Getty Tyson Etienne of the Wichita State Shockers
From a coaching search to putting together a roster to support its star players in Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, the Boston Celtics have a busy offseason ahead of them.
In the NBA draft, the Celtics can fill out their roster somewhat with the No. 16 and No. 45 picks that they own. With their second-round pick, the Celtics could look to take Wichita State’s Tyson Etienne — who, according to Chris Grenham of Forbes, worked out for Boston on Wednesday.
Ahead of the draft, Etienne spoke with Rookie Wire about his recent training, what his pre-draft process has been like and what he hopes to show teams during workouts and interviews.
“I’m proud to say I went to Wichita State but in the same token, there are a lot of people that may not have seen me or be too familiar with my game and who I am,” Etienne said in an interview with Rookie Wire. “For me, every workout is showing them who I am and what I do but, more importantly, who I am as a person and what I can contribute to an organization. So, really, it’s a full showcasing of Tyson Etienne.”
As a sophomore, though, Etienne is still free to withdraw from the draft and retain his college eligibility should he make the decision by July 7. If he chooses to keep him name in the draft, Etienne could be a potential pick in the second round or get signed as an undrafted free agent.
Here’s what you need to know about Etienne and how he can help the Celtics:
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Etienne’s Background
Described by Wichita State as a “do it all shooting guard,” Etienne is listed at 6-feet, 2-inches and 200 pounds, so he’s a little undersized for a guard.
The sophomore was named as the American Athletic Conference’s co-Player of the Year for men’s basketball this past season. Starting in all 22 of the games he played in, Etienne averaged 16.3 points in 33.8 minutes per game — a significant improvement from his freshman year averages of 9.4 points in 24.6 minutes per game.
He was also the team’s best player, leading them in scoring and minutes. Etienne also posted averages of 2.5 assists and 3.4 rebounds while shooting 37.1% from the field.
Etienne’s Game
Because he’s a smaller guard, Etienne’s 3-point shooting will likely be a key selling point to the NBA teams who are considering him.
This past season, he shot 39.2% on 3-pointers, averaging 7.5 attempts per game. Given the rate at which he not only attempted and made 3-pointers, Etienne was the most reliable 3-point shooter on his Wichita State team.
Mike Luciano of Raptors Rupture noted this and more in regards to Etienne’s strengths:
When he’s in a zone, he shows the blinding speed, ability to harass ball-handlers on the defensive end, and 3-point shooting that could help him hit the ground running at the professional level.
Etienne’s Limitations
Etienne mentioned to Rookie Wire that he can play at either guard position. However, at 2.5 assists per game, he isn’t much of a traditional guard. His size could also be a hindrance to his ability to play point guard in the NBA, so he’d have to prove his worth as a scoring guard.
His shooting also needs some work, as he could be a more efficient scorer. During the 2020-21 season, Etienne shot 37.1% from the field, which was actually less than his 39.2% on 3-pointers.
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