#1 Clank City
The opening five minutes of the Summer League Celtics’ game were a tough watch. We had five missed shots, seven turnovers and two foul calls, all before a bucket was scored in open play. Sure, there was a successful trip to the line, but overall, things got off to a shaky start.
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That’s Summer League basketball, though. We’re not coming into these games expecting everyone to be perfect. We know things are going to be gritty and sometimes clumsy. As long as everyone is giving their full effort, you can overlook the mistakes, especially if you see players learning from them on the fly.
Unfortunately, the Celtics’ shooting woes didn’t get much better throughout the first half. They went into the locker room at halftime having shot 15.6% from the field (7-of-45) and 12.5% from deep (2-of-16). Those aren’t typos.
Whatever Amile Jefferson and his coaching staff said at halftime clearly had a positive impact. In the third quarter, Boston shot 47.4% from the field and 40% from deep. When looking at the second half as a whole, it’s clear the Celtics upped their game, 47.1% from the field, 41.2% from deep.
Much better.
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The question now is whether the Summer League Celts can avoid another slow shooting start when they face the Hornets on Sunday.
#2 Pros and cons of the new free-throw rule
If you’ve been watching Summer League games outside the Celtics, you’ve already seen this rule in place. If not, then it probably came as a slight surprise. The NBA recently announced that it would be adopting the “one free-throw” rule for this year’s Summer League contests in Salt Lake City, Northern California and Las Vegas.
The rule changes mean that if a player is sent to the line, they will take one free throw for the full value of the points. i.e., if a player gets fouled while shooting a three, they will take one shot at the line worth three points.
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The aim is to speed up the game. Fouls in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter and in overtime will result in the normal free-throw system.
I have mixed feelings about this rule. On the plus side, games move more quickly. We’re not being held up by lengthy shooting routines at the line (yes, I’m looking at you, Giannis), either. From a consumer standpoint, there’s a clear upside.
However, player evaluation, from a fan’s perspective, becomes a little more complicated. If you’re watching a rookie play in Summer League, and they’re struggling to get their shots to fall, you can always look at their free-throw success as a potential (small sample size) indicator of shooting skill. When you essentially half the number of free throws in a game, that data becomes significantly less reliable.
There’s also the fairness of it all. If you’re fouled when shooting a three-pointer, you have three chances to put points on the board. Even if you go 2-of-3 from the line, you’ve added to the score. Under this new rule, it’s sink or swim on the one attempt.
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The G League has run with this rule for a couple of seasons now. I do wonder whether it eventually makes its way into the NBA.
#3 Chris Cenac Jr. had himself a night
Chris Cenac Jr. had a quietly impressive game. He let the action come to him, rarely forced anything and came up big when it mattered. He ended the night with 14 points, 10 rebounds and 5 stocks, going 2-of-4 from deep in the process.
Throughout the game, we saw Cenac flash different aspects of his game, be it his bounce, like when he missed the putback dunk after crashing into Dillon Mitchell, his perimeter scoring or even his ability to put the ball on the floor and finish off the bounce.
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I was surprised that Cenac wasn’t part of the starting lineup, with Mitchell (Boston’s 2026 second-round draft pick) starting ahead of him. However, it clearly didn’t mean much, as he ended the night as one of the Celtics’ most impactful players.
Still, I’m not allowing myself to get too carried away by his performance on Friday; this is still Summer League after all. However, with his ability to play at both the four and five, guard multiple positions, provide switchability on defense, and knock down open treys, I wouldn’t be surprised if he worked his way into Joe Mazzulla’s rotation at some point this season.
Solid Summer League debut from the Houston product. I love that he played within the flow of the game, rather than trying to force things in hopes of impressing.
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#4 Dillon Mitchell is full of energy
The box score won’t remember Mitchell fondly for this game, but when has that ever stopped us from falling in love with an energy guy?
Mitchell gave everything when on the floor. He was the first to leak out once his teammates secured rebounds, and if some of the pitch-ahead passes had been a little better timed, he could have ended the game with double-digit scoring numbers. Mitchell also had 4 stocks in the game, hustling on both sides of the floor.
Another thing I really liked about Mitchell was his explosiveness. He had a great putback dunk late in the second quarter after running the floor and sticking with the action.
Of course, it should come as no surprise that we didn’t see Mitchell attempt anything from deep. After all, he enters the NBA having shot just 19.3% from the perimeter in college. I’ll be interested to see whether he gets given a remit to start working on his outside game during the remaining Summer League games, or whether that’s something he’ll be developing with the Maine Celtics’ staff (if at all).
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#5 Amari Williams, take a bow
I loved what Amari Williams brought to the table in this game. In regard to how Mazzulla likes to use non-shooting bigs, Williams perfectly fits the bill. He’s patient when in possession, is a capable and willing screener and can score in a couple of different ways. On defense, he’s got the size and frame to be a deterrent, while also having enough hip mobility to step outside of the paint and contain ball-handlers.
We saw a wide range of what Williams brings to the table against Toronto. However, it was his work in delay actions that really stood out.
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Williams never rushes into an action. His poise allows things to unfold around him before he begins making his move.
