As the season kicked off, there was a strong possibility that the Celtics might find themselves in a position to draft one of the top players in the country due to uncertainty surrounding how Boston would perform with Jayson Tatum missing most of the season.
However, the Celtics have emerged as one of the best teams in the NBA and are now in a position to potentially clinch an NBA title, which means they'll be picking later in the first round.
The good news for Boston is that this year's draft could feature a handful of great players, and USA Today's Bryan Kalbrosky predicted that the Celtics will select Houston center Chris Cenar Jr. with the 27th pick in his latest mock draft.
"It was an up-and-down season for former five-star recruit and McDonald's All-American Chris Cenar Jr. at Houston," Kalbrosky wrote on Thursday. "While he still remains a candidate to return to college and improve his draft stock for the 2027 NBA Draft, Cenac is getting hot at the perfect time.
"During his first game in the Big Dance, the big man recorded a season-high 18 rebounds, while also knocking down a 3-pointer and grabbing a steal. Then, in the Round of 32, he showed off more scoring with some impressive cuts to the basket, dropping 17 points against Texas A&M."
Cenar has appeared in 36 games this season, averaging 9.6 points and 7.8 rebounds. With his 6-foot-11 height, he could be a valuable addition to the Celtics, helping to strengthen their frontcourt.
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