Celtics hold first pre-Draft workouts of 2015, plan to workout LSU forward Jordan Mickey



The Boston Celtics worked out six players last Wednesday, getting an early look at prospects before next month's NBA Draft.

None of these guys are being projected to be drafted very high, if at all. They're likely late second rounders at best, but Celtics' general manager Danny Ainge is probably trying to get a good look at these players in case they need to fill out a roster spot via undrafted free agent in the event of a trade.

Here's some more on the six players the Celtics worked out:

Aaron Thomas - 6'5" SG, Florida State: Led FSU in scoring his sophomore season with 14.5 points per game. Above average ball-handling for a two guard, quick in the open court and crazy hops for transition dunks. Already a pro at playing the passing lanes and creating turnovers to set up the break. Tough kid who plays hard defense, but often struggles with pick & rolls. Improved his 3-point shooting from 22% to 37% from his freshman to sophomore seasons, but then only appeared in six contests this season for the Seminoles after being declared academically ineligible.

Best case scenario for him is to be invited to a summer league team and prove he's ready to play at a consistent professional level. The D-league or a trip overseas is probably more likely for Thomas.



Anthony Brown - 6'9" SF, Stanford: Three and D is his calling card. Ranked number forty-one in the Draftexpress.com Top 100 Prospects rankings. Averaged 14.8 points, and 6.9 rebounds per game as a senior for the Stanford Cardinals. Also shot 44% from the arc which was important for him, as his junior season was derailed by a hip injury that forced him out of play. Good NBA size for a wing with a 6'11" wingspan. Struggles finishing offensively in the paint and with contact, constantly relying on his jumpshot as he is limited in his driving ability. Above average defensively. That, and his consistency shooting from the outside may be enough to make him a second round selection in the 2015 NBA Draft.

If he doesn't get drafted, this is the kind of guy I think Danny Ainge would love to swipe from free agency and take a chance on. He'd likely take Luigi Datome's spot/role on the roster if that were to happen. What a silky, smooth stroke.




Dez Wells - 6'4" SG, Maryland: Put up 15.1 points, 2.8 assists, and 5.3 rebounds per game in his senior season for the Terps, all career highs. At 225 pounds he's built a lot stronger than most at his height, and utilizes his strength and solid burst in one-on-one situations. Excellent at creating scoring opportunities inside with floaters, and turnaround jumpers, but can be careless with the rock at times as well. Not much of an outside shooter, but did skyrocket his rate from the arc this season, from 30% to 51%. Hustle and grit defender who can hold his own, but measuring at just 6'3" without shoes at the NBA combine will hurt him.

Not much of a distributor, and teams will want to see he can play as a combo guard before offering a contract to him. Likely to go undrafted, but I expect him to be on an NBA roster next season through hard work. He'll need to prove the jumper to be consistent.



Malcolm Miller - 6'7" SF, Holy Cross: Turnover machine defensively. Long, athletic small forward that could create havoc for NBA wings with his nagging defense. Miller averaged 1.6 blocks per contest as a senior, and 1.9 as a junior. Though the blocks dipped a bit, he hiked his steals per game from 0.9 to 1.3. But he's no one dimensional player, he averaged 14.5 points for the Crusaders this season and continued to shoot at a good clip (44%). Has three-point range, but not a specialist by any means. Can score off the dribble and has highlight reel worthy ability above the rim.

He can score in more ways than one, and the defense is intriguing, but tough road for him to try and make an NBA team coming from the Patriot League. Could definitely benefit from some time in the weight room.



Julian Washburn - 6'8" SF, UTEP: Multifaceted scorer with the ability to put buckets in from the post, as well as shoot the long ball. His solid mid-range jumper makes him a dynamic triple threat offensively. Washburn uses his height to shoot over smaller defenders, and length to stay active defensively. He has been on NBA scouts' radars for a couple years now, though he has had spurts where he is rather unassertive offensively. This is part of the reason why he only averaged 10.3 points per game as a senior, his lowest average in his four year career with the Miners.

Washburn is unlikely to be drafted and will be looking to make an impression in upcoming workouts and in the NBA summer league.



Sir'Dominic Pointer - 6'6" SF, St.Johns: Definitely the best name on the list, Pointer is probably also the best defender. A hard working tweener fresh off a breakout season in which he doubled his production in points, rebounds, and blocked shots. Energy guy who is a monster defensively. Struggles with his shot and isn't going to threaten anybody offensively. Limited driving ability, but can put the ball on the floor and finish from close range if the matchup is right. In his senior year with the Red Storm, Pointer put up gaudy averages of 2.4 blocks and 1.9 steals per game, which explains why even without scoring skills, he lands at number 78 overall on Chad Ford's Top 100 list.

Not likely to be drafted, but with that huge jump in production from him in his final year, teams will certainly give him a harder look than they initially intended. I think he could be selected with one of the final picks in the second round, and if not someone will without a doubt invite him to their summer league team. Those defensive numbers are too lofty to ignore.



It was also reported last week that the Celtics will workout LSU sophomore power forward, Jordan Mickey.


Unlike any of the above mentioned players, Mickey cracks Chad Ford's top 40, as the 37th best ranked prospect in the draft. So he's almost a lock to be selected, though yet to be seen whether in the first or second round. Another forward with long reach, Mickey lacks the height to be a true post defender but possesses extremely explosive leaping skills and shot blocking tenacity. Averages of 3.1 blocks per game as a freshman, and 3.6 a game this season has NBA scouts salivating at his potential upside. A good showing at the NBA Combine has reportedly boosted his draft stock from the second round to a possible late first rounder.

With a solid mid-range game, and a 15.4 point average in his sophomore year, Mickey is definitely a potential target for the Celtics at picks 28 or 33. He'd certainly clean up that rim protection problem and possesses more of an offensive game than Willie "Trill" Cauley-Stein. But he's also no center. He'll need to add strength to accomodate for his lack of height.



We'll have more on the Celtics' targets leading up to the NBA Draft, which is June 25th.

Mickey photo - WBRZ.com

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