Could the Celtics go local in the second round?


We are officially T-minus one week until draft day and everyone and their mother has an opinion on what direction the Celtics should head. There aren't too many glaring holes on the current roster and with 8 picks (3 in the first round), we have a real chance to make some improvements.

One particular area that could use a fresh face is a type of player we haven't really seen in green for a while: a tall, athletic wing who can defend multiple positions and knock down some 3's. Sure, there are guys on our roster today who fulfill some of these qualities. But many of most successful teams in this league have a guy who checks all the boxes.

But Brendan, where could we possibly find a player that might be able to do this at a cheap price with minimal risk?!

Funny you should ask. If you've been following draft coverage you may not know this, but immediately following the first round, there's this thing called the second round! Crazy, right?

Is this some mysterious draft-and-stash that we won't see for years from a country we can't pronounce?

Actually, he's from Wrentham, Massachusetts.

Enter Jake Layman. The 6'9" Maryland forward has a 39.5" vertical leap which he often showed with transition dunks while shooting nearly 40% from deep as a senior. The biggest knock on Layman throughout his college career was his tendency to disappear offensively for stretches. Often times this occurred when Maryland ran a half-court offense which, to be honest, doesn't exactly fit his game. Get him running in a fast break offense though, he's a serious threat both breaking to the rim and spotting up for a catch-and-shoot three.

The DraftExpress latest mock draft has the Celtics taking him with the 51st pick and he could be in play anywhere from their 45th pick to their 58th. I would personally love to root for a local kid who may be able to bring some new-age wing play. He's got a little bit of both Trevor Ariza and Chandler Parsons in his game when he's fully invested and involved.  it doesn't hurt that Brad Stevens has a knack for getting the best out of players and Layman's best could be a real steal in the second round.



Photo Credit: Nick Wass/Associated Press



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