The Celtics closed out their 2025 Summer season League schedule with a complete victory over the Atlanta Hawks, profitable 101-80 in Las Vegas.
Boston completed the match with a 4-1 report beneath Summer season League head coach Matt Reynolds. Listed here are three takeaways from Sunday’s finale:
1. High gamers sit
The 2 most established Celtics on the Summer season League roster – Jordan Walsh and Baylor Scheierman – each watched the ultimate recreation from the bench in avenue garments, with Boston opting to take an extended have a look at its rookies and unsigned gamers.
Scheierman led the workforce in minutes performed over the primary 4 video games and made a constructive impression as a passer (6.8 assists per recreation) and defender (2.3 steals). The second-year professional struggled mightily as a shooter, nevertheless, making simply 27.4% of his discipline targets and 20.5% of his 3-pointers.
Walsh handled some fouling points over his 4 appearances, together with one ejection, however there was lots to love about his offensive manufacturing in Vegas. A non-factor on that finish of the ground in most of his 61 profession NBA appearances, the 21-year-old averaged 15.0 factors per recreation whereas capturing 46.3% from the sector and 38.9% from three. Walsh additionally led all Celtics gamers in free throws per recreation (5.8), although his 65.2% success fee on these might want to enhance.
Kenneth Lofton Jr. additionally didn’t swimsuit up towards Atlanta. The 22-year-old large man, who starred within the Chinese language Basketball Affiliation final season, averaged 10.8 factors, 5.8 factors and three.0 assists over his 4 video games with the Summer season C’s.
2. Rookie report
The Celtics’ three 2025 draft picks – wing Hugo Gonzalez, heart Amari Williams and level guard Max Shulga – all began towards Atlanta together with Miles Norris and Kendall Brown.
Gonzalez, the one rookie on Boston’s 15-man roster, shot the ball poorly to complete out his first Summer season League (2-for-8, 1-for-7 from three), however the Celtics had been a a lot better workforce with the 19-year-old Spaniard on the ground. Gonzalez was a plus-22 in his 20 minutes towards the Hawks, 19 factors higher than every other Boston starter.
Williams had some poor passing choices and defensive lapses, however he turned in his best outing of the summer season, ending with six factors, eight rebounds and 4 assists. Jalen Bridges benefited from two of Williams’ assists, which set him up for an open three and a straightforward dunk.
Shulga went 1-for-5 and tallied two assists and two steals. The VCU product completed the match with a powerful 19-to-3 assist-to-turnover ratio however a team-worst 24.1% field-goal share.
It could be stunning if Williams or Shulga noticed actual NBA minutes within the close to future, however the measurement of Gonzalez’s function can be one of many high Celtics storylines because the season approaches. The primary-round decide is understandably uncooked at this early stage of his profession, however his power and hustle – traits president of basketball operations Brad Stevens spotlighted on draft night – might earn him enjoying time on Joe Mazzulla’s new-look bench.
3. Emptying the bench
With Walsh, Scheierman and Lofton all sitting, and early standout Charles Bassey no longer with the squad after his three-game summer season contract expired earlier within the week, there have been loads of minutes to go round for a few of Boston’s lesser-used Summer season Leaguers.
Amongst these: guard Isaiah Wong, who led the Celtics with 18 factors on 6-of-11 capturing (3-of-7 from three) and 6 assists. Wong, a Miami alum who beforehand frolicked with Indiana and Charlotte, was a plus-28 in his 21 minutes.
Aaron Scott racked up seven offensive rebounds and added three assists, one steal and one block. Zach Hicks and Benjamin Gregg mixed to go 6-for-11 from past the arc, with Gregg additionally grabbing eight rebounds.
Scott logged simply 5 whole minutes over the primary 4 Summer season League video games. Hicks and Gregg performed even much less, making only one two-minute cameo apiece earlier than Sunday’s finale.
Bridges scored 16 factors on 6-of-12 capturing and went 4-for-10 from three. Brown went 5-for-8 to complete the match with a 69.2% field-goal share (18-for-26), second-best on the workforce behind Bassey’s 70.2%.
The Celtics closed with their deep bench lineup, and Bridges, Wong, Gregg and Hayden Grey all hit threes within the last 4 minutes to close the door on a Hawks comeback bid.
Subsequent up on Boston’s schedule: coaching camp, which is able to start in late September or early October. Count on a number of the non-rostered gamers on the Celtics’ Summer season League squad to return to compete for spots within the preseason, which begins Oct. 7 towards Memphis.
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