NBA Draft 2019: 5 targets for the Boston Celtics

ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 28: Brandon Clarke #15 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs drives against RaiQuan Gray #1 of the Florida State Seminoles during the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament West Regional at Honda Center on March 28, 2019 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

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SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 22: Nickeil Alexander-Walker #4 of the Virginia Tech Hokies reacts to a play against the Saint Louis Billikens during their game in the First Round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament at SAP Center on March 22, 2019 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

4. Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Guard, Virginia Tech

With the futures of Kyrie Irving and Terry Rozier up in the air, the Celtics’ other pressing need lies in the backcourt. Losing one or both of the duo would leave Boston with little else besides Marcus Smart at the guard position (Jaylen Brown is listed as a guard but deployed as more of a wing). Even with both players on-board, backup guard play was something of a sore spot for last year’s squad; Smart’s eventual promotion left Rozier as the first guard off the bench, and his maddening inconsistency and poor team play proved to be a hindrance. There aren’t too many great fits at guard projected around the Celtics’ picks, but Nickeil Alexander-Walker might be the ideal option.

Alexander-Walker was tabbed as a potential one-and-done player coming into Virginia Tech in 2017 but returned for a second season after a somewhat lackluster freshman campaign. This proved to be a good decision, as his development from a one-dimensional scorer to an all-around standout guard has him pegged as a likely first-round pick in this draft. Alexander-Walker brings a little bit of everything to the table — he can shoot (38 percent from 3 in his NCAA career), handle the ball, navigate the pick-and-roll and has excellent size (6-foot-5 with a 6-foot-9 wingspan) to check both guard positions.

The biggest knock on Alexander-Walker is that while he does a lot of things well, he doesn’t necessarily have an elite skill. He’s a nice 3-point shooter, but not a dominant one. He’s a useful playmaker, but more of a secondary option than a featured one. His defense has taken substantial steps forward, but he’s not quite athletic enough to project as a true lockdown defender. All of these factors paint the picture of a good player, but perhaps not a great one.

Like Williams, though, Alexander-Walker doesn’t need to become a star to be a valuable contributor to an NBA team. For a Celtics team in need of some sanity at the guard position off the bench, his all-around competence would be a breath of fresh air.

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