Phoenix Suns 2016 NBA Re-Draft: Different Pick Leads to a Championship

Phoenix Suns 2016 NBA Re-Draft: Pick #3

With Jalen Brown off the board, the Boston Celtics need to take things in another direction with this draft. Moving away from the guard spot, they take the next best player to eventually set up a fearsome duo at the forward spots when they draft Jayson Tatum a year later.

Domantas Sabonis earned a second consecutive All-Star bid last year, averaging 20.3 points, 6.7 assists, and 12.0 rebounds per game. He lead the Indiana Pacers to NBA’s Play-In Tournament last year, but with a shorthanded squad at the time, he eventually lost out.

Extending out to six-foot-eleven, Sabonis plays tough inside, but also stretches the floor well as a polished jump shooter. Even though he came into the league with a less impressive 3-point shot, he worked at it, and averaged a career high 2.6 attempts per game last season while hitting at a modest 32.1 percent rate.

As a crafty asset with the ability to assume multiple positions at the defensive end, Sabonis also fits Brad Steven’s system incredibly well. He also plays noticeably hard, covering the fourth most court distance by a player last season.

That hustle and grind has made players like Marcus Smart fan favorites at the TD Garden. Needless to say, this pairing feels tailor-made for both parties involved.