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For the past month, rumors have swirled surrounding the Boston Celtics and the team’s desire to move up in Thursday’s NBA Draft.
READ: Celtics Rumors: Team ‘Very Open’ To Moving Up In Draft
Initially, Willie Cauley-Stein had been the player whose name had surfaced the most in relation to those rumors. However now, a new target has emerged for the Celtics, one that may actually be a better fit.
According to Andrew Perna of RealGM, the Celtics are still interested in moving into the late stages of the lottery picks, but now they have Texas Longhorns freshman Myles Turner on their radar. Turner’s shot-blocking ability would present a colossal upgrade to a Celtics team that ranked dead last in blocks per game last season. Despite averaging just 22 minutes per game, Turner led the Big 12 Conference with 2.6 blocks per game last year. He also posted five blocks or more nine times.
Turner would also help Boston’s big men with rebounding. Turner and a healthy Jared Sullinger would complement each other well on the glass. Sullinger may be undersized, but he knows how to use his big body to box out and also has great instincts. Scouts say Turner doesn’t have the best instincts, but his size and wingspan alone make him a good rebounder. Perhaps he could pick up a few things playing alongside Sullinger. Turner could also benefit from adding a little more muscle and becoming a bit more physical, but he is adequate at boxing out.
While Turner is a coveted shot blocker, it’s on the offensive end where he separates himself and shows more promise than a player like Cauley-Stein. Though he doesn’t possess the traditional post moves — very few actually do nowadays — Turner does have a very good jump shot and some range as well. He certainly can, and does, play with his back to the basket, but he typically makes a move away from the basket to get off his jump shot instead of towards the basket for a layup. He’s not a great three-point shooter, but he does have the ability to step outside and make a few.
Turner’s size also allows him to set good screens. That skill set would make him a great asset to a guy like Isaiah Thomas who thrives in the pick and roll. Though he doesn’t possess great quickness, Turner has long strides that allow him to cover a lot of ground which could help in the open floor on offense, as well as rotating and providing help on defense.
Two main things the Celtics are looking to improve upon this offseason are rebounding and rim protection. Turner would help in both those areas, as well as provide some offense. Current Celtics like Kelly Olynyk and Tyler Zeller can hit jump shots and stretch the defense, but they cannot protect the rim like Turner. At just 19 years old, Turner is a work in progress, but he also has a high ceiling and would help the Celtics address two of their most glaring weaknesses.
Derek McVay is a Boston Celtics beat writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @mcvay34, or add him to your network on Google.
