The Boston Celtics might have a sneaky rookie joining their roster this upcoming season. As part of the Kemba Walker trade, Boston parted with the 16th overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft. As such, the team only has one pick in the upcoming draft: No. 45 overall.
The chances of finding a highly-touted rookie that late in the draft is rare, but perhaps Boston already has such a player on its roster. So where could this sneaky good rookie come from?
Yam Madar
The answer falls from the previous draft. Yam Madar, the Celtics’ 47th selection last year, is an Israelian point guard who could find himself on the team this coming season. Madar is only 20 years old and has been playing professional basketball for the past three years. In the past month, Madar has made trips to Boston to work out with the team. He is expected to join the team during the Summer League, too.
After the Walker trade, the team was left with only one point guard on the roster. Payton Pritchard had a fantastic rookie campaign and shocked the NBA world with his scoring ability, but his playmaking was lacking. Going into the offseason, the team needed to find a playmaking guard. Although he is still a young prospect, Madar could be the Celtics solution. He averaged 5.3 assists in the Israeli Super League, good enough to rank seventh. The guard is a crafty passer who can move the ball around the whole court.
Madar’s Value to Boston
The addition of Madar will not fix the team’s starting point guard position in the first season. However, his ability to be a playmaker could be useful to a team that struggled to move the ball around. Boston was 27th in assists last season, and the team played heavy isolation basketball. This helped Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown develop but killed fast breaks and resulted in costly offensive droughts.
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With Madar entering the organization this summer, the team can now become a more team-friendly offense. New head coach Ime Udoka even told reporters that it was unacceptable to rank 27th in assists. Udoka wants to get the team into a more focused offense that relies on playcalling and team movement. Madar, who should make the team’s roster after the summer, would be a terrific bench piece for Udoka. He will likely be the leading passer off the bench and also adds value as a passer, giving him playing time and providing further value off the bench.
Madar is also a talented shot creator and versatile scorer. In the Israelian Super League, he shot 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from three, and 82 percent from the line. The young point guard might not blow you away with his athleticism, but he can definitely score the ball. The Celtics’ bench was awful last season, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Injuries did play a role in the team’s disappointing year, but the bench unit did not have any major scorers on it. Madar can come into Boston and be the offensive scorer and mastermind of the bench’s offense.
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Main Image Credit: ID-Prospects.com
