We suffered by not having a physical big man to replace Kendrick Perkins, and we feel we addressed that with Festus Ezeli.
To compliment him, we see a guy here who is unique and very much in the tradition of all-around forwards we have had success with in the past. We are intrigued by his combination of passing, rebounding, ball-handling and mid-range shooting from the PF position. This is a modern type of player who we feel every team needs to create mismatches and dictate who the opponent can put on the court.
This player has challenges (or we wouldn't be able to sniff him at #22). He has some problems with anxiety, but we feel we have a strong organization that can support someone with that kind of issue. He's also a bit of a tweener at only 6'8", but we view that as almost a positive because of his extraordinary skill. We think he will be a nightmare to defend. His questionable conditioning and poor free throw shooting are things he has to work hard on, however.
While this seems like a risky pick, we don't think so at all. We just don't see a way a basketball player like this won't succeed in the NBA at some level. He is a big, skilled man and he can really play.
The Celtics select Royce White, PF/SF, Iowa State
Thanks for nothing, Google Image Search.
Boston probably travels less miles by plane than almost any NBA team. White is a reluctant flyer.
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