rapper Lil Wayne.
In accordance with the company’s web site, Younger Cash APAA offers “a complete suite of companies, together with contract negotiations, advertising and marketing and endorsement alternatives, monetary planning, authorized assist, and profession steering.”
Earlier purchasers for Younger Cash APAA embody Jets defensive sort out Quinnen Williams, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, Chiefs broad receiver Mecole Hardman, and former NBA large man Willie Cauley-Stein.
Loading…