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Teams start to take chances in the second round of the NBA draft, and that’s exactly what the Boston Celtics did by selecting Marcus Thornton. More often than not, second-round picks don’t last very long in the NBA.
A prolific scorer at a small school, Thornton averaged over 20 points per game as a senior, and over 17 for his career. He can score in a variety of ways, but is an exceptional 3-point shooter. He shot over 40 percent from downtown over the course of his four-year career at William & Mary. He certainly benefited from some weaker competition and it will be interesting to see how his skill set translates to the next level.
Sometimes though, no matter the setting, scorers just score. If Thornton can maintain his scoring ability at the professional level, he has a very realistic shot of making this Celtics team and shooting his way into the rotation. However, Thornton’s offense is a bit limited. He is a much better scorer coming off of screens. If he is forced to create for himself, his accuracy drops significantly.
The Celtics selected Thornton with one thing in mind. He’s not much of a facilitator on offense, rather he’s at his best when plays are designed for him. He never averaged more than three assists per game in a season. Thornton also spent four years in college, which can sometimes be an advantage over younger prospects who entered the draft after a year or two.
One thing’s for certain: The Celtics now have a logjam at point guard. With five point guards on the roster, expect at least two of them to find homes elsewhere.
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.
