Celts
When the Nuggets chosen Nikola Jokic forty first overall within the 2014 NBA Draft, ESPN aired a Taco Bell business while the pick was being announced at the rostrum that night.
Ten years later, Gonzaga forward Anton Watson received similar treatment when the Celtics chosen him 54th overall within the 2024 NBA Draft. While the Celtics were waiting on the pick, ESPN's broadcast cut to a business and stayed there because the familiar jingle played to announce the pick was ready.
ESPN didn’t interrupt the business break to indicate NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum announcing the pick. Instead, it played an ad for Pacifico while Watson's name appeared within the chyron.
Watson was in a position to take the situation with humor.
“I’m not saying I’m Jokic, but they did the same thing to him,” Watson joked said Theo Lawson“They did a Taco Bell commercial on him. … Maybe you need to get the (Pacifico) sponsor, maybe you need to get the sponsor.”
By the time ESPN returned from a business break, the main target had already shifted to the following pick: the Lakers' number of Bronny James. ESPN's studio show played up the inevitability that Los Angeles would choose LeBron James' son fifty fifth overall before breaking down the pick on the announcement, skipping over Boston's number of Watson.
When the draft was accomplished three picks later, many of the ESPN coverage focused on the younger James. Watson noticed this and uses it as somewhat motivation.
“I think the last 10 picks they were talking about Bronny,” Watson told Lawson. “You try not to focus on that, but it definitely makes you mad. It's crazy, I think it's a little crazy.”
Projected as either a late draft pick or considered one of this week's top undrafted free agents, Watson made strides in his five seasons at Gonzaga, evolving from a supporting player to a key starter by the top of his college profession. He averaged 14.5 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game and posted .578/.412/.653 shooting percentages last season.
Watson stands 6'10″ tall, and Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer compared his playing style to that of Al Horford in recent years. Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens told reporters he hopes Watson develops a similar three-point shooting performance to what Horford did during his time in Boston, adding that he believes he can play center.
“I actually like him,” Stevens said. “Anton's power and skill to maneuver his feet laterally gives him a probability to be considered one of those big, strong hybrid forwards that may switch and canopy a number of people.”
“I need him to come back here with the mindset that he's going to go further than he's ever been before because I believe he's a greater shooter than he sometimes thinks. And that's why I'm excited to have him here in about eight days.”
Stevens also liked the successful contributions that both Watson and Baylor Scheierman, the Celtics' first-round pick, made to their respective college teams.
“I believe you have a look at what's available within the draft,” Stevens said. “In the primary round, all of us thought very highly of Baylor and were excited to see him go right down to No. 30. And within the second round, it was the identical with Anton. Those guys are each winning players. They've played in a number of big moments and a number of big games and massive environments. They know the right way to play on each ends of the court. They've been coached very well.”
“With these picks, for those who're not in the highest five within the draft, you most likely don't give it that much weight, right? You're in search of the perfect player, the one who matches the team the perfect, who comes into the team and makes an impact and who can grow inside the group. They're each young enough to find a way to do this.”
Watson told Lawson that the Celtics actually targeted him in 2023 when he declared for the draft, but decided to stay in school for one more year. Watson called the Celtics a “powerhouse” after their title-winning season and hopes to give them back the work they did with him over two years in the pre-draft evaluation process.
“They have stood by me and believed in me,” Watson told Lawson, “so I’ll give them all the pieces.”
image credit : www.boston.com