5 issues to learn about Celtics’ 2nd-round picks Williams, Shulga
Celtics
“He is been among the best passing huge males in faculty for a very long time.”
A day after the Celtics added Spanish wing Hugo Gonzalez to their roster with the twenty eighth choose within the 2025 NBA Draft, Boston added two extra intriguing abilities within the second spherical.
With the forty sixth choose, the Celtics chosen 7-foot heart Amari Williams out of the College of Kentucky earlier than later choosing sharpshooting guard Max Shulga with the 57th choose.
Boston initially had the thirty second choose within the second spherical, however traded right down to picks 46 and 57 (whereas gaining a 2026 and 2027 second-round choose) in a take care of the Orlando Magic.
Right here’s 5 issues to learn about Boston’s new second-round pickups in Williams and Shulga:
Williams is a big-bodied heart with promising defensive upside
It doesn’t take a lot to see why Williams is an interesting NBA prospect, particularly when factoring in the place Boston chosen him within the second spherical.
The 7-foot heart has the potential to be a defensive difference-maker on the subsequent stage because of his 7-foot-6 wingspan.
This previous season at Kentucky, Williams averaged 10.9 factors, 8.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.2 blocks per recreation whereas beginning all 36 video games. Previous to his tenure with the Wildcats, the 23-year-old huge man performed 4 years at Drexel, the place he took house CAA Defensive Participant of the 12 months honors three years in a row.
In his draft preview, Yahoo! Sports activities’ Kevin O’Connor had Celtics huge man Neemias Queta as the highest similar to Williams.
Williams is an underrated passer
Williams would possibly seemingly match the profile as a big-bodied, defensive anchor within the paint — however the heart can be a poised passer within the submit.
Throughout his lone season at Kentucky, Williams tied for the staff lead with 115 assists, which have been probably the most ever for a 7-foot participant in Wildcats program historical past.
He recorded 5 or extra assists in six of his 36 video games with Kentucky, whereas additionally recording simply the fourth triple double in program historical past after recording 12 factors, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists throughout a loss at Ole Miss in February.
If he sticks within the NBA, Williams might be a helpful asset for Boston in relation to discovering cutters whereas working within the submit — or dishing the ball again out to 3-point vary.
“He’s been among the best passing huge males in faculty for a very long time,” Celtics VP of basketball ops Mike Zarren mentioned of Williams on Thursday, per WEEI’s Justin Turpin. “He’s an elite rebounder. He’s an amazing man. He had a beautiful profession at Drexel, after which stepped it up one other stage at Kentucky.
“Once you meet him, you’ll see he’s obtained simply an infinite, huge wingspan. And as you’ll see on the court docket, when you haven’t seen already, he’s obtained unimaginable imaginative and prescient. These are simply key skills. Within the trendy NBA, your huge guys have to have the ability to do all types of issues.”
Williams hails from England
Regardless of spending 5 years within the collegiate ranks, Williams hails from Nottingham, England — first dunking on the age of 14 whereas representing Nice Britain throughout a nationwide league recreation.
Even along with his evident abilities on the hardwood, Williams acknowledged earlier this season that his favourite sport rising up was not basketball.
“I at all times favored soccer greater than basketball,” Williams informed the Lexington Herald-Chief. “Then I had my development spurt late. It obtained to the purpose the place, I knew, I needed to begin enjoying basketball.”
Shulga was a harmful 3-point shooter in faculty
Given Joe Mazzulla’s affinity for 3-point taking pictures, it ought to come as little shock that Boston closed out its 2025 Draft by choosing a sharpshooter in Shulga.
The 6-foot-5 guard has been a deep menace at each Utah State and VCU throughout his faculty profession — taking pictures 39.2 p.c on 3-point makes an attempt over his 5 seasons in faculty.
Shulga, 23, averaged 15.0 factors, 5.9 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per recreation throughout his remaining season at VCU — incomes A-10 Participant of the 12 months honors for his efforts.
Over his remaining two years at VCU, Shulga sank 40.2 p.c of his makes an attempt from 3-point vary, whereas his 86 3-pointers in 2024-25 rank sixth all-time in VCU program historical past.
Shulga speaks 4 languages
Because of his lengthy street to professional basketball, Shulga is a seasoned linguist — with the guard able to talking Ukrainian, Russian, Spanish, and English.
Shulga was born and grew up in Kyiv, Ukraine earlier than in the end transferring to Spain as a young person to work on his basketball craft.
Together with his quick household nonetheless residing in Kyiv, Shulga informed The Guardian that he depends on basketball amid the turmoil and battle occurring in his house nation.
“After I’m on the court docket, enjoying within the recreation, every thing sort of simply goes away,” Shulga mentioned. “And I’m simply within the second targeted on what’s at hand and what I’m doing in that individual recreation. Basketball helped me to only keep targeted. Something that has been happening, basketball will probably be my getaway, my outlet.”
Join Celtics updates🏀
Get breaking information and evaluation delivered to your inbox throughout basketball season.
