Summer League Recap: Terry Rozier Leads Celtics to 2nd Win

The Boston Celtics improve to 2-0 after their 89-82 win over the host Utah Jazz

After an impressive debut, the third overall pick Jaylen Brown was out for Tuesday’s game due to a hyperextended knee. The Boston Celtics are lucky it wasn’t more serious as Brown is expected to return Thursday against the San Antonio Spurs.

The Celtics ended up not needing him as they won a tough-fought game against the host team Utah Jazz. After trailing 50-47 at halftime, the Celtics took over in the second half and ended up improving to 2-0 with their 89-82 win. The Jazz fall to 0-2 despite being the home team.

There weren’t many outstanding performances for the Celtics in their second game, however a couple of players did stand out. Terry Rozier put together his second straight impressive outing, posting 16 points, a game-high four assists and six rebounds on the night.

He once again took control of the offense for 29 minutes, and provided solid play on both ends. After a three turnover game in their win over the Philadelphia 76ers, Rozier only committed two in their most recent win, although he failed to record a steal, again. His defense has been solid, though, despite not forcing many turnovers.

Although, Rozier’s offense has stolen the show. He only shot 4-of-11 from the field but his ability to get to the basket and draw fouls was very impressive. He ended up shooting 8-of-9 from the line, and utilized a spin move many times to get by his defender. Through the first two games, Rozier looks like a man among boys. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Celtics decided to send him home from Las Vegas and give more of an opportunity to Demetrius Jackson.

Jackson hasn’t gotten much of a chance to play through the first two games, but he did play for the majority of the second half. We haven’t seen him attack the basket like he did at Notre Dame, however his defense has been impressive over the first two games. He ended with two steals against the Jazz.

The only other player besides Rozier to stand out was, surprisingly, James Young. While he struggled on defense and didn’t show much when needing to create shots for himself, he flashed his shooting ability in catch-and-shoot scenarios.

He finished with a team-high 17 points on 4-of-5 shooting from three. These are the type of games that will save his job with the Celtics. They need to see some type of potential and development out of him in July, and thus far his catch-and-shoot ability could land him a spot on their 15-man roster.

Rookie Guerschon Yabusele played better in his second game. He looked a lot more comfortable and had a better presence in the paint, although his shot struggled. Yabusele came up short on a lot of shots, but finished shooting 5-of-12 from the field. Not to mention the impressive eight rebounds he pulled down.

You can tell he’s still raw on both ends, however he’s very athletic for his size and is definitely, “a big dancing bear” out there.

With Jaylen Brown out, Malcolm Miller got the start after his impressive first game. He started out hot but ended up sizzling out. He still scored eight points, however he only shot 1-of-5 from three and 2-of-6 from the field. His defense was shaky, as well, committing six fouls on the night.

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The biggest surprise of the night was arguably the quiet, impressive night Abdel Nader put together. He didn’t put up huge numbers, or shoot well, but he hustled for every loose ball. When you’re fighting for a roster spot, that’s what teams are looking for. It’s a good look for Nader as he continues to develop his game.

For the Jazz, Trey Lyles once again proved he might not need to be in Summer League. He dominated the undersized Celtics, and would have been a great matchup for Brown. Lyles ended up with 26 points and 11 rebounds, both game-highs. While his jump shot was shaky at times, Boston had no answer for the second-year power forward as he bullied them in the paint.

Besides Lyles, Dionte Christmas was the only other player on the Jazz to finish with double-digit points (14).

Jaylen Brown is expected back on Thursday against a very good Spurs team. It’ll be a great challenge for him and Terry Rozier. Also, another big game from Young could go a long way when determining his future with the team.

As far as the rookies, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Jackson getting more minutes. It’s obvious Rozier is ready for a significant role off the bench and the Celtics have yet to see the best from Jackson. Also, Yabusele will continue to be an option in the paint as a slasher or post-up option, but does need to improve his much anticipated shot.

After two mediocre games, all eyes should be on Ben Bentil. He hasn’t been terrible, however his mid-range game has struggled and he’s looking for the three ball too often. He’s quietly put together two solid games, but he needs to stand out. Other than an impressive dunk he had in the first half, he has yet to stand out much in his first two games.

Ben Bentil throw down from court side pic.twitter.com/rDhXCRNHiK
— Brian Robb (@BrianTRobb) July 5, 2016

Next: Celtics Should Look Into Trade for Nikola Vucevic

The Celtics are seeing positive signs from their young players. They’ll have their biggest challenge on Thursday, at 7ET, against the Spurs as they try to finish off a perfect 3-0 trip in Utah before heading to Las Vegas.