What to watch for with the Summer League Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics tip off 2022 Las Vegas Summer League on Saturday afternoon. The Summer season Celtics schedule is:

· vs Warmth – Saturday, July 9 – 5:30 PM ET – NBATV

· vs Bucks – Monday, July 11 – 8:00 PM ET – NBATV

· vs Warriors – Tuesday, July 12 – 8:00 PM ET – ESPN2

· TBD – Fourth sport opponent/time will likely be decided following scheduled play

The Summer season Celtics roster at the moment consists of just one rostered participant: Sam Hauser. Matt Ryan and Brodric Thomas are Boston’s two remaining free brokers, as they’re each coming off Two-Manner contracts.

Latest second-round picks Juhann Begarin and JD Davison may also play. 2020 second rounder Yam Madar was faraway from the roster, as he’ll spend the summer time taking part in with the Israeli Nationwide Crew.

Whereas the roster is brief on gamers anticipated to make an actual impression, there are nonetheless some issues to observe for with this group. Right here’s what we’ll have our eyes on this summer time.

Photograph by Wealthy Obrey/NBAE through Getty Photographs

· Sam Hauser: Can he be greater than a standstill shooter? What can Hauser do along with his off-the-dribble sport? Has he improved his motion capturing coming off screens? How is he holding up defensively?

Hauser is well essentially the most high-profile participant on the Summer season Celtics. He’s a knockdown shooter. If he can present just a little extra, particularly on protection, Hauser may earn some rotation minutes for Boston.

· Juhann Begarin: The 2021 second rounder is coming off an terrible season for Paris, because the membership moved to the best stage in France. Begarin shot terribly at 43% total and 31% from three. Summer season League is about him exhibiting extra and exhibiting enchancment.

Begarin is a terrific athlete. He’s acquired each fast burst and good velocity. He’s additionally sturdy, with good measurement for a wing. At instances Begarin nonetheless appears just a little misplaced defensively, however he’s nonetheless solely 19 years outdated. That may come. Proper now, his jumper and the ending are essentially the most worrisome. These have to enhance for him to have an actual shot on the NBA.

· JD Davison: The Summer season Celtics are gentle on ballhandlers, so Davison will get a ton of reps in Las Vegas. He wants them too. Boston will likely be trying to see Davison run the offense effectively with out turning the ball over a lot. His 27.3% turnover fee at Alabama was absurdly dangerous.

Past the turnovers, we’ll watching Davison’s shot. He completed properly, however shot simply 30% from three in faculty. And, lastly, does his hyper-active defensive fashion translate to the NBA? That’s what acquired him drafted, so hopefully it reveals up in Vegas.

Photograph by Joe Murphy/NBAE through Getty Photographs

· Matt Ryan: One of many extra enjoyable tales from final season was Ryan. From working at a cemetery to creating the NBA is kind of the journey. To stay within the NBA, even on a Two-Manner, Ryan has to do what he’s all the time finished: hit pictures. He was lights out within the G League for Maine final yr, as he averaged 20.4 factors on 52/45 capturing splits.

Like Sam Hauser, Ryan wants to point out he can defend at an NBA stage if he desires greater than a Two-Manner or G League spot. If he can do some bit extra off the bounce, that’s even higher.

· Brodric Thomas: The Celtics different Two-Manner free agent is an NBA-level athlete. It is a identified factor. He simply has to point out just a little extra consistency on offense. In Maine, Thomas’ capturing slipped. If he can discover his shot once more, Thomas will likely be within the combine for a camp invite or Two-Manner spot.

With the Summer season Celtics gentle on ballhandlers, search for Thomas to do among the playmaking. He’s proven a great really feel for passing on the G League stage, however must curb his turnovers.

Photograph by Mary Kate Ridgway/NBAE through Getty Photographs

· Mfiondu Kabengele: The 6-foot-10 huge man washed out of the NBA, however had a little bit of a re-birth within the G League final season. Kabengele is extra of a 3/4 than a 4/5, however that’s okay. His size permits him to play up a bit in opposition to smaller bigs.

In 25 G League video games final season, Kabengele averaged 17.5 factors on 59/43/81 capturing splits. If that jumper is actual on the NBA stage, he’ll snag a minimum of a Two-Manner spot from somebody. As a man with good skilled expertise, Kabengele must be forward of many of the guys he’ll be going in opposition to. If he desires an NBA roster spot, he wants to point out that in Las Vegas.

· Trevion Williams: How this man went undrafted is a professional query. Williams had a bizarre faculty profession. He began as a sophomore and junior, however then got here off the bench as a senior, as a result of Purdue’s loaded frontcourt. He was nonetheless fairly productive by placing up 11.9 factors, 7.4 rebounds and three.0 assists in simply 19.9 minutes per sport.

Boston likes their bigs to have the ability to go, so Williams matches in completely there. He’s a tad undersized as a middle, however he’s acquired the physique to carry up inside. If Williams can rating and go effectively this summer time, and hold in there on protection, both a camp invite or Two-Manner roster spot will likely be ready for him on the opposite finish.

· A.J. Reeves: That is the native child (born in Boston, attended Brimmer & Could for highschool) everybody will get behind. The problem? Reeves can’t shoot. He was a four-year starter at Windfall, however by no means topped 9.9 factors per sport and struggled to crack 40% capturing.

If Reeves shoots it properly, he may snag a camp invite. He’s acquired NBA wing measurement and he’s a great defender. All of it actually hinges on the shot for Reeves.

· Jordan Bone: The opposite pure ballhandler on the Summer season Celtics has been on the fringes of the NBA for just a few years now. Bone break up time between the NBA and the G League in his first two skilled seasons, earlier than spending final season in Spain and Turkey.

It’s a damaged report at this level, however Bone’s NBA probabilities rely on him pulling down pictures. He struggled to shoot it abroad final season. Bone can run a staff and he’s a tricky sufficient defender, however he’ll need to make jumpers to get extra of an NBA look past the subsequent 10 days.

· Jericole Hellems: A four-year participant at NC State, Hellems managed to pop off the display some on a staff loaded with NBA-level expertise. At 6-foot-7, Hellems has prototypical wing measurement for the NBA.

He’s just a little up-and-down along with his ending. Hellems improved as a three-point shooter in his closing two seasons at NC State. His senior season was a significant battle defensively, as Hellems had a tough time dealing with gamers off the dribble, and he tended to foul rather a lot. He’s principally acquired the other problems with A.J. Reeves so far as his NBA prospects go.

· Bryton Hobbs: On the threat of being snarky and inaccurate, Hobbs is Jayson Tatum’s cousin, and that appears to have gotten him this third ballhandler spot for the Summer season Celtics. Hobbs is 30 years outdated and there’s no report of him taking part in professionally since 2017-18.

Hobbs did play properly within the second division in Lithuania, however that was over 4 years in the past. It’s exhausting to see there being a lot of an impression right here past backing up JD Davison and Jordan Bone.