NBA Draft: 2019 Mock 2.0: If the Dallas Mavericks land in top 4

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KANSAS CITY, MO – MARCH 31: Kentucky Wildcats forward PJ Washington (25) in the first half of the NCAA Midwest Regional Final game between the Auburn Tigers and Kentucky Wildcats on March 31, 2019 at Sprint Center in Kansas City, MO. (Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

18. . . F. Kentucky. P.J. Washington. 14

P.J. Washington was one of the best players in the SEC this year but got overlooked for a large part of the season because of how good some of the other teams like Tennessee and LSU during the season and then Auburn in the tournament. It also didn’t help that Washington was surrounded by some other great players like Keldon Johnson and Tyler Herro.

Once again, the Celtics don’t really need any position for certain right now and even utilizing these picks for the right guys could convince Kyrie to come back for another year. Washington would offer a little more versatility on the offensive end than Brandon Clarke but I believe those two could co-exist on the court without an issue.

Washington is a really solid all-around player. He is good at attacking the basket and has a nice midrange game that has stretched out to the three-point line slowly. He is a solid rebounder and a great passer for his size. He knows how to use his size as well, which could help him in the post once he’s going against guys a little bigger than him.

Washington would be viewed as an undersized power forward most likely. He doesn’t have the quickest feet but he is smooth on the court. His defense could use some work, although it is not terrible.

Player Comparison: LaMarcus Aldridge

Washington’s style does remind me a lot of Aldridge with his ability to attack defenders from the midrange and on the block with lethal accuracy. His passing ability and solid rebounding numbers also show signs of becoming a player similar to what Aldridge has been for the Blazers and now Spurs.

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