Los Angeles Lakers are not among the losers of 2017 NBA Draft
By Matt Leaman
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a team most people wouldn’t expect to show up here on a list of the biggest draft losers. The Celtics are probably one or two upper echelon players away from truly challenging the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference. They need Gordon Hayward and another star player.
Their inability to get a deal done during the draft last night was disappointing as an NBA fan. With so many trade assets and young players, it was surprising they didn’t pull the trigger for either Paul George, Jimmy Butler, or Kristaps Porzingis.
The Bulls certainly weren’t asking for much in return for Butler, and the Celtics continue to be reluctant to give up their young talent; something Danny Ainge will need to do at some point soon.
The Celtics added to their pool of young talented players when they selected Duke forward, Jayson Tatum, with the 3rd overall selection. Tatum averaged 16.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists this past season.
While he is one of the most NBA-ready scorers, the Celtics have a roster full of players with similar skill sets to Tatum. Tatum will need to get better on the defensive end and improve his passing skills to help this team.
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Also, it will be tough finding minutes for Tatum in his first season with the Celtics. Will they keep Jaylen Brown, and Jae Crowder, or move one of them to create more minutes for Tatum? These scenarios will most likely be ironed out within the next couple weeks.