Jeremy Tyler, a 6' 11"center from San Diego, is the Boston Celtics' projected pick at No. 25 overall in the 2011 NBA Draft in the second-to-last mock draft from Tom Ziller of SB Nation.
Tyler, who averaged 9.9 points and 6.4 rebounds for the Tokyo Apache last season, had originally committed to play for Rick Pitino at Louisville, but chose to forgo his senior year of high school and signed with Maccabi Haifa in Israel for $140,000. Tyler ultimately decided to leave the team after a problem with playing time.
25. Boston Celtics: Jeremy Tyler, C, Planet Earth
Boston needs size, and if there is one thing that Jeremy Tyler is, it's tall.
Here's some analysis on Tyler, first from WEEI and then from Chad Ford of ESPN.
Tyler is a project, no doubt, but it's not like an American has never made the leap from overseas to the NBA (see: Jennings, Brandon). As a junior at California's San Diego High, he averaged 28.7 points, 12 rebounds and nine blocks per game, vaulting himself to a top-five national recruit ranking in the Class of 2010 alongside guys like Kyrie Irving, Jared Sullinger and Brandon Knight. Whether or not Tyler still belongs in that conversation depends on who you ask. (Ben Rohrbach, WEEI.com)
"Jeremy Tyler continued to wow NBA teams on Friday with his athleticism, physical profile and defense. He measured out as the second-biggest player at the combine. He was 6-11, 260 pounds with a huge 7-5 wing and a 9-2 standing reach. Tyler told me he believed he'll have a 40-inch vertical, which is a fantastic number for a player his size. His measurements are on par with Cole Aldrich's and just below DeAndre Jordan's. Tyler also scored very high marks from NBA teams on his interviews. His offensive game is still a work in progress and there are still some skeletons in his closet from his botched season in Israel. But on sheer physical upside, Tyler played himself into a possible first-round pick with his week here. A number of teams, including the Knicks, Nuggets, Rockets and Spurs, are giving him a look in the first." (Chad Ford, ESPN)
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