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As the draft nears, the Boston Celtics are trying to find out as much as they can about potential top pick Markelle Fultz. After meeting with the team last week, head coach Brad Stevens took his scouting up a notch as he reportedly even went as far as reaching out to the 19-year-old’s high school counselor.
No less than Joan Phalen, counselor at Dematha Catholic High School, confirmed, via Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe, that she had a talk with the veteran head coach. They discussed how he learns and his tendencies back in his days in the school. She also gave Stevens a lot of credit for going the extra mile to do his research about the 6-foot-4 guard.
“I had a wonderful conversation with Brad Stevens,’’ said Phalen, who worked with Fultz almost daily during his time at the private high school in Hyattsville, Md. “He was so interested in how Markelle learns, and I just thought that was an amazing concept for a coach to be interested in and concerned about. We had a great conversation.’’
Less than two weeks before the lottery, it appears like the C’s are leaning towards drafting Fultz as they believe he can thrive alongside Isaiah Thomas, with his ability to play shooting guard as well. He will have the opportunity to learn from one of the elite players in the league today, and also has a chance to make an impact immediately on a title contender.
It remains to be seen who the Celtics will ultimately select, but based on the research Stevens and company have been doing lately, there is growing belief that they will not pass up on the consensus top pick, who many consider as a very unique talent as well.