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Check out the above play.
Rather than trying to feed Hank Morgan on his cut, Williams keeps control of the rock, waits to see how the defense shakes out and then opts to initiate a dribble hand-off with Alondes Williams. The play doesn’t amount to anything, but for those of you who have been reading my work for a while, you’ll know i’m all about the process.
It would have been easy for Williams to fire off a pass to Morgan once he cut off his screen. Instead, Williams read the floor and got the ball to a curling forward who could pressure the defense while getting downhill. What did Williams do after the hand-off? He positioned himself in the dunker spot to either contend for an offensive board or offer an outlet if the defense locked in.
In fairness, Williams probably should have hit Mitchell on his cut, but that’s whatever at this point.
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Some solid play from Williams, who faces an uphill battle to earn playing time next season.
#6 Where I go, Hugo
Whenever you tune into some Summer League hoops, it’s usually clear which players have enjoyed a year or two of professional hoops and the development that comes with it. On Friday, those players were Hugo Gonzalez and Williams for Boston.
Hugo is going to be Boston’s focal point throughout this Summer League run, or at least until the Celtics decide they’ve seen enough and shut him down. In an expanded role, the sophomore forward flirted with a triple-double, ending the night with 17 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists.
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However, the Celtics will want to see better shooting nights from Hugo in the coming days. He went 3-of-16 from the field and 1-of-9 from deep. Did that gnarly bruise on his arm play a part in such rough shooting splits? Maybe. Maybe not.
Still, despite his struggles from the field, Hugo showcased some playmaking ability, generating scoring opportunities for himself and others while running the PnR.
We already know what Hugo is capable of on the defensive end. However, seeing what he can do in an expanded offensive role is going to be incredibly fun over the next week. His timing will surely improve, as will the quality of his passing. Still, on first glance, there’s every reason to believe that over the next few years, Hugo will emerge as a solid, if not vital, member of Boston’s rotation.
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#7 A 2-Man Game
Did anyone else peep the two-man game between Hugo and Williams? They had multiple possessions where they connected on some pretty good actions. It makes sense that Boston leans into plays with its two best Summer League players, especially when they’re finding so much success in those situations.
I especially liked seeing the duo connect on PnR actions, especially when it led to a scoring opportunity. It’s hard to get excited about two young guys on a roster we’re hoping will be ready to contend for a championship in 12 months’ time. Nevertheless, I couldn’t help but wonder whether we’ll see Hugo and Williams emerge as a fun-to-watch duo for years to come, either off the bench or as part of the Celtics’ starting unit down the line.
For now, though, I’ll be doing my best to keep track of how often the Celtics lean into the Hugo/Williams two-man game over the remainder of Summer League, while cheering for every possession where those plays work out well.
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#8 Amile Jefferson had Tatum in support
Jayson Tatum made an appearance at Boston’s opening Summer League game, along with Derrick White. During the game, Tatum was mic’d up, as he spoke about Jefferson stepping into the head coaching gig for the Summer League C’s.
“I think this is where I’m supposed to say I’m very proud of Amile for being a head coach,” Tatum said. “But it’s his first time coaching. I had to come support my brother. Part of coaching, you’ve got to look the part. This is like the first step in becoming a head coach.”
Jefferson got his Summer League coaching career off to a great start. Not only did the Celtics win, but they turned things around after a brutal first half and stayed composed during overtime. He’s certainly got a platform to build on heading into Sunday’s matchup.
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#9 Milos Uzan might have something
Uzan signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Celtics earlier this summer. Therefore, he’ll be with the team throughout Summer League and into training camp. I hadn’t seen Uzan play before yesterday, so I didn’t know what to expect coming in.
Like most of his teammates, Uzan struggled shooting the rock. However, his speed, changes of pace and ability to change direction on a dime were all impressive. He also found ways to get his teammates involved, ending the night with five dimes. Defensively, it felt like Uzan got lost a couple of times, but nothing that I would deem egregious.
It’s hard to judge a player based on one game. Especially when that game comes in the Summer League, which is often a false dawn. I came away looking forward to seeing more of Uzan over the next week, and wondering whether he could earn a two-way spot with the Celtics. Having another speedy guard who can score and create off the bounce wouldn’t be a bad thing for Boston’s depth throughout the regular season.
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#10 Locking down the perimeter
We’ve got to credit the Celtics for the work they did in locking down the three-point line. The Raptors shot just 19.6% on non-corner threes in this game, going 7-of-36. Some of that will be the fact that guys were forcing their looks, but a lot more will be the way the Celtics locked down the perimeter and forced Toronto into difficult shots under legitimate resistance.
Outside of long middies, the Celtics held Toronto to below-average scoring from every major shot location. For a group that is looking to impress both the coaching staff and onlooking scouts, putting in the work on the defensive end is the perfect pathway to both team and individual success.
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Boston’s identity continues to be as a gritty defensive unit. Ensuring that translates to Summer League is a testament to the coaching staff and the players on the floor.
Tougher tests will await them during their stay in Vegas, but starting off with this type of rearguard performance gives this young Celtics roster a solid platform to build on.
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