Hanlan: Getting drafted by C's would be ‘dream come true'

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WALTHAM, Mass. – Workouts leading up to the NBA draft often serve as a chance for players and organizations to get to know one another better.

That’s not an issue for former Boston College star Olivier Hanlan who was among the handful of guards to work out for the Boston Celtics on Tuesday. 

Hanlan said in the summer he would come up to the practice facility and play some pick-up games against current (Jared Sullinger) and former (Rajon Rondo) Celtics. 

“It’s definitely fun being back,” he said. “I’m used to this place compared to other places. Being back in Boston is fun.”

The familiarity that Hanlan has with the Celtics goes both ways, too. Austin Ainge, Boston’s director of player personnel, has known Hanlan dating back to before Hanlan became an all-ACC performer for Boston College. Ainge worked an NBA Basketball Without Borders camp when Hanlan was coming out of high school. 

“He was on my team,” Ainge recalled.

And with Hanlan playing just a couple miles away from Boston, it was relatively easy for the Celtics to keep tabs on him throughout his career.

“We know Olivier probably better than anybody (in the draft),” Ainge said. “It was good to have him in against the guys he’s competing against.”

In addition to Hanlan, the Celtics had Kentucky’s Andrew Harrison and Louisville’s Terry Rozier work out for them on Tuesday, along with Josh Richardson of Tennessee. Hanlan, Harrison and Rozier are likely to be second-round picks with these workouts having the potential to play a major role in separating them. 

For Hanlan, there’s very little he can show the Celtics in workouts that they haven’t seen on film or while in attendance at his games this season. 

“I know Danny Ainge (Boston’s president of basketball operations) was there quite a few times,” Hanlan said. “Seeing those guys, it’s pretty easy to notice. I try to focus on the game, but it’s fun to see guys coming out there to evaluate you. You just want to play hard and make the most out of it.”

Hanlan has been doing just that since he decided to leave Boston College after his junior season. 

A strong showing at the Chicago pre-draft combine last month solidified Hanlan as a player to be among the 60 names called on draft night. 

And while it may seem unlikely that the Celtics use any of their picks to draft the 6-foot-2 combo guard, the fact that he was invited to come in for a workout at least offers a glimmer of hope that his pro career might have a fairytale-like twist to it if drafted by Boston.

“It would be a dream come true, but you can’t really be picky with these type of things,” Hanlan said. “You can’t choose where you go. I’m just here to work and get an opportunity.”

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