Jan 20, 2015; Gainesville, FL, USA; LSU Tigers forward Jordan Mickey (25) against Florida Gators forward Dorian Finney-Smith (10) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game at the Stephen C. O
Jordan Mickey, PF, LSU | 33rd Pick, Boston Celtics
Just like Montrezl Harrell, who was selected one spot ahead, Mickey was a projected first round prospect that fell due to his size. At 6’8″, Jordan Mickey did workout with the Celtics before the draft. He was asked about his size and had some words for all of his critics.
"“I would say (to critics) I led college basketball in blocked shots this year,” he said. “That’s 7-footers, 7-foot-2, 7-foot-5 — all of that. I led the country in blocks, so I feel like height really isn’t a big difference to me.”"
The Celtics don’t have a rim protector on the roster, they finished last in the NBA in shot blocking. Selecting Mickey was a no brainer, as he led the nation with 3.6 blocks per game last season at LSU.
He’s not going to be a guy that averages 20 and 10 in the NBA, but when you see guys like Tristan Thompson in the playoffs, you can see that some undersized defensive centers thrive in the NBA. Will Mickey be the next? Only time will tell.