‘An absolute steal’: Getting to know Celtics draft pick JD Davison, with Alabama writer Tony Tsoukalas

The Celtics selected Alabama guard JD Davison with the No. 53 pick in Thursday’s NBA Draft.

Boston.com spoke with Alabama beat writer Tony Tsoukalas, who covers the team for Sports Illustrated, about Davison’s skill set and potential.

Boston.com: What should Celtics fans know about JD Davison?

Tony Tsoukalas: He’s a guy that’s a top 20 talent in last year’s recruiting class

and a guy I think a lot of people expected to be a lottery pick, but he struggled to find consistency

Really for him, he’s very raw. He excelled at a 2A high school in Alabama

and he was able to overpower games with his athleticism. He’s a truly gifted athlete

He’s probably one of the better athletes in the Draft. What Celtics Can Do to Return to NBA Finals

Translating that to the SEC was a challenge. He had a lot of trouble with turnovers, and he needs to work on his ball-handling and decision-making

He’s also not necessarily what I would call a Nate Oats player to a tee. Nate Oats likes his point guards to be more shooters

and JD Davison is a guy who wants to take it to the hole

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