NBA Draft 2019: 5 targets for the Boston Celtics

3. Bol Bol, Center, Oregon

One of the most unusual and polarizing prospects in the entire draft, Bol Bol is going to be causing a lot of headaches for teams throughout the middle portion of the first round, for one reason or another. Bol entered this season as a consensus top-10 pick, but an early-season foot injury cost him almost his entire first year at Oregon, and now it seems as though the Celtics are going to get multiple cracks at him with their three first round picks.

The potentially ceiling here is tantalizing. Standing 7-foot-2 with a 7-foot-7 wingspan, Bol is the longest player in this draft (non-Tacko Fall division), and his pterodactyl-like arms make him an absolute terror as a rim-protector. He also might be the best shooter in this entire draft; he made 13-his-25 3-pointers during his brief cameo with the Ducks this season, and his release is crisp and quick. Watching a player of his size launch sharp step-back jumpers is a mesmerizing experience.

And yet, Bol comes with boatloads of risk. Foot injuries are a substantial red flag for a player as tall as he is, and it’s simply hard to justify spending a first round pick on a player who might never be able to handle an 82-game NBA season. Additionally, the phrase you might here the most in association with Bol is “high center of gravity,” and for good reason. He’s simply so tall and thin (listed at just 208 pounds), with such long legs, that’s it’s going to be exceptionally difficult for him to establish position in the paint against NBA size. If his feet hold up to the rigors of an NBA season, you still have to wonder if the rest of his body will be able to do likewise.

Unlike the other players on this list, Bol Bol is not a safe bet — he’s a home run swing. He might be the most boom-or-bust player on the board, but if he’s available to Boston at 20 or 22, it will be hard to resist that tantalizing upside. And if Bol is a hit, he very well might be the steal of this draft class.