5 thoughts from Celtics Summer League win over the Charlotte Hornets
Some thoughts from the Celtics win over Charlotte in game three of Summer League
**I wrote this out yesterday. No idea how it ended up in drafts rather than being published. 100% a user error, though…So, I know it’s late, but here are some thoughts from Wednesday’s Summer League game.**
The Boston Celtics are 2-1 in Summer League competition, although it took a fourth-quarter surge to overcome a plucky Charlotte Hornets Summer League roster. Jaden Springer sat out his second straight game, which I assume means he’s been shut down for the remainder of Summer League after a monster showing against the Miami Heat.
Neemias Queta was also in street clothes after a big performance against the Los Angeles Lakers. Drew Peterson sat out, but I assume we see him back in the rotation if he’s fit enough.
Due to some of the absences, we got a closer look at Tyler Cook and Jalen House. Both had some encouraging moments.
In truth, this was the most Summer League game we’ve seen from the Celtics. It was sloppy, scrappy, and physical, and there were a lot of missed shots. Still, I enjoyed the game — maybe because I’m a sicko hoops junkie — or maybe because it was early enough that I got to watch live. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle.
Anyway, with another game in the books, I have some more thoughts on what we saw from the players who got minutes. Let’s dive in.
5. Walsh will likely spend another season in Maine
We’ve seen three games out of Walsh now. He hasn’t been awful, but he hasn’t popped, either. He’s struggled on offense. He had a strong defensive showing against the Lakers but struggled against Miami and Charlotte. His shooting has also been disappointing.
It’s hard to take too much from Summer League. Games are messy. Guys are calling their own numbers, hoping to impress any scouts and executives in the stands. And it’s a challenging environment, considering a large portion of your teammates are guys you’ve never played with before.
Still, Walsh spent last year in the G-League and is entering his second season as a pro. You expect to see a level of production and dominance that he simply hasn’t shown. I also found it telling that two of the Celtics’ best defensive possessions of the game came when Walsh was on the bench.
Unlike most of Boston’s Summer League roster, Walsh has multiple years left on his NBA contract.
He came into the NBA as a raw talent with clear upside as a defensive specialist with elite athleticism. Expecting him to have it all figured out after one year is unrealistic. Due to his skillset and approach to the game, there’s also the argument that he would look better when surrounded by actual NBA talents.
Nevertheless, after three games, Walsh has not shown any significant growth in his game and has been overshadowed by other rotation members.
Boston faces the Dallas Mavericks on Friday. Hopefully, we will see Walsh figure things out and put on a show. Nevertheless, based on what we’ve seen so far, and the minutes he got with the Celtics last season, it seems fair to assume he will spend the majority of next season with the Maine Celtics as he continues to get reps and improve his overall game. Right now, he doesn't look like an NBA-ready prospect in terms of being a reliable rotation player on a nightly basis.
4. Scheierman’s tough night
Baylor Scheierman had two strong showings to open Summer League. However, he really struggled against a physical Hornets team. He shot 3-of-10 from the field and 1-of-8 from deep. However, he did make an impact on the glass and flashed some nice passing ability.
Scheierman’s on-ball creation has been impressive during Summer League. He’s shown patience when attacking off the dribble and has displayed an understanding of his scoring gravity on the perimeter. His shot was consistently short on Wednesday, which may indicate some tired legs. After all, he’s stepped up in terms of quality of competition and games are coming quicker than he’s probably used to.
I’ve enjoyed watching Scheierman over the opening three games. I think he has an NBA-ready skillset and could fill a role within the rotation. Still, It would be nice to see Scheierman bounce back from his tough showing with a big performance against Dallas on Friday.
I also wanted to point out the below defensive possession.
A key knock on Scheierman is his lack of elite athleticism. He doesn’t possess the burst that would take his game to another level. As such, he must improve at using angles to his advantage. Al Horford is the king of cutting off lanes and angles on defense, so he Scheierman has the perfect vet to learn from.
The above play would indicate the rookie is likely already learning from the tape. Watch how he navigates the pin-down and anticipates the driving lane, positioning his body to take away the rim and funnel the cutter toward the baseline.
Little tweaks like that will make Scheierman a reliable defender at the next level.
