The Boston Celtics are in a bind. That’s really the only way to put it. After Jayson Tatum’s devastating Achilles injury torpedoed their championship defense, the front office is now staring down a brutal offseason. They’re deep in the luxury tax, which severely limits their ability to sign free agents, and key big men like Al Horford and Luke Kornet could be walking out the door. So, how do you fix a championship-level roster on a shoestring budget? You absolutely have to nail the NBA Draft. And with the Celtics holding the No. 28 and No. 32 picks, the guys on the “Garden Report” podcast are urging Boston to take a hard look at a 7-foot-1 NCAA star.
The Celtics are in a tricky spot in this draft. As the Garden Report’s Bobby Manning pointed out, a lot of the players they’ve worked out have either gone back to school or are projected to be picked way before Boston is on the clock at No. 28. It’s tough to find real, immediate help that late in the first round. But there’s one area where they might lose multiple players this offseason: the center position. And that’s where Creighton’s Ryan Kalkbrenner comes in.
The 7-foot-1 center from Creighton was described as a “really good player” and a potential “steal” late in the draft. Analyst Matt Powers on the same show laid out the case, and it was a compelling one. Offensively, Kalkbrenner is an incredibly efficient play-finisher. He was in the 86th percentile or better on post-ups, cuts, and as a roll man. He’s also a serious lob threat with a massive 7’6″ wingspan. But it was the defensive stats that really jumped out.
“He was actually top 20 in the country in block rate,” Powers explained on the Garden Report podcast, “but he only fouled once, 1.7 times every 40 minutes, which is just like an absurdly low number… No one in the top 500 for blocks had a foul rate that low.” That’s the kind of disciplined, high-IQ defense that could earn him minutes on a championship-level team from day one. And for a little context on his athleticism, Powers dropped this incredible stat: “He had almost as many dunks as Zach Edey had last year.” Putting Kalkbrenner in the same conversation as Edey, the two-time National Player of the Year before he was drafted by Memphis, when it comes to interior finishing, speaks volumes about his potential to dominate the paint.
But this isn’t a slam dunk for the Celtics just yet. While the Garden Report crew was high on Kalkbrenner, other draft experts have the Celtics looking in different directions. NBC Sports Boston’s Chris Forsberg also likes the Kalkbrenner fit, but ESPN’s Jonathan Givony has the C’s taking a wing defender like Drake Powell, while Sam Vecenie of The Athletic has them looking at a different kind of center in Frenchman Maxime Raynaud.
It all sets up a fascinating decision for Brad Stevens and the front office. Do they go for the sure thing, a ready-made, Edey-like defensive anchor in Kalkbrenner who can fill a clear position of need? Or do they take a swing on a different type of player, hoping to find another diamond in the rough late in the draft? But as the Celtics weigh their options, a couple of cautionary tales are unfolding that highlight the risks of betting big on any big man.
The risk of relying on big men like Zach Edey
The buzz around a Zach Edey-like prospect is exciting, but the reality of relying on a rookie big man just got a whole lot scarier. Edey, the No. 9 pick in last year’s draft, just underwent surgery on the same left ankle he’s now sprained three times in his young career. He’s expected to be out for at least four months, putting his entire sophomore season in jeopardy. For a team like the Grizzlies, who were counting on him to be a cornerstone, it’s a devastating blow.
A dejected Purdue Boilermakers center Zach Edey (15) walks off the court after losing the Men’s NCAA national championship game to Connecticut Huskies at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on April 8, 2024.
And for the Celtics, it should be a massive red flag. Edey’s situation is a perfect example of the risk that comes with drafting a center, no matter how dominant he was in college. Big men are simply more susceptible to lower-body injuries, and a recurring issue like Edey’s can derail a career before it even gets started. While Kalkbrenner has been durable, the physical demands of an 82-game NBA season are a different beast entirely.
This is what makes Boston’s draft decision so critical. They’re already dealing with Jayson Tatum’s Achilles injury, and their own star center, Kristaps Porzingis, has a lengthy injury history. In fact, Porzingis’s health issues and hefty contract have led to whispers that the Celtics might look to trade him this offseason. According to NBA Insider Jake Fischer, the Phoenix Suns have already started doing “background work” on Porzingis as a potential target, especially if they move on from Kevin Durant.
That adds another layer of complexity to the Celtics’ draft plans. Are they looking for a long-term replacement for the 39-year-old Al Horford, a backup plan for the oft-injured Porzingis, or both? The Edey situation proves how quickly a promising young big man can be taken off the board by injury, and the Porzingis rumors show how precarious even a championship frontcourt can be.
So, as Brad Stevens and the front office finalize their draft board, they have to be weighing the potential reward of a guy like Kalkbrenner against the very real risks. Do they take the plunge on a big man who could be a defensive anchor for years to come? Or does the fear of ending up with another talented center in street clothes push them in a different direction? For a team with championship aspirations and very few paths to improve, it’s a decision they absolutely cannot afford to get wrong.
The post Celtics Urged to Select Zach Edey-Like NCAA Star at NBA Draft Ahead of Offseason Overhaul appeared first on EssentiallySports.