The Boston Celtics had just one selection in the 2021 NBA Draft, picking Guadeloupe youngster Juhann Begarin 45th overall. In four of the last five years, the C's owned a top-15 pick but Brad Stevens ultimately shipped off the No. 16 selection along with Kemba Walker to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
With the Celtics grabbing three first-rounders in 2020, the need for another impact player wasn't huge. However, it was the second-straight draft where Boston did nab another overseas talent after taking Israeli Yam Madar at 47th last year.
The core is intact for the Celtics. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are the future of this franchise, but at just 18-years-old, Begarin could be a long-term project who may prove to be a key piece of their backcourt.
Here is a grade for Boston's lone draft pick.
Juhann Begarin: B
Begarin has played the last two seasons for Paris Basketball, which is a member of the second-division French league LNB Pro B. At 6 foot 6, he's a solid size for a shooting guard, also boasting a seven-foot wingspan. Begarin averaged 11.7 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.7 assists for Paris. He's shown the ability to score consistently, which is definitely a trait that opened up the eyes of the Celtics.
While Begarin does play guard, he attacks to the rim like a wing player. The 18-year-old is extremely athletic and strong with the ball in his hands and showed absolutely problems bullying his way to the cup and finishing with authority. With that being said, he's versatile enough to play as a forward or a guard, which will surely benefit his development with the Celtics.
However, Begarin has a long way to go when it comes to shooting the ball efficiently. Across his first four seasons as a professional, he shot just 27% from downtown. In 2020/21, Begarin drained just 34% of his threes on around four attempts per contest. At the free-throw line, he posted a mere 61% clip. With the NBA being such a shooting-heavy league in this day and age, this is an area he must improve in if Begarin ever wants to get a chance with the Celtics down the road.
Given his physicality and agility, Begarin is also a respectable defender who can hold his own against bigger opponents. He's definitely going to be a work in progress for the Celtics, but there is certainly promise in his game. Whether Begarin ever actually has a role with Boston remains to be seen, but he will have the opportunity to make an early impression in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas next week.
This is by no means a bad pick by the C's. Sure, their core is looking pretty solid right now, but adding another versatile player to their ranks is good business. It's far too soon to make any assumptions about the type of player Juhann Begarin could turn into, but the current tools and skillset he possesses are promising. Considering he's also been playing professionally for four years is a huge plus.
The Celtics did a nice job with this selection.
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