2024 NBA Draft: Breaking Down Boston Celtics Draft Class

The Boston Celtics had two draft picks in this past draft and added a ton of college experience through the draft. How will they fit the organization?

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The Boston Celtics are your 2024 NBA Champions and have arguably one of the most well rounded starting five in NBA history. As they look to repeat they added more depth to their bench as they had a first round and second round draft pick this year.

Let’s dive into each selection they made and the summary of their draft.

No. 30: Baylor Scheierman

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With the final pick in the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft, the Celtics selected the fifth-year senior out of Creighton, Baylor Scheierman. The 6-foot-7 wing had an excellent college career as he started out at a mid-major school then proved that he was a high-caliber player before ended up transferring to Creighton for his final years in college.

Scheierman is one of the top pure shooters in the entire draft as he has limitless range, good shot mechanics and amazing touch. He spaces the floor so well and opens up the floor for the rest of his teammates. Outside of being an elite sharpshooter he has a very good feel for the game and is a solid secondary playmaker.

Scheierman can make plays happen out of ball screens and does a good job of finding open teammates. The skilled wing is also very crafty which makes up for his subpar athleticism. He’s an NBA-ready player who has a chance to contribute within the next three years for a team that’s heading into next season as the championship favorites. 

No. 54: Anton Watson

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With one of the last picks in the entire draft, the Celtics selected Anton Watson out of Gonzaga. The 6-foot-8 forward spent five years there and will now be traveling across the country as he moves to Boston. Watson was one of the best defensive players in the entire country this past season.

He brings great defensive versatility as he’s comfortable defending up and down a lineup. Watson has a good combination of size, length, anticipation and quickness. All of his value is on the defensive end but he also has shown to be a connector piece on the offensive end. He’s a smart cutter, hustles and can make basic passing reads.

He knows his role and excels at that role which is typically what you look for in the second round. The next step for Watson is improving his jump shot as often times he has bad misses and is quite inconsistent as an outside shooter. If he improves his consistency as an outside shooter then he has the potential to be a valuable 3-and-D forward in the NBA.

Draft Summary

It was clear that the Celtics' main goal heading into draft night was improving their depth by getting experienced college players who had an NBA-ready skill and a clear role in the league. With Scheierman he’s an excellent shooter that brings other valuable skills to the table. With Watson you get an NBA-ready defender who has a chance to be a solid connector piece on the team.

The Celtics will continue to look to add depth to their roster as they have one of the best starting five lineups in NBA history so the route they went with through the draft was very smart and strategic of them. It will be interesting to see if either of them gets any minutes early on, but by the end of the season, there’s a real chance Scheierman is giving valuable contributions off the bench. Celtic fans should be feeling very good with the new players on their roster.

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