The Boston Celtics are staying very busy on the NBA Draft front according to Fortune’s Chris Grenham, having interviewed DePaul big man Paul Reed.
Currently projected around the middle of the second round where the Celtics currently control the No. 47 overall pick owed them by the Brooklyn Nets, the athletic, skilled big man is an intriguing option should he slide far enough for Boston to take him.
His defense in particular stands out, with Reed likely to steal your lunch if you don’t protect the ball, and send it into the stands if he can get his mitts on it near the rim, with 2.9 blocks per game in his final season with DePaul.
DePaul’s Paul Reed has met with the Celtics, according to a source.
Reed is an athletic big who can be a real disruptor on the defensive end. Has great value as a second-rounder.
— Chris Grenham (@chrisgrenham) October 13, 2020
His clunky jumper needs work, but the fundamentals are in place, and the biggest knocks against him are his size (at 6-foot-9 he’s a little small for a big man) and age at 21 years old.
His handles need improvement, and a better passing game could unlock more of his game as a smaller big man as well, but most of his warts are problems that should be solvable at the next level so long as the desire to put in the work is there.
All that considered, he’s got a high floor as a rotation player who could become a starter if he improves his offensive range and bulks up a little more — definitely worth a shot if Boston still has a pick in his range.
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