Boston Celtics 2012 Draft Targets: Royce White

By Nathan in Celtics, Featured, Opinion ⋅ June 28, 2012 at 3:30pm ⋅ Post a comment

Royce White: 21 years old, 6’8, 261

Position: Forward

School: Iowa State

Overview:

White would be a top-10 pick if it weren’t for his well documented anxiety disorder. White is a strong, energetic forward who can get to the rim at will. White led the Iowa State Cyclones in an upset over the reigning champs from the University of Connecticut in the NCAA tournament. In the round of 32, White put up 23 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists against fellow top prospects, Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilcrest, Terrence Jonesand the eventual champion Kentucky Wildcats.

Does he fit the Celtics?

Absolutely. White is the type of strong athlete the Celtics need to match up against LeBron James and Chris Bosh. On top of his athleticism, White has the body of Karl Malone and the court vision of a poor-man’s Scottie Pippen (think an in-shape Antoine Walker). White would make an excellent running partner to Rajon Rondo and Avery Bradley. Under the guidance of Doc Rivers, White should be able to flourish with the Celtics in spite of his off-court problems.

Odds White is in Celtics green next season: 50%

Teams are worried about White’s anxiety problems and fear of flying, but he is an undeniable talent and should excel at the next level in the right situation. The Celtics would be a ‘right situation’, but so would Denver, Philadelphia or several other teams in the mid-first round. The Celtics are hoping White falls to them as he is the one player this late in the draft that has the chance to be something special.

Final Thoughts:

The Celtics could do a lot worse than taking a chance on White, but they probably can’t do much better. On a team whose main question going into next season is: How are we going to slow down LeBron?- White makes a lot of sense.