The Celtics young back court has a chance to shine in Summer League
The Boston Celtics are undoubtedly in a lucrative position moving forward if their Summer League-opening 102-94 victory over number one overall draft pick Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers.
Tipping off the upcoming season for the first time in Salt Lake City, the Celtics received positive performances from a plethora of budding options, displaying the team’s impeccable depth heading into 2016-17.
Point guard Terry Rozier, entering his second season after being drafted in the first round out of Louisville in 2015, picked up right where he left off on Monday night, building on an impressive emergence at the conclusion of 2015-16. Rozier posted a team-leading 18 points against the 76ers, showcasing a variety of penetration moves in addition to three-point shooting prowess.
The 6’1″, 190-pounder exemplified a willingness to assume a leadership role in the fourth quarter, posting a third of his points in the final frame. His passing skills were also on full display as he racked up five assists, and his effort on the boards was measurable as he recorded six rebounds.
Terry Rozier closes out the @Celtics win with a BANG! #NBASummer https://t.co/PAVq9RAsb0
— NBA (@NBA) July 5, 2016
Rozier’s fellow 2015 first-round selection, R.J. Hunter, also showed off his offensive potential over the course of the night. He canned three of his six three-point attempts to underline his lethal shooting stroke, piling up 17 points including six in the final frame to match his floor general’s output.
Even James Young, the embattled 2014 first-round selection out of Kentucky, contributed in the victory. The 6’6″ shooting guard hit two three-pointers in the opening three minutes of the contest, displaying to the Celtics brass that he still stakes the claim to the dangerous stroke that motivated the team to spend a number 17 overall selection on him.
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The enticing part of the situation for the Boston faithful? None of these three will be guaranteed any playing time in the rotation of head coach Brad Stevens this upcoming season, with at least one likely to spend some time in the D-League. With All-Star Isaiah Thomas and defensive stalwart Marcus Smart holding down the point guard position, Rozier is unlikely to see plentiful minutes barring an unforeseen injury.
While Evan Turner‘s departure to the Portland Trail Blazers opens up space at the shooting guard position behind NBA First-Team All-Defense member Avery Bradley, Hunter and Young will need to compete for the reserve role as third overall pick Jaylen Brown and Jae Crowder seek to dominate the minutes at the small forward slot.
Next: Summer League Recap: Jaylen Brown Shines in Debut
Regardless of which players break out as Summer League continues, one thing is for certain: the Celtics possess backcourt depth unparalleled by any other Eastern Conference squad.