With the Boston Celtics watching the Eastern Conference Finals on the couch for the first time since 2021, there isn't much for fans to do but sit back and ponder the team's future. Change is on the horizon this summer. There's no getting around it, as the team looks to get below the second apron.
The best way for Boston to soften the blow of whatever trades they're going to have to make to achieve that goal is to draft well. Draft picks are more valuable than ever in the NBA. If used wisely, they are a great way to add talent without using a significant amount of the salary cap, allowing teams to field deeper rosters while avoiding the CBA's apron penalties.
Next month, the Celtics will have two chances to find new cogs to add to their basketball machine with picks 28 and 32. Though these aren't prime selections, they're still valuable. The starting salary of the 28th pick is far less than that of a lottery player, and the 32nd pick doesn't even have a guaranteed contract. Boston's two swings will come without much added salary stress.
Tankathon's latest mock draft has the Celtics selecting Creighton center Ryan Kalkbrenner with their second-rounder.
The seven-foot-two big man just wrapped up his super-senior season with the Bluejays. He appeared in 35 games this past year, averaging 19.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks per game while shooting 65.3% from the field and 34.4% from three on 1.7 attempts per outing.
Does Ryan Kalkbrenner make sense for the Celtics?
Yeah, he does.
The center spot has plenty of question marks surrounding it as Boston enters this transitional offseason. It's possible that all three of Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, and Luke Kornet wind up playing elsewhere (or retiring, Al) next year. That scenario would leave the Celtics with a ton of minutes to fill down low.
Kalkbrenner wouldn't be a guaranteed fix to that issue, but he'd help to fill some of the void.
The Missouri native has a similar skill set to Kornet, whose contract expires on July 1. He's a quick catch-and-finish player with a hint of a three-point shot on offense. He could benefit from bulking up a bit at just 235 pounds, but was still a strong pick-and-roll option because of his touch at the rim. Once he adds muscle, he'll be able to set far more effective screens in the pros, much like Kornet does.
His jumpshot (which looks strikingly similar to Kornet's) has improved with time. His 34.4% clip from beyond the arc was the highest of his college career. It's important to keep in mind that he wasn't a high-volume shooter. That isn't to say he'll never be able to stretch the floor as a pro, but there's still work to be done.
On a more exciting note, Kalkbrenner served as Creighton's defensive anchor for the past few seasons. As one of the nation's elite shot blockers, his presence at the rim led him to win the last four Big East Defensive Player of the Year awards.
With that being said, he's not the type of guy who can reliably switch onto smaller guards on the perimeter. Not yet, at least. He thrived in drop coverage, which we've seen the Celtics run at times, but they're at their best when they're able to be as switchable as possible defensively.
For more perspective, Yahoo Sports' Kevin O'Connor compared Kalkbrenner to the likes of Jakob Poeltl and Walker Kessler. An exciting piece of O'Connor's scouting report focuses on Kalkbrenner's growth as a passer.
"He can make basic kickout passes out of the short roll, he can laser passes to shooters, and he’s not afraid to make a bounce pass into traffic," O'Connor wrote. "He doesn’t necessarily project as a playmaking hub, but he’s not a liability if he needs to make a pass."
The short roll has been an important piece of Kornet's growth over the past season with the Celtics. One of the first things that he showcased in the preseason was his quick decision-making ability in that spot.
If Kalkbrenner can make good reads in that spot, he could grow into a similar role off of Boston's bench, should they draft him.
At 23 years old, the stifling anchor is more experienced than some of the younger prospects in this draft. There will always be room for growth, but his five years in college may make the transition to the league a bit smoother. This would be especially valuable to a Celtics team that could be without its top three big men in just a few months.