The Boston Celtics wrapped up their dose of Summer season League motion on Sunday evening with a comfort sport towards the Philadelphia 76ers. Regardless of a hard-fought battle, the Celtics dropped the competition 103-98, with David Jones pouring in 23 factors to cleared the path for Philadelphia.
On the inexperienced aspect, Jordan Walsh led the way in which in scoring, dropping 18 factors and eventually discovering his three-point shot. Jaelen Home and Tyler Cook dinner made for a nifty bench combo, scoring 17 and 16 factors, respectively.
1. Jordan Walsh escapes his personal head
After 4 straight video games of woes, Walsh lastly broke via on Sunday. He nailed his first two triples of the sport and ended the night capturing a clear 4-of-8 from past the arc. His remaining statline was 18 factors, seven rebounds, two assists, and two blocks. He shot 7-of-14 from the ground.
There have been nonetheless a couple of moments all through the sport the place Walsh confirmed off his youth, however this was by far his greatest Summer season League displaying.
“I really feel like I performed fairly unhealthy,” Walsh mentioned of Summer season League. “However we got here out, gained a pair video games, had some enjoyable, obtained to satisfy new guys, obtained to play as a group, I really feel like I obtained higher because it went on. However I positively anticipated extra from myself, for positive.”
Walsh’s struggles had been positively eyebrow-raising, however they had been by no means a full reflection of who he’s as a participant. With youth comes psychological errors, and Walsh was clearly in his personal head about his three-point shot. As quickly as he noticed one go down, he loosened up and obtained again to regular.
“We speak so much about not letting issues snowball, not letting issues boil up and boil over,” mentioned coach DJ MacLeay. “Immediately, he put a cease to that.”
2. Anton Watson is an NBA participant
If the Celtics’ loss to the Dallas Mavericks solidified Anton Watson’s case as a reliable NBA participant, then this sport ought to have made it a actuality. It’s not possible that Boston will shell out the cash to signal him to a second-round exception contract with the fifteenth roster spot proper now, however Watson deserves it.
“I believe we’re going to determine that out someday this week,” Watson mentioned of potential contract talks. “These conversations are positively coming.”
At each flip, Watson is in the best spot, making the best play, and doing all the little issues. On this sport, he completed with 15 factors, 4 rebounds, and three assists whereas capturing 6-of-12 from the ground and 2-of-5 from distance.
Defensively, Watson ought to be capable to defend a number of positions, and if he stays assured on offense, he might play actual minutes up in Boston as quickly as this season.
3. Baylor Scheierman will get clowned
ESPN’s Channing Frye couldn’t cease laughing at Baylor Scheierman on the printed. It was a troublesome evening for the rookie, as he simply couldn’t discover his shot for a lot of the sport. And shot after shot, turnover after turnover, and mistake after mistake, Frye was letting the jokes rip.
That mentioned, Scheierman persevered. Regardless of his poor capturing evening, he remained assured and nailed two huge threes within the fourth quarter.
Scheierman completed the sport with 13 factors, seven rebounds, 4 assists, and one steal. He shot 4-of-13 from the ground and 2-of-7 from past the three-point line. The rook additionally dedicated 4 turnovers and picked up three fouls.
This was in all probability Scheierman’s worst sport of Summer season League, however his confidence by no means wavered, and his playmaking flashes nonetheless shined via. Each of these issues bode effectively for him transferring ahead.
4. Tyler Cook dinner sort of cooks
This was a sneaky-good sport for Tyler Cook dinner—if a sport the place you end third on the group in scoring qualifies as “sneaky.”
Cook dinner didn’t do something notably flashy. He simply stayed in the best spots and capitalized on his buckets. The massive man additionally obtained to the road eight instances, sinking six of his free throws.
Cook dinner looks like the kind of participant who can be a super alternative for an end-of-the-bench huge man—if he had been two inches taller. As Frye identified on the printed, Cook dinner performs the position of a conventional huge man effectively. However he’s solely 6-foot-8. If he was even 6-foot-10, he might fill the position of a Drew Eubanks or Jock Landale-type man simply. However he’s not.
That mentioned, having Cook dinner in Maine subsequent 12 months wouldn’t be a foul concept.
5. Jaelen Home items and bads
The previous two video games have cemented the truth that Jaelen Home deserves to a minimum of have a spot in Maine if he doesn’t get signed elsewhere. He’s a tenacious defender, is extraordinarily fast with the ball in his arms, and has proven indicators of promise working an offense.
Concurrently, he fouls so much. He picked up 9 on this sport—one away from fouling out. Home’s measurement additionally comes again to chew him at instances, which he can’t assist. He additionally tends to attempt to drive the difficulty a bit an excessive amount of, whether or not it’s making an attempt to squeeze a move into a good window or go for a steal that results in a foul.
As talked about, nonetheless, he’s performed effectively sufficient to the purpose the place the Celtics ought to need to maintain him of their orbit if they’ll.
6. The remainder
The Celtics solely trotted out eight gamers on this sport, so there are fewer notes than ordinary. Killian Tillie obtained the beginning and was stable, however his seven fouls had been lower than preferrred. Ron Harper Jr. was in avenue garments for this one, as was JD Davison.
Tristan Enaruna was the primary participant Boston signed to a coaching camp deal, however he simply doesn’t look like a fantastic match. With no dependable outdoors shot, all he appears to supply is stable hustle and the occasional duck-in dunk. He was fairly invisible all through Summer season League.
Drew Peterson wrapped up a comparatively underwhelming Summer season League with a six-point, three-rebound, three-assist efficiency. He didn’t play towards the Mvas however was thrown again into the motion with a begin on this one. If anybody’s two-way is in jeopardy, it’s his.
Lastly, Jaden Springer, Neemias Queta, and Jahmi’us Ramsey had been nowhere to be discovered. They weren’t on the bench. For Queta and Springer, that in all probability simply signifies that they went again to Boston. However the place is Ramsey? With how effectively he performed, one must assume he obtained signed to some kind of deal someplace.
