After a tough loss to the San Antonio Spurs in a Las Vegas playoff quarterfinal on Saturday, the Boston Celtics have officially wrapped up their NBA Summer League schedule. Many young players made a strong case with their play to the Celtics front office to be included on the opening night roster.
Before injuring his right hand by dislocating two fingers, 2014 first round pick Marcus Smart was showing he was ready to take the next step in his NBA career. Demonstrating an increased desire to slash in the paint, Smart showed off his strength and ability to get to the free throw line. If Smart can improve his field goal percentage at the rim, he will be a dangerous player moving forward.
In the two games he played in the Utah circuit, Smart averaged 24 points, 7.5 assists, and 4.5 rebounds a game. He also added 2.5 steals and a block per game. Smart led all players in the Utah circuit in points and assists per game.
The player that boosted his profile the most with his play in the Summer League was second round pick, Jordan Mickey of LSU. The 33rd overall pick in this year’s draft, the 6-8 power forward posted impressive numbers throughout the Summer League slate, showing that he could get it done on both ends of the court.
Mickey blossomed in the Las Vegas circuit, increasing his per game averages to 13.8 points, 9.6 rebounds, with 2.6 blocks in 30 minutes played. Mickey’s best game came in a game against the Philadelphia 76ers, where he put up a line of 16 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 blocks.
Though Mickey is undersized for his position, his hustle, shot blocking ability, and ability to finish without much space should allow him to eventually be a contributor on a pro team. The Celtics’ roster is clogged at power forward, but if Mickey can continue to turn heads in exhibitions and practice, he may be in the Celtics rotation sooner than expected.
Another bright spot for the Boston Celtics was the play of first round draft pick,
RJ Hunter. After a rocky start in the Utah league, Hunter came into his own in an increased role during play in Las Vegas. Hunter showed his ability to score, averaging just under 16 points per game, while also showing better vision and passing than originally projected.
Hunter’s three point percentage was lower than desired, shooting just over 30% from deep over the course of Summer League. For Hunter to land a place on the 2016 Celtics’ roster, he will have to improve on that percentage.
While some players increased their value to the team, several Celtics summer leaguers failed to live up to expectations. The front office now has the difficult task of figuring what players will be more heavily considered for a roster spot going forward.
All Stats were provided by NBA.com