NBA Draft rumors: T.J. Warren is perfect dose of offense for Boston Celtics

Mar 18, 2014; Dayton, OH, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack forward T.J. Warren (24) dunks the ball in the second half of a college basketball game against the Xavier Musketeers during the first round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament at UD Arena. North Carolina State defeated Xavier 74-59. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 18, 2014; Dayton, OH, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack forward T.J. Warren (24) dunks the ball in the second half of a college basketball game against the Xavier Musketeers during the first round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament at UD Arena. North Carolina State defeated Xavier 74-59. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Big 3 went their separate ways and Rajon Rondo made his slow return from injury. The result was an incredible decline on offense during the 2013-14 season. The Celtics were filled with a handful of relatively unknown players that frankly weren’t getting it done. Their 25-57 record proves they were missing a spark. So will the Celtics draft an offender in June?

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“We struggled to score this year and that matters,” Celtics director of player personnel Austin Ainge said. “We’re going to have to address it, and that might be through the draft, it might be through free agency, it might be via trade. That’s an issue.”

The Celtics have made it clear they are looking to land Kevin Love. And though he’s visited and been tweeted at by Big Papi himself, it’s unclear whether the C’s will land the man who has so far been most team’s white whale. But Foresberg points to the draft, saying that a player like North Carolina State’s T.J. Warren would be the perfect infusion of offensive talent.

According to ESPN Boston’s Chris Foresberg, Ainge was quick to note that the Celtics “need to get better on both ends of the court … ”

Foresberg points out that Boston ranked 27th in offensive rating (99.7 points per 100 possessions) while averaging 96.2 points per game (26th) and shooting 43.5 percent from the floor (28th).

Warren shot 52.5 percent and averaged 24.8 points per game last season, third best in the nation behind McDermott and Niagra’s Antoine Mason. And perhaps Warren would be interested in falling to the C’s at 17, as he spoke highly of them at the combine. Ainge certainly likes Warren.

Via ESPNBoston.com, Ainge said of the swingman: “You just put him on the court and he’s going to find a way to score. I don’t even think you need to run plays for him and he’ll find a way to score. He’s a talented guy.”