Celtics bring in six for workout, including "Yao Ming of India"

The Celtics brought in six players to work out on Thursday: David Kravish (California), Cliff Alexander (Kansas), Maxie Esho (UMass), Chasson Randle (Stanford), George de Paula (Brazil). But, the final prospect towered above the rest. That man-child? Satnam Singh from India by way of IMG Academy in Florida.

The 19-year-old Singh checks in at a sturdy 7'2" and 290 pounds and is considered a fringe second round prospect by draft talent evaluators. DraftExpress has Singh ranked as their 70th best prospect in the 2015 NBA Draft, and 15th best center.

Singh came to IMG in Bradenton via scholarship in 2010, not knowing a single word of English, according to Sports Illustrated. Since then, he has not only learned the language, but he has hit the weight room and developed his basketball ability. Singh averaged 9.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks in under 20 minutes per game while playing for IMG's post graduate team.



He was dubbed the "Yao Ming of India' in an ESPN article way back in 2012. Large praise for an immense individual.

Singh also has some good genes apparently...
Austin Ainge spoke with NESN's Zack Cox following the workout and had some interesting comments related to Singh:
“It’s my first time seeing him,” Ainge said after Thursday’s workout. “(The reason we brought him in was) just that we hadn’t seen him. And whether it’s this year or down the road, you never know when we’re going to have to evaluate him, and he put his name in the draft, so we thought we’d come in and see how he did. He’s humongous. He’s really, really big. And a very nice kid. He’s got an interesting story.”


"He’s a little raw, but he actually shoots the ball really well,” said Ainge, who jokingly referred to Singh as a “stretch five-and-a-half.” “(It was) pretty surprising. And he’s not just tall, he’s thick. He’s a big, strong kid."

So, you're telling me that this 7'2" center likes shooting threes? That's not exactly encouraging. But, as Red Auerbach said, you can't teach height. Singh has plenty of that.

He also put on quite the show just walking around the locker room. WOW, just wow.
The Celtics own two picks in the second round, 33rd and 45th overall. Do you think Singh is a player the Celtics should consider in Round 2?


Photo credit: DraftExpress

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