The Celtics will play their fifth and remaining Summer time League recreation this Sunday towards the Atlanta Hawks in Las Vegas, giving their assortment of younger gamers and roster hopefuls one final likelihood to impress Boston’s determination makers.
Which gamers have boosted their inventory probably the most up to now? Right here’s a take a look at how eight notable Summer time Celtics have fared by means of 4 video games:
15-man roster members
Jordan Walsh: In case you disregard his occasional fouling points — together with the back-to-back technicals that got him ejected from Boston’s recreation towards Miami, which he mentioned head coach Joe Mazzulla cherished — this has been a productive event for Walsh, accurately for a relatively skilled participant getting into his third NBA season.
Walsh is the Celtics’ main Summer time League scorer, totaling 60 factors over 4 video games regardless of being booted from one earlier than halftime. He has been efficient in transition, benefiting from the summer time squad’s mandate to push the tempo, and has been a way more dependable exterior shooter than he was in both of his first two NBA seasons (although his 65.2% free-throw taking pictures wants enchancment).
In 60 profession video games with the massive membership, Walsh has made simply 26.6% of his 3-pointers (on 1.0 makes an attempt per recreation). He’s at 38.9% thus far in Vegas (7-for-18) – an encouraging improvement because the 21-year-old tries to crack Mazzulla’s core rotation for the primary time.
Baylor Scheierman: Scheierman has performed by far probably the most minutes of any Celtics Summer time Leaguer, and he’s been the centerpiece of Boston’s offense, main the group in assists, field-goal makes an attempt and 3-point makes an attempt by vast margins.
His passing has been spectacular, as has his playmaking on protection (team-high 2.3 steals per recreation). His taking pictures, nevertheless, has not. Scheierman enters the Celtics’ summer time finale with a field-goal share of 27.4% and a 3-point field-goal share of 20.5%.
Credit score to him for sustaining his confidence – he’s taken at the least seven threes in each recreation, together with a complete of 24 over the past two – and never letting his wayward shot have an effect on different areas of his recreation. However the 2024 first-round draft choose will should be much more environment friendly for Mazzulla to belief him with a extra substantial function this season.
Hugo Gonzalez: As a 19-year-old simply weeks faraway from his remaining season with Actual Madrid, the Celtics had been anticipating an adjustment interval for Gonzalez, their prime 2025 draft choose. And he’s actually regarded uncooked in some Summer time League contests, struggling at occasions to deal with the pace of even this watered-down model of the NBA recreation. That was very true in his second outing, throughout which he had six turnovers and 7 private fouls whereas taking pictures 3-for-12 in a loss to the Warmth.
Gonzalez has supplied loads of causes for optimism, nevertheless. He got here as marketed as a high-motor participant who at all times performs exhausting, reguarly showcasing the chopping skill that Brad Stevens spotlighted on draft night. Gonzalez leads all Celtics non-bigs in offensive rebounds (seven), and he’s additionally shot the ball higher than he did along with his Spanish membership, albeit in a restricted pattern measurement.
Even together with the tough exhibiting towards the Warmth, Gonzalez has made 37.5% of his threes in Vegas (6-for-16), method up from his 25.0% mark for Actual Madrid.
Time will inform how usually Gonzalez will see the ground as a teenage rookie, however there’s rather a lot to love concerning the teen’s recreation.
Two-way gamers
Miles Norris: Norris is trying to stick round after signing a two-way take care of the C’s late final season, and his hustle has been evident in Summer time League. The lengthy, lanky wing has three blocks, 5 steals and 6 offensive rebounds over his 69 minutes of ground time, and he’s scored in double figures twice. Norris hasn’t proven a lot contact as a shooter, although, making simply 23.5% of his threes.
Amari Williams: Williams boasts intriguing bodily traits as a 7-footer with a 7-foot-6 wingspan, and the second-round draft choose confirmed flashes of his famend passing prowess within the early days of his Celtics tenure. General, although, his output has been restricted. The rookie middle has averaged 6.3 factors, 4.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 19.0 minutes over his three appearances.
Max Shulga: The positives for Shulga, the one Celtics draft choose to play in (and begin) all 4 Summer time League video games: He has a powerful 17-to-3 assist-to-turnover ratio as Boston’s main level guard, and he’s notched seven steals on protection, second-most on the group. The not-so-positives: The second-rounder out of VCU is the one participant who’s shot the ball worse than Scheierman, going 6-for-24 from the sphere (25.0%) and 2-for-12 from three (16.7%).
Summer time fliers
Charles Bassey: The shock star of Summer time League for the Celtics, Bassey averaged 15.3 factors, 11.0 rebounds and a couple of.0 blocks per recreation over his three appearances, notching a pair of double-doubles. The previous San Antonio Spurs reserve led the group in blocks (six) and offensive rebounds (12), shot 70.4% and went 8-for-8 from the foul line. Then, he left, departing earlier than Thursday’s win over the Lakers.
The 24-year-old massive man solely signed to play in three Summer time League video games for Boston as a result of he had different commitments, in response to the group, and it’s unclear whether or not the Celtics need to proceed working with him. He regarded like a participant worthy of at the least a coaching camp invitation, particularly given how devoid of proven talent the C’s present frontcourt is, however might produce other suitors after his sturdy exhibiting in Sin Metropolis.
Kenneth Lofton Jr.: Lofton, who’s coming off an MVP season within the Chinese language Basketball Affiliation, is an uneven however undeniably enjoyable participant. His 6-foot-6, 275-pound body belies a fluid and versatile offensive talent set, as he’s capable of get to the rim, launch threes and ship well-placed long-range passes. Defensively? Properly, his points at that finish clarify why he’s struggled to stay within the NBA regardless of placing up 42 factors in a single recreation as a Memphis Grizzlies rookie in 2022.
Late in Thursday’s win over Los Angeles, Lofton gathered the ball for an inbounds cross and fired a bomb previous halfcourt to Walsh, who completed with a windmill dunk. That recreation was a microcosm of the 22-year-old’s roller-coaster event: 5-for-8, 2-for-4 from three, 12 factors, seven rebounds, 5 assists, three steals, one block, 5 turnovers and eight fouls in 20 minutes.
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