If you, like many Boston Celtics fans, have fallen for the prospect of trading up to nab French floor general Killian Hayes, we have some news for you — both good and bad.
In a pre-draft process where the pandemic has placed a limit of 10 total in-person workouts for prospects, teams like the Celtics with multiple picks are at a comparative disadvantage evaluating prospects given they have less to allocate to each spot in the draft where they’ll potentially be picking.
So for them to use a draft pick on a player projected to go in the top 10 picks of the 2020 draft not only signals considerable interest, it also suggests the team believes it has a plan to get to that lofty perch of the draft.
Austin Ainge sheds light on Boston Celtics’ approach to 2020 NBA draft https://t.co/a3k87LsgMj
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) November 16, 2020
The Athletic’s Jared Weiss helped us all fill in our count of who Boston has used those precious workouts on, even as Celtics director of player personnel Austin Ainge downplayed the import of such workouts today as well.
Yes, we’re saying at least one was Hayes.
But before you get too excited, the returns were reportedly not what they’d hoped — whether it was a product of the long layoff, or something more intrinsic to the point guard’s profile.
Hayes declined to share which teams he has worked out with in his pre-draft media availability, keeping that information private.
But with so many others doing the same, that isn’t an especially helpful data point even if it also does him no favors in light of recent reporting on those workouts.
How the Boston Celtics fared in NBA Wire’s roundtable draft https://t.co/ypSqvN4K7v
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) November 17, 2020
“I’ve long had Killian Hayes as the top guy on my overall big board and especially the Celtics big board,” offered Weiss in his recent Celtics-oriented big board piece assembled with fellow Boston beat writer Jay King.
“But then I heard from a source that was at a Hayes workout that his open floor athleticism was way worse than they expected — something that is alarming considering we already knew he was a mediocre open floor athlete who thrives off shiftiness and leverage in the half court.”
Does this mean the Celtics should stay away?
Update: Celtic forward Gordon Hayward’s option date 5pm 11/17 https://t.co/wvA1WTcGUF
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) November 16, 2020
Perhaps they should — or instead ought to adjust their expectations of where to find him in the draft and how much capital to expend getting there, hoping for the best if he is still their guy.
Weiss and King reveal a number of routes the team might take if a French connection isn’t forthcoming.
As does the Celtics Wire in our new NBA Wire roundtable draft.
