Brad Stevens is all-in on experience in this NBA Draft, as the Celtics went with Gonzaga grad student Anton Watson with their second-round pick on Thursday.
Watson was a West Coast Conference first-team selection after averaging 14.5 points and 7.1 rebounds in his final college season. He shot 57.8 percent from the field and 41.2 percent from 3-point range, though he attempted only 51 threes last season.
“I want [Watson] to come in here with the mind-set that he’s going to let it fly like he’s never let it fly before,” Stevens said. “I think he’s a better shooter than he even sometimes thinks he is, so I’m looking forward to getting him in here in eight days or so.”
Stevens was also impressed by Watson’s defensive versatility. A 6-foot-8-inch wing with a 7-foot wingspan, Watson left Gonzaga with 215 steals, second in program history only to John Stockton.
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“I really like him,” Stevens said. “Anton’s strength and ability to move his feet laterally, [we’ll] give him a chance to be one of these big, strong hybrid forwards that can switch, guard a lot of people.”
Watson was also an important playmaker for the Bulldogs, averaging 2.6 assists as one of the biggest players on the floor.
Like Celtics first-round pick Baylor Scheierman, Watson was one of the older players in the draft, as he’ll turn 24 by the start of next season.
According to Stevens, that wasn’t necessarily a consideration.
“I think you’re looking at what’s available when you draft,” Stevens said. “Those guys both are winning players.
“You just, at these picks . . . you’re looking for best fit, best player, who can accentuate your team, who can grow within your group, and they’re both young enough that they can do that, too.”
With little available room on the roster, it seems likely that Watson will be signing a two-way contract and spend plenty of time with G League Maine.
“We’ll get into all the contract stuff later,” Stevens said, “but with 17 to 18 spots, depending on how we do it — last year we did 17 most of the year with 14 roster and three two-ways — safe to say we’re going to have some pretty good players on two-ways.”
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Watson’s selection wrapped up the first two-day draft process for Stevens and the Celtics, with the event shifting to a new format this year.
“We had a lot of talks about it,” Stevens said. “We have a really good second-round pick in our coffers for next year, and we recognize that makes it different when you have it on a whole second day.
“I will say this, it was nice to go home at 11:30 last night and try to get a little sleep and get back here for today, then just to cram it all in . . . My son was texting me yesterday, like, ‘I’m not staying up to see you trade back, am I?’ Those late nights are no fun.”
Amin Touri can be reached at amin.touri@globe.com.