Per DraftExpress’ Jonathan Givony, the Boston Celtics are considering trading up to the 4th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft in order to select former Vanderbilt guard Darius Garland.
Garland only played five games for the Commodores due to a meniscus injury he sustained in November.
He left the program after averaging 16.2 points per game on 53.7 percent shooting from the field and 47.8 percent from three in those contests but, despite the small sample size, his game has been compared to two-time MVP Stephen Curry.
Garland is a dangerous player with the ball in his hands because as the video notes, he’s quick, shifty, has the ball on a string and is an impressive shooter from beyond the arc. His in-between game could use some work as could his shot-selection but he’s so efficient it’s easy to understand why he has the confidence he’s displayed. As a facilitator, Garland’s 2.6 assists per game were far from impressive but he’s a flashy playmaker who makes solid reads and has displayed nice touch on his passes in the pick-and-roll.
Defensively, Garland may not be a special player because of his slight frame but he has a 6-foot-5 wingspan and that will aid him if he’s asked to guard players off-ball.
With Kyrie Irving likely headed to Brooklyn to continue his basketball career, the Celtics are clearly looking for players that can become or are stars. At the next level, Garland projects to be a dynamic offensive star with a little work in his game inside of the arc and as he gains experience running an NBA offense.
It’s unclear what Boston would have to surrender to the New Orleans Pelicans to be able to draft Garland but it’s more than likely that the first-round pick Boston is owed from the Memphis Grizzlies will be involved. That pick — which they received for trading Jeff Green to the Grizzlies in a three-team deal in 2015 — is protected (top-6) in 2020 but if not conveyed to the Celtics (or Pelicans) by then, it’ll become an unprotected pick in 2021.
