Sports Illustrated releases mock with backcourt focus for Boston

Sports Illustrated released a new mock draft that sees the Boston Celtics taking three prospects, including two guards.

Sports Illustrated’s Jeremy Woo published a new mock 2020 NBA Draft Tuesday with a guard-heavy projection for the Boston Celtics to select with their three first-round picks in the upcoming draft.

Woo’s new draft focuses on how teams will adapt in the absence of an NCAA tournament to evaluate prospects — one of several such opportunities that may not be on the table for teams due to the impact of the coronavirus on professional sports and life more generally.

The current standings are used for draft order prediction, and with all of Boston’s potential picks likely to fall outside the 2020 NBA Draft lottery range, it matters less for the purposes of pick order than many teams if the league is able to restart at least part of the regular season.

As things stand now, Boston would pick at No. 17 overall (via the selection owed them by the Memphis Grizzlies), No. 26 overall (their own pick) and 30th overall (the pick owed to them by the league-best Milwaukee Bucks).