Boston Celtics Select Gonzaga Forward 54th Overall

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All eyes are on the Los Angeles Lakers after landing Bronny James with the 55th overall pick, but Boston capped off their draft with the 54th overall pick to land an all-conference talent.

Anton Watson spent five seasons with Gonzaga, playing alongside tons of NBA talent before getting his time to shine and becoming a second-round pick to the NBA champion Boston Celtics.

This past season, Watson was named to the All-WCC First Team with averages of 14.5 PPG, 7.1 RPG and 1.5 SPG while having shooting splits of 57.8/41.2/65.3.

Here is what The Ringer has to say about Watson's skillset as a "do-it-all defender"

"He’s an excellent at-rim finisher using either hand and has the ability to absorb contact. He can post up, although in the NBA he’d be most useful as a cutter, screener, and offensive rebounder."

"Versatile defender who spent time defending everyone from Zach Edey to scoring wings to small guards. Even though he’s quite large, he moves like a wing himself when navigating screens, so he should have positional range at the next level, too."

"He’s a bit undersized as a traditional rim protector if that’s the position a team requires him to play."

Standing at 6-foot 8 inches with a seven-foot wingspan, Watson's experience could help propel him to getting minutes early in his career. While he likely won't make much of an impact on the team this coming season, his ability to be a switchable defender with signs of a developing outside shot makes him appear to be a great fit for the modern NBA.

The Celtics walking away from this 2024 NBA Draft with Creighton's Baylor Scheierman and Gonzaga's Watson as they look to chase back-to-back championships in the 2024-25 season.