NBA Draft 2020: Top 3 options for the Boston Celtics with the No. 14 pick
By Trevor Marks
Possible NBA Draft target for Boston Celtics — Kira Lewis Jr.
Guard | Alabama | 6’3 | 180 lbs | 19 years old
Kira Lewis Jr. is young. Very young. Extremely young, being born later than the two one-and-done freshmen mentioned in this piece. So young, in fact, that the sophomore guard had no choice but to return to Alabama for an encore collegiate campaign because he was too young to declare for the 2019 NBA Draft, considering that he played the entire year at 17 years old and wouldn’t turn 19 until after the conclusion of the 2019-20 NBA season. (Well, before the COVID-19 pandemic happened.)
And what an encore it was. The sophomore guard averaged 18.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.8 steals on .459/.366/.802 shooting while running a pristine NBA-style offense under coach Nate Oats, one that capitalized on the guard’s game-breaking speed and live-dribble passing.
It was an offensive structure that encouraged three-pointers and shots at the basket, emblematic of the tenants Daryl Morey established while working with the Houston Rockets this past decade, and the young guard couldn’t have played in a better system at the college level.
There is much to like about Lewis, and his success in a professional scheme bodes well to his talents translating to the next level. In a league that continues to gain skilled pick-and-roll orchestrators who can get to the rack and score off the bounce, Lewis fits that archetype well, though he still has room to grow as a finisher (he’s too skinny and lacks vertical explosion) and ball-handler (he’s great playing fast, but needs to get better playing at different speeds). Nonetheless, it’s easy to see how a player such as Lewis could fit into the equation in Boston.
His ambidextrous passing out of the pick-and-roll would work nicely as playmaker off the bench, and the Celtics employ several bigs who are taught to screen and seal off driving lanes for their ball-handlers, as to create easier layup opportunities. Daniel Theis has markedly helped Jayson Tatum, a subpar finisher, get to the basket and get easier looks, and he could feasibly do the same for Lewis.
His blinding speed and spot shooting (44.3% FG, 86th percentile) make Lewis an attractive spot-up scorer and closeout-attacker in Boston’s spread pick-and-roll system, too, where Lewis could attack the advantages that Marcus Smart, Kemba Walker, and Tatum create as scorers and playmakers.
Kira Lewis doesn’t exactly fit the description of a prototypical Danny Ainge draft pick, particularly as of late, but the speedster’s fit in Boston and offensive upside are apparent, making him one of the better options for the Celtics with the No. 14 pick.