No. 18 — Boston Celtics (via Los Angeles Clippers): Grant Williams, PF
School: Tennessee | Class: Junior | Height: 6’7” | Weight: 240 | Age: 20
Following the theme of drafting weirdo prospects, the Celtics add Tennessee’s Grant Williams with their second selection.
A 6’5″ power forward with an old-school post up game, Williams’ NBA appeal isn’t apparent but it is 100% real. His touch is elite and his fantastic 2P% and FT% make me confident in him shooting threes at a decent rate in the NBA. He is incredibly smart, often flashing high IQ and advanced feel for the game passing out of the post.
Elite strength is one of the more underrated traits in scouting and Williams’ strength is certainly that. For the Celtics’ he should thrive as a low usage offensive player and versatile defender and another player with latent star upside if he can hit threes at a high volume or hit difficult shots consistently. — Ben Pfeifer