Rookie Fit Preview: JD Davison Offers Celtics Future Upside

Late 2022 draftee JD Davison offers Boston some intriguing longterm upside at the guard position.

After a trip to the coveted NBA Finals, the Boston Celtics will look to take another jump with an improved roster in the 2022-23 season.

Led by Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and a swath of talented players top to bottom, it will be hard for any young players to slip into the rotation.

The Rookie Class

JD Davison (Guard | No. 52 Overall)

An explosive, downhill guard with a knack for making big-time plays, Davison has tremendous potential on the offensive end of the court, it just may not come into play in Year 1.

Roles and Opportunities

As previously stated, the Boston Celtics were a Finals-level team last season, and genuinely improved their roster on top of that with the addition of Malcolm Brogdon.

To weave himself into the guard rotation, which is currently filled by Brogon, All-Star Jaylen Brown, Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart, and solid role players in Derrick White and Payton Pritchard, Davison would have to be truly special.

Barring multiple unlikely injuries, it just isn’t in the cards for Davison to see valuable minutes this season.

Projections

Davison is likely to be relegated to G League and late-game minutes this season, but that doesn’t mean he won’t provide longterm value for Boston.

At 6-foot-3, Davison is a legitimate backcourt playmaker, something Boston will certainly need down the road. As a key cog at Alabama, Davison averaged 8.5 points, 4.3 assists and 4.8 rebounds in just 25 minutes a night for the Crimson Tide.

Last season, Boston struggled to find a secondary playmaker next to Tatum, leading to the Brogdon move. But Davison could eventually fill that role miles down the road.

For now, Davison will likely refine key skills on the bottom of a great Celtics roster with a history of strong development. 

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