Puzzling Pick: Celtics Draft Guard Terry Rozier 16th Overall
BOSTON (CBS) -- Despite a strong effort to move up into the top 10, the Boston Celtics ended up making the 16th overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft.
It was a puzzling one too, as they drafted Louisville guard Terry Rozier. The Celtics already have a steady stable of guards, led by Isaiah Thomas, Avery Bradley and 2014 sixth overall pick Marcus Smart, so it's a move that has caused many Celtics fans to scratch their head:
Adam Jones & Rich Keefe React To Selection:
Even Rozier was a little surprised to hear he had been drafted so early:
The 6-2 Rozier is known more as a defensive guard with limited offensive ability after two years at Louisville. He averaged 17.1 points per game last season with the Cardinals, shooting 40.8 percent from the field for his collegiate career.
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Celtics head coach Brad Stevens joined 98.5 The Sports Hub's The Adam Jones Show after the selection, and spoke highly of his newest player.
"Basketball is becoming position-less, and obviously you can't have a team full of small guys, but you can have a team of long, athletic, driven guys, and he has that. He has a burst that very few guys have in this draft," said Stevens.
Celtics Head Coach Brad Stevens:
The C's coach stressed the need to defend against talented guards such as Kyrie Irving and Stephen Curry, and believes Rozier can step in and do just that.
"That's an important couple of positions you better be able to guard. We feel really good about him," he said. "He has the ability, physically and emotionally, and a drive that people will really appreciate.
"When people learn about him, he's a guy people will be excited to see," said Stevens. "He was a guy we thought would probably be available, but not much longer."
Read: Celtics Draft PF Jordan Mickey In 2nd Round
This appears to be the Celtics going with the "best player available" on their draft board when their pick came up, though you'd have to really search hard for another ranking that had Rozier so high. It certainly wasn't the fireworks fans were hoping for, with the weeks leading up to the draft filled with chatter the Celtics would attempt to trade up for a much more impactful player.
As with any pick, time will tell with Rozier. But for right now, it looks like a disappointing reach for the Celtics.
