WEEI.com continues to provide daily insight and analysis on the 2011 NBA draft. This is one in a series of profiles of players who might be available for the Celtics to select with one of their two picks (25th and 55th overall).

E'Twaun Moore can score, but he faces a challenge at the next level as he likely will need to play the point. (AP)

E‘Twaun Moore

Position: Guard

School: Purdue

Height: 6-foot-4

Weight: 190 pounds

Stats: 18 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 3.2 apg

What he brings: Moore is a solid all-around player who knows how to score. He is most effective when taking the ball to the basket, rather than settling for jump shots. Although he has improved his shooting during his time at Purdue, he still is not considered a great outside shooter.

Moore would probably be a point guard in the NBA, as he is too small to be a shooting guard. He needs to work on his ballhanding and passing skills but has shown improvement in those areas of the game. He is also a very good defender and a very strong defensive rebounder for a guy his size.

Where the Celtics could get him: First round (or second)

What they’re saying: “I know once he gets that rhythm going and steps back and hits a 3 and once he smiles, you know he has it going.” — Purdue guard Lewis Jackson

Notes: Moore became the fourth player in Big Ten history to tally 2,000 points (2,136), 500 rebounds (611) and 350 assists (400) in a career. He also is Purdue’s third all-time leading scorer. He also holds records at Purdue for most minutes played (4,517), 3-point field-goals made (243), games won (107), games played (140) and starts (137).

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WEEI.com continues to provide daily insight and analysis on the 2011 NBA draft. This is one in a series of profiles of players who might be available for the Celtics to select with one of their two picks (25th and 55th overall).

Trey Thompkins has a good low-post presence, but there are questions about his fitness and desire. (AP)

Trey Thompkins

Position: Forward

School: Georgia

Height: 6-foot-10

Weight: 240 pounds

Stats: 16.4 ppg, 7.6 rpg

What he brings: Thompkins is a solid big man who has good hands and a nice touch. He lacks athleticism but makes up for it with his solid offensive game. He is most effective in the halfcourt offense, where he can knock down a jump shot or post up on the block. He is also very comfortable with the pick-and-pop play. He isn’t much of a shot blocker but uses his length and soft hands to rebound well.

Where the Celtics could get him: First round

What they’re saying: “He’s got a high basketball IQ, but I think it’d be fair to say that most people in the league want to make sure that he’s ready for the physicality of the NBA on a nightly basis as a power forward. I think he went a long way today to show us he can do that.” — 76ers director of player personnel Courtney Witte, after Thompkins worked out for the team in early June

Notes: In 2009, Thompkins was the the second-leading scorer on USA Basketball’s U-19 team, which went 9-0 and won the World Championships in New Zealand. In 2010, he was part of the U.S. select team that scrimmaged for two weeks against the national team, which was made up of NBA players. The Hawks drafted his father, Howard Thompkins Jr., in 1981.

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WEEI.com continues to provide daily insight and analysis on the 2011 NBA draft. This is one in a series of profiles of players who might be available for the Celtics to select with one of their two picks (25th and 55th overall).

Jimmy Butler has a versatile skill set but doesn't overwhelm with any particular aspect of his game. (AP)

Jimmy Butler

Position: Guard/forward

School: Marquette

Height: 6-foot-7

Weight: 220 pounds

Stats: 15.7 ppg, 6.1 rpg

What he brings: Butler does not have one particular part of his game that will blow anyone away, but he is a solid all-around player. He is very versatile as he can play guard and forward, but he will, in all likelihood, be a guard in the NBA. He is most known for being an active defender and understanding the game well. He has a good mid-range game but needs to work on his 3-point shooting. He also posts up well for a guy of his size but does struggle with creating his own shot.

Where the Celtics could get him: First round (or second)

What they’re saying: “He’s the smartest player I’ve ever coached.” — Marquette coach Buzz Williams

Notes: Butler was an All-Big East Honorable Mention in 2010 and 2011. He helped lead Marquette to the Sweet 16 in the 2011 NCAA Tournament. He was a Junior College All-American at Tyler (Texas) JC in 2007-08.

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Could Providence's Marshon Brooks be an answer for the Celtics' scoring woes? (AP)

WEEI.com continues to provide daily insight and analysis on the 2011 NBA draft. This is one in a series of profiles of players who might be available for the Celtics to select with one of their two picks (25th and 55th overall).

Marshon Brooks

Position: Shooting Guard

Team: Providence

Height: 6-foot-5

Weight: 195 pounds

Stats: 24.6 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 2.5 apg

What he brings: Any comparison to Kobe Bryant — good or bad — will grab the attention of scouts from every NBA team. And the wiry Brooks has been linked to both sides of Bryant.

An elite scorer who can create his own shot, as evidenced by his 24.6 points per game (second only to BYU’s Jimmer Fredette in the country), the Atlanta native also attempted 17.8 shots a game. Not only has Brooks’ shot selection been questioned, but he’s also been equated to a black hole for the basketball (98 turnovers vs. 80 assists).

