Looking ahead; draft prospects that Celtics should be watching

The NBA draft is still a long way away, but it's never too early to start speculating. College basketball season is heating up, and NBA scouts have already been hard at work evaluating every potential player that could be playing on the big stage this time next year.

One team that is paying close attention is the Boston Celtics, who have three first round picks this year, one of which could realistically be anywhere from 1st and 7th overall. This not a particularly deep draft, but there is definitely some NBA ready talent available. Here are some players that I think would fit in well with the Celtics current team.

Ben Simmons- Power Forward, LSU (photo courtesy of washingtonpost.com)

In the perfect world, the Celtics would land the #1 pick and draft Simmons. This remains a possibility, as the Nets, who traded the Celtics their pick, enter the second half of the season with the third worst record in the NBA. Throw in a little magic from the NBA's flawed draft lottery, and the Celtics end up picking first. Simmons will surely end up with whoever gets that pick, as the Freshman has been nothing short of spectacular this season. Simmons is averaging over 19 points and 12 rebounds per game. Simmons was already projected to be the first overall pick in next years draft before he even played his first college game, and quickly proved his dominance in early December when he put up 43 points, 14 rebounds and 7 assists in a win against North Florida. Simmons is advanced in his passing skills for a big man, but will need a lot of work on his jump shot. Other than that, Simmons is all upside. 

Brandon Ingram- Small Forward, Duke (photo courtesy of sbnation.com)

Ingram is another sensational Freshman who scouts have been excited about for quite some time. Ingram is the top candidate to land at the #2 pick, and would probably be considered the top prospect if it weren't for Ben Simmons. Ingram is a 6'9 Forward whose scoring style has drawn comparisons to Kevin Durant. Ingram will need to hit the weights if he wants to succeed in the NBA, though. Despite his height, he only weighs in at 190 pounds. Ingram is averaging 17.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game in his first college season. I think it will take a year or two before Ingram starts dominating in the NBA, but he definitely will be able to provide help on offense for any team.

Dragan Bender- Power Forward/Center, Croatia (photo courtesy of sneaker news.com)

It seems like every year there is a European big man that catches the eye of NBA scouts. Bender is viewed as this years Kristaps Porzingas. European players don't always pan out in the NBA, and it is hard to evaluate these players given the level of talent they are playing against. With that being said, Bender has had success in international games while competing for the Croatian team. He has great shooting range for a player of his height, and he can put the ball on the floor pretty well. Like Brandon Ingram, Bender will have to bulk up if he wants to reach his potential as an NBA player, especially as a big man. He has the height of a Center, but plays more like a Power Forward because of his shooting skills and his slender frame.  Overall, I think that Bender could still be the steal of the draft.