2018 NBA Mock Draft: The standings are set

I will admit that in the hubbub of March Madness and end-of-season awards and Villanova hype and NBA tankfest, I forgot about Milton. Many players in this range would fit into Boston’s ecosystem — why do you think they’ve had so much success with lower picks? — but Milton is the player among them who would give the Celtics needed scoring punch in addition to the length and defensive versatility the team covets.

Don’t forget: Milton shot 43 percent on a healthy dose of 3s this year while also assisting on nearly 26 percent of his teammates’ shots while he was on the court. In addition, he also crossed the holy draft prospect threshold of steal and block percentages each over two. He’s well-rounded, productive and still has room to grow. Sound like a Celtic to you?

There is space in the praise of Boston’s player development system to also criticize their inability to score a lot of the time. Sure, they lost Gordon Hayward at the start of the season, but it wasn’t as if the guys he replaced were massive offensive talents. They need to be better than 18th on offense to contend, and going more toward guys like Milton than his teammate Semi Ojeleye could eventually help.