2019 NBA Draft: Top 3 players for Boston Celtics to select with 14th pick
By Trevor Marks
2. PJ Washington, 6-8 forward, Kentucky
Marcus Morris aw his role increase significantly in his eight season as a pro, shedding his bench role for a spot in the starting lineup, earning 53 starts as the Celtics top power forward. He gave the team a gritty big body on defense and on the glass, along with timely scoring for a team that struggled to mesh throughout the year. He proved himself to be a rather important figure despite not playing a premier position nor having a premier role on a star-laden team.
He too is a free agent, though, and his exit seems to be inevitable as well.
Boston doesn’t necessarily have to look toward the draft to get themselves a new power forward replace Morris’s spot in the rotation, since they regularly deploy large wings (Jayson Tatum, Gordon Hayward, Semi Ojeleye) at the ‘4’ spot instead of a traditional power forward, it still wouldn’t be a bad idea to find a skilled forward that could contribute for years to come.
PJ Washington boasts prototypical size (6-8, 7-2 wingspan, 230-pound frame), strength, and skill that makes him an appealing long-term option at the ‘4’ for the Celtics somewhere down the line. Returning to Kentucky for a sophomore campaign paid off exponentially, as he went on to average 15.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.2 blocks on 52.2 percent shooting from the field, 42.3 percent shooting from the arc, and 66.3 percent shooting from the charity stripe.
Washington routinely banged with other bigs down in the post, battling for rebounds and squaring up against multiple positions on defense thanks to his frame, length, and wing-level athleticism. His improvement as a shooter makes his ceiling significantly higher, as he’s already an intelligent player with some latent skill as a playmaker and self-creator on offense. Some draftniks believe that he could play as a ‘3’ at the next level, which is certainly a possibility; really, Washington could play any position in the front court due to his unique physical makeup. Regardless, Washington’s skill level and defensive versatility makes him a prime candidate for the Celtics at No. 14, as he projects to be a successful role player with starter upside.