Celtics introduce their rookies, Purdue teammates JaJuan Johnson and E’Twaun Moore
Celtics president Danny Ainge says he wasn’t even aware when it happened. On draft night last week, Boston’s turn to pick in the second round was fast approaching, and the next guy up on the Celtics’ list was E’Twaun Moore, an accomplished senior combo guard from Purdue. So the Celtics chose him.
Almost 1,000 miles away, in Indianapolis, JaJuan Johnson was getting high-fives and handshakes from about 350 friends and family members at a draft party at a hotel. What was already a brilliant night for Johnson, who landed with the Celtics in the first round, got all the better with the selection of Moore. Not only has Johnson known Moore since they were playing against each other in middle school, but the two chose to play with each other at Purdue four years ago. They’ve been teammates and friends ever since.
“I was just really excited,” Johnson said as the Celtics introduced their two new players on Monday. “Just to have someone that you’re familiar with and comfortable with, and can go through this process with you, makes it a lot easier.
The Moore-Johnson tandem is certainly unique in this draft. Not only are they teammates, but they’re both four-year players who earned their degrees in the same major, organizational leadership. “That helps a lot,” Ainge said. “I think these guys have both improved a lot over the course of their college careers and they’ve played in a lot of big games and a lot of hostile environments. They’ve been ranked very high at different times of their college careers and been the ones who have been expected to win. They’ve been through a lot. And I think that can only help as they’re getting ready for the NBA.”
Just how much help the Celtics can expect from Johnson and Moore is a question mark—Boston is bringing back its core group of Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo, with Doc Rivers agreeing to return as coach, and the idea is to win now, not to develop young players.
But the Celtics only have seven players under contract next year, counting restricted free agent Jeff Green. It’s likely that Boston will also bring back free agents Delonte West and Glen Davis, but even if they do, the roster total is still just nine. There will be opportunities for Johnson, and perhaps Moore, too, to get some playing time.
Being polished players from a major program should help make Moore and Johnson at least somewhat NBA-ready. Both players tested the draft waters last year, but decided to go back to school when they couldn’t get a good read on where, exactly, they were to be drafted. Johnson averaged 20.5 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.3 blocks this season, winning the Big Ten’s Defensive Player of the Year award. Moore averaged 18.0 points and shot 40.0 percent from the 3-point line.
“I think for both of us, we came back and just knew we had to be ready for a big year, knew that to get to this point, to be drafted, we were going to have to really produce,” Moore said. “We both came back strong as seniors and I think that will benefit us in the NBA.”
And, oddly enough, they’re going to be able to do it in the NBA together. “It’s pretty crazy, right?” Johnson said. “Four years playing together. And now, maybe a lot more years coming up.”
