Jordan Mickey With a Great Opportunity in Summer League

A lot could be on the line for Jordan Mickey this offseason

After being a non factor in the rotation last year, things could change very quickly for Jordan Mickey on the Boston Celtics this year, and much of it could be predicated on the summer league. The Celtics had an incredibly cluttered and chaotic front court last season and Al Horford alone will go a long ways in settling it. The idea is that Horford’s primary position will be the 5, but who plays the 4 is up in the air right now and the summer league could have an impact on those minutes.

He may need more time to develop, but considering the sorry state of the Celtics’ front court last year, Mickey has an opportunity to carve out a role for himself, with a shot at the starting power forward position.

Mickey has already thoroughly dominated the D  League and had summer league success so there should be caution on basing too much on his performance this summer. That being said, if he can truly separate himself and give Stevens the confidence he needs, particularly on the defensive end, then Mickey could be a crucial front court player for the Celtics next year.

Its’s rare to see as much hype around a second round pick as there was with Mickey, but the way he tormented players in the D League and at LSU with his ability to block shots cannot be ignored. Horford will go a long ways in establishing some much needed interior defense for the Celtics, but if Mickey can begin to approach his potential as a shot blocker, then they can finally have the balance they need on the defensive end to be a part of the truly elite in the NBA.

Even if Mickey absolutely destroys the summer league, that is no guarantee that he gets a shot in the NBA. That being said, there is a lot more pressure to avoid to opposite. With how Mickey has played thus far against inferior competition, he simply cannot regress in any way. Considering he is undersized, it is a difficult transition for Mickey to maintain his shot blocking with the kind of athletes there are in the NBA. Any regression in that area in the summer league will be a huge red flag and could cost Mickey any kind of significant role in the upcoming season. It would be a shame if the shoulder injury hurts Mickey’s progress, but right now it appears to be a minor and precautionary.

The Celtics need stability in their front court and they need two way players. They got their sure thing in Horford but whoever plays along with Horford this season could be as much of a mess as the front court was last season. With both Yabusele and Zizic expected to stay overseas, Mickey has the highest defensive upside.

A big difference make for Mickey could also be his offensive development. If he can give Stevens the trust that he can have an impact on the offensive end and be a trusted finisher, then he could start to see his role take over even Kelly Olynyk. Mickey may never be the three point shooter that Olynyk is, but his potential as a two way player is far greater than Olynyk’s.

Mickey also gives the Celtics much more flexibility than Olynyk. With the potential to be an ideal small ball forward, the tandem of Horford and Mickey could become deadly on both ends this year. Expextations, however, should be tempered. Even if Mickey does take over a significant role this season, he has a lot of work to do in the summer league to get there.

Mickey has an opportunity to be the best player on the Celtics’ summer league roster. He has proven that he can dominate lower level of competitions but he needs to take it to the next level this season. Smart set a decent standard with how he dominated as an all around player in the summer league last year.

Mickey has been a dominant shot blocker at every level. This summer he now has an opportunity to prove that he can be more of a complete player and he can be the kind of two way player that the Celtics struggled to find in their front court last year.

It may be too early to look to Mickey as possibly having a significant role with the Celtics but a weak front court from last season could be completely transformed this season. Horford will be by far the biggest improvement, but their long term outlook could be drastically impacted basked on what Mickey is able to accomplish this offseason.

Mickey did not get an opportunity to prove his worth in the opening summer league game but that will change. The Celtics need to spend more time evaluating the likes of Guerschon Yabusele and Ben Bentil but it will only be a matter of time before Mickey starts getting the experience. Mickey is dealing with a minor shoulder injury and while that limits his own opportunities, it gives the team more freedom to evaluate the younger players on the team.

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Mickey is certainly one of the more NBA ready players on the summer league roster, and it will be absolutely crucial for him to put dominance on display once he is healthy enough to be in the lineup. how well Mickey capitalizes could then be a huge factor in his role with the Celtics this coming season.