Welcome to Maine, Anton Watson.
On August 2, the Boston Celtics revealed that Anton Watson had agreed to a Two-Way deal, securing his spot as the 54th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft and his affiliation with both the Boston and Maine Celtics for the 2024–25 campaign.
The native of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, joined the draft after having a successful time as a Gonzaga University student-athlete. After starring at Gonzaga Prep in Spokane throughout his high school career and winning the Washington state Mr. Basketball title as a senior, Watson joined the Bulldogs for the following five years amid one of their most successful runs of play in team history.
The phrase “decorated career” only scratches the surface—he capped off his career with an All-WCC selection, made the all-WCC Tournament team twice, and ranks among some Bulldog legends in multiple categories. Watson ranks second all-time in Zags history behind John Stockton with 215 steals, third in games played at 151 (94 starts), ninth in field goals made (571), ninth in rebounds (780), and tenth in blocked shots (87).
After being primed for a big run during his COVID-shortened 2019–20 freshman season, Watson led Gonzaga to a national championship game appearance once and at least two NCAA Tournament victories each season. Even among numerous other NBA players to come out of Gonzaga, Watson’s level of production and consistency stands out.
Celtics supporters can expect Watson to provide the same dependability, intelligence, and tenacity that he demonstrated in college. Watson, who frequently plays power forward, is a very intelligent player who contributes on both sides of the floor. In terms of offensive capabilities, he can attack closeouts and make passing reads to locate cutters, spot up, stretch out defenses, crash the offensive glass, and finish quickly on the interior. At 6-foot-8 and 230 pounds, Watson has exceptional mobility that allows him to guard on the wing, switch onto smaller players, and hold his own in the paint. In a nutshell, Watson is a forward who makes few mistakes but has a big impact.
Drew Peterson, Watson, and JD Davison are Maine’s three intelligent passers who can play at different levels of the floor on their 2024–25 team. With his explosive athleticism, Davison can bend a defense, Peterson’s 6-foot-9 frame makes him a dangerous match for defenders, and Watson can find gaps in the defense or cut off the ball to put himself in scoring positions.
Once more, Maine should have no trouble imitating the big club in Boston’s playing style. Watson is a lifelong Boston Red Sox supporter even though he was raised in the West. He will fit right in as a Celtic with that added to his potential to contribute in Boston and up in Maine the following season.