Boston Celtics Rumors: Celtics ‘Intrigued’ By Buddy Hield In 2016 NBA Draft
The Boston Celtics rumors are flying, as the NBA offseason is getting closer. Obviously, the first order of business will be the 2016 NBA Draft and the Celtics have the third-best chance to win the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft Lottery. No matter what pick they end up getting, they will have plenty of different prospects to choose from.
Chad Ford of ESPN’s latest lottery mock draft claims that the Celtics are “intrigued” by Oklahoma Sooners star shooting guard Buddy Hield. It seems that Boston would be interested in picking Hield as long as their pick as after the No. 2 overall pick.
Hield would make a lot of sense for the Celtics and could be exactly the legitimate scoring threat that the team has been needing. He would also add an obvious boost to their three-point shooting.
Last season with the Sooners, Hield put up superstar numbers all season long. He ended the season by averaging 25.0 points per game to go along with 5.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. Hield knocked down 50.1 percent of his shot attempts overall and also connected on 45.7 percent of his three-point attempts.
At 6-foot-4 and 214 pounds, Hield already has a solid NBA size body for a shooting guard. He will be able to step into a starting lineup or rotation immediately and that is exactly what the Celtics need. There is no telling how he will fare with an NBA defense trying to shut down his three-point shooting each and every night, but it will be fun to watch.
Boston drafted R.J. Hunter last year hoping that he could turn into a legitimate three-point threat. That didn’t happen in his rookie season, but the Celtics are far from giving up hope on him.
Looking ahead at the NBA Draft this offseason, there are plenty of other prospects that will make the decision a hard one for the Celtics. Depending on which pick they get, the Celtics could consider players like Ben Simmons, Brandon Ingram, Dragan Bender and Jamal Murray ahead of Hield. While they will have that option, Brad Stevens could very well like what Hield brings to the table more than the others.
There is no question that the Celtics are a piece or two away from being a serious Eastern Conference contending team. They have taken big steps forward in the last couple of years, but nothing else will happen unless they bring in another top scorer.
All of that being said, the Celtics will be a team to keep an eye on this offseason as they look to make the necessary changes.
It will be intriguing to see which direction the Celtics go with their first round pick this offseason. Hield seems to be their favorite candidate at this point in time, but there is still plenty of time for that to change.
Hield has to be happy to hear that the Celtics are interested in him. They are one of the best fits that he could possibly ask for in the draft. There is a good chance that he would immediately slide into the starting lineup over Marcus Smart and Avery Bradley at the shooting guard slot next to Isaiah Thomas in the back-court.
Expect to see Hield be a strong consideration for the pick and don’t be surprised if he ends up in Boston.
Do you think that the Boston Celtics should draft Buddy Hield in the 2016 NBA Draft? Would he be the missing piece that the Celtics have been searching for?
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