3. A play I want to see the Celtics incorporate
Boston run a ton of flare screens on the perimeter. Seeing a corner shooter cut up and set a screen is nothing new. However, what followed was a fun wrinkle that could make an impact when ran with the main roster.
Killian Tillie and JD Davison flow into a “split action” after the screen is set. Rather than having Davison pop to the wing or slot, with Tillie relocating or rolling, both players cut to a new position on the floor.
Davison “45 cuts” toward the perimeter, utilizing the space after the split cut caused some confusion among the Hornets defense. Tillie cuts toward Cook to threaten a DHO and keep the defense engaged on his movements.
Tillie’s screen has created an empty side action. There’s no shooter in the corner, meaning there’s no defender there to rotate over, either. So, as Tillie cuts toward Cook, and the defense focuses on a potential DHO three, Davison is left to attack the space in front of him.
Cook recognizes the cut, waits for Tillie’s defender to react and hits the sweet bounce pass to get Davison the rock on the move and open up an easy basket.
I would love to see how the primary rotation would cook with this action, especially considering the amount of athleticism and perimeter scoring Joe Mazzulla has at his disposal. This feels like one of those simple sets the Celtics could flow into and get easy bucket after easy bucket. Sometimes, seeing little plays like this is part of the reason I enjoy watching Summer League.
2. Davison doesn’t strike me as an NBA player — yet
It feels like Davison is in that weird spot where he’s too good for the G-League but isn’t ready for NBA competition. He’s stuck in a sort of purgatory. Over the last three games, we’ve seen improvement in his offensive game — the improvements to his deceleration, his body control, knowing when to lean into his athleticism, a nice looking floater and some good processing speed when penetrating.
However, all of those improvements are a work in progress. None of them look like something he’s mastered and can rely on against the best defenders in the world. He’s also tentative when defenses collapse on him and doesn’t create separation via contact.
On defense, Davison struggled when guarding the perimeter. His communication on switches appeared to be lacking, as he often left the big man as they rolled to the rim. He also got beat on switches — which is something he’s struggled with throughout the first three games of Summer League.
My biggest question over Davison, is whether he can take the next jump. As someone who’s entering his third year as a professional, he should be dominating at this level. It feels like he has another jump to make before we’re discussing him as a legitimate end-of-bench role player for an NBA team. That jump will be small improvements across multiple areas, with a primary focus on improving his PnR defense.
In my opinion, Davison needs one more year in the G-League. Hoepfully that should be enough to see him take the next step in his development and earn a spot on a teams’s bench.
1. Watson was the star of the night
Watson has strung two impressive outings together. With Queta sitting out, Watson had a bigger role on both sides of the floor. He thrived as a DHO hub on the perimeter and has shown a tendency to favor initiating hand-offs around the elbows. He also flashed his perimeter scoring ability, and showcased a comfortability when attacking close-outs off the dribble.
Watson’s size will be his biggest test in terms of translating his game to the NBA. He’s stuck in a bit of a ‘tweener’ role, where he is better suited to the 4 but can slide into a small-ball 5 role when required.
Defensively, I thought Watson showcased good movement, positioning and foot speed. I do think he needs to get better at defending angles and may need to pack on some additional strength to deal with opposing bigs. Nevertheless, Watson has become one of my favorite young talents the Celtics have acquired in recent years. Between him and Scheierman, I think Brad Stevens has done an excellent job with the late draft picks at his disposal.
Hopefully, Watson can continue showcasing a translatable skillset when the Celtics face Dallas on Friday.
For some expanded thoughts…
Listen to the Celtics Chronicle podcast! Myself and Tim Sheils shared out opinions on what we’ve seen from multiple members of the Celtics Summer, what we expect heading into the season, and some thoughts on what we could see against Dallas.
With a game tonight, I will catch everyone tomorrow. Again, not sure how I left this in drafts, so my apologies it’s so late.
Like Ramsey & Cook, wish they would have held the 2 ways open. Think Ramsey better on D than JD. Hopefully they add Ramsey and Cook to Maine and can watch them and Watson as candidates for 15th spot? Watson and Cook may be redundant with Tillman. Cook a better athlete and a great motor guy that can attack the rim and posterize people
Walsh seems sped-up every single time he touches the ball. I know he's young, but not something I expected after a full year of G-League and NBA exposure.