Brad Stevens Clears Stigma Surrounding 2024 Celtics Draft Picks

BOSTON — The Celtics added Creighton guard Baylor Scheierman and Gonzaga forward Anton Watson in the 2024 NBA Draft, however, there’s one blemish attached to both prospects: their age.

Scheierman and Watson are both 23-years-old, which puts them a few years ahead of the top prospects in the draft. They each spent five seasons in college, and while it might’ve played into their stock value taking a hit, Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens begged to differ.

“First of all, I think guys are playing longer,” Stevens said following the draft. “So 23 and 24 is still young in the big picture of things. I think that both of those guys have shown good growth throughout their careers and so you would anticipate they would continue to grow.”

The Celtics, unlike many other teams this past draft, aren’t in dire need of finding a young up-and-coming gem. Most of the team’s Banner 18-raising core is set to return next season, plus the front office is already rumored to commit to starters Jayson Tatum and Derrick White, which would keep the lineup intact for years down the line.

Previously, the draft selections landed by Boston fell more in line with what other teams across the league preferred, but not in every case. Jordan Walsh and JD Davison were drafted at ages 19 and 20, respectively. On the other hand, backup guard Payton Pritchard, who was selected 26th overall in 2020, joined Boston at 23 years of age — and is the most valuable contributor of the three.

Stevens acknowledged that the younger prospects are the most desired and in some cases, pan out the best, however, it’s a case-to-case basis.

“There’s data on the better bets are — as far as the highest upside — are younger,” Stevens admitted. “But at the same time, each person’s their own entity and it’s a long career again. We’re not sitting in draft pick slot where it’s everything so if you can find players that are really tough, really smart, about the right things, know the game, then you try to gobble them up.”

Scheierman, a left-handed sharpshooter who drained 38.1% of his 3-pointers last season, and Watson, a 6-foot-8 versatile defender with a 7-foot wingspan, provide the Celtics with plenty of potential. Regardless of the minor age gap between the more favored prospects selected ahead of them, there’s enough time for Scheierman and Watson to find their footing with the Celtics.