Still, his production and efficiency (48.3 FG%, 34.0 3PT FG%, 77.2 FT%) as a senior are undeniable, and the struggling Friars (15-17) required Brooks to shoot in order to contend in the Big East. Just take a look at the box score from Providence’s 94-93 loss to Notre Dame. He scored 52 points on 20-of-28 shooting.

Defensively, Brooks hasn’t played much man-to-man in the Providence system, but his ridiculous 7-foot-1 wingspan along with his per-game rebounding (7.0), steals (1.5) and blocks (1.2) numbers from the two-guard position offer evidence of his potential on that end.

Brooks prefers comparisons to Jamal Crawford over Bryant, and that’s probably a better best-case scenario for him. Considering the Celtics are expected to be among the rumored destinations for the Hawks free agent and 2010 NBA Sixth Man of the Year, Brooks offers a cheaper alternative if the Celtics decide to go that route.

Where the Celtics could get him: First or second round.

What they’re saying: “I was very, very surprised. He’s an untamed talent. His size and ability to make shots will get him drafted. He’s crafty in his ability to create space for his game and with the right team he can help somebody in the league.” – Attack Athletics (Chicago) trainer Mike Procopio, a transplanted Boston native whose current and former clients included Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Paul Pierce and Kevin Durant among others

Notes: I’m always skeptical of guys in any sport whose stock rises — nay, soars — at draft combines, and Brooks certainly falls into that category, climbing all the way to No. 19 on ESPN’s latest Top 100 Draft Prospects chart. … I’m also wary of 22-year-old guys who blossomed late in college (14.2 points per game as a junior), and then never returned to school after Spring Break of his senior year despite needing only two classes to graduate. … Just think of the nickname possibility if the Celtics do draft Brooks: The Green Marshon!

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Guard Shelvin Mack led Butler to two straight national championships. (AP)

WEEI.com continues to provide daily insight and analysis on the 2011 NBA draft. This is one in a series of profiles of players who might be available for the Celtics to select with one of their two picks (25th and 55th overall).

Shelvin Mack

Position: Guard

School: Butler

Height: 6-foot-3

Weight: 215 pounds

Stats: 16.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 3.4 apg

What he brings: Two years ago, it would have been surprising to say the least that one of the draft’s most popular names would come from Butler of all places. But after two consecutive NCAA championship game appearances, that’s what we have in Mack, who enters the draft after three years in school. At 6-foot-3, he’d be well-sized for an NBA point guard but with his score-first skill set, he might project more as a small shooting guard, a la Monta Ellis or Stephen Curry in Golden State.

As he took on more responsibility in the Butler offense last season, his efficiency numbers took a small hit (field goal percentage dropped from .454 to .408, 3-point percentage from .391 to .354) but he would not be asked to take as big of a load in his first few NBA seasons. On the defensive end, his height and strength allowed him to cover bigger small forwards in college, but he is not believed to have the quickness to cover professional point guards.

Where the Celtics could get him: Second round

What they’re saying: “He’s a guy that can handle the ball, he can dribble, pass and shoot. He has great strength, he has an NBA body, and he’s going to be able to play throughout the course of an 82-game season. He also performs at his best against the highest level and always has.” – Butler coach Brad Stevens

Notes: Mack played second fiddle to Gordon Hayward and Matt Howard in college, so demanding the ball so that he might put up points shouldn’t be an immediate problem. Mack acknowledged in an Associated Press story that he is prepared to play as few as two minutes in the NBA or even head to Europe if he were to go undrafted.

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WEEI.com continues to provide daily insight and analysis on the 2011 NBA draft. This is one in a series of profiles of players who might be available for the Celtics to select with one of their two picks (25th and 55th overall).

Ben Hansbrough looks to join his brother Tyler in the NBA. (AP)

Ben Hansbrough

Position: Guard

School: Notre Dame

Height: 6-foot-3

Weight: 203 pounds

Stats: 18.4 ppg, 4.3 apg, 3.9 rpg

What he brings: The Celtics lacked a true scoring threat off their bench this year, with both Delonte West and Glen Davis (and Nate Robinson, before the trade) flashing brilliance but never achieving consistency. Hansbrough has the potential to give the Celtics that threat. He’s a quick guard who can spin and slash his way through the lane, and he also can catch and shoot the jumper. He’s unafraid to shoot 3-pointers, which makes him very hard to guard on offense. His defense is nothing special, but he works incredibly hard, something that will help him get along with players like Ray Allen, who he would most likely back up. He’s a confident shooter who’s been forged in the crucible of Big East basketball.

Where the Celtics could get him: Second round

What they’re saying: “He’s obviously a good shooter, scorer and passer, but it’s his will to win that sets him apart. Some guys have great stats and put up a lot of points; Ben has great stats, but his impact goes far beyond that. He’s a flat-out winner. When you’re being led by someone who has a will like that, it’s very contagious.” — Notre Dame teammate Joey Brooks

Notes: Hansbrough’s brother Tyler was a three-time All-American at North Carolina and now is with the Pacers. His mother, Tami Wheat, was named Miss Missouri 1978. His uncle Sean Fister won the world long drive championship in golf three times.

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