Could Forgotten Celtics Draft Pick Be Ready To Make NBA Jump?
The Boston Celtics are one of the deepest teams in the NBA when it comes to the guard position.
Though he was named second-team All-NBA as a forward, Jaylen Brown headlined Boston’s guard group by playing 38% of his minutes at two guard and turning in the best scoring season of his career. Marcus Smart came off his Defensive Player of the Year campaign by having his best season yet as a distributor, Derrick White became a fixture in the starting lineup and made an All-Defense team and Malcolm Brogdon took home Sixth Man of the Year. The group was so deep, in fact, that Payton Pritchard fell out of the lineup and is now looking for a way out of town.
The Celtics could still be in line to make an addition at the position, however.
Yam Madar, a 22-year-old guard who Boston selected with the No. 47 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, is entering a critical summer when it comes to his NBA career. Madar’s team overseas, Partizan Belgrade, played in EuroLeague for the first time in eight years, giving the Celtics draftee an opportunity to shine in front of the biggest stage outside of the United States. He did so in a big way, earning the EuroLeague’s Rising Star award, which is given to the best player who was younger than 22 the previous summer.
Boston fans will love to hear about some past winners, which include Ricky Rubio (2010), Bogdan Bogdanovic (2013-14), Luka Doncic (2017-18) and current Celtics forward Danilo Gallinari (2008). Madar averaged 5.8 points, 1.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 13 minutes per game, playing off the bench.
The Celtics have plenty of decisions to make at guard, with Brown eligible for a supermax extension, Pritchard wanting out and a litany of cap moves involving Brogdon making it a possibility he ends up somewhere else this summer. In possibly losing both Pritchard and Brogdon, Madar could compete with the likes of J.D. Davison for a spot on Boston’s roster.
The Celtics will have three two-way slots next season, meaning Madar could be an option if he finally chooses to take that offer after turning it down before.
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