Positive Summer League for the Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics can leave summer league feeling good about their draft

For young prospects and the teams that own them, the NBA Summer League is an important thing. It’s an opportunity for the players that were drafted to showcase themselves and their abilities, and for coaches to get a real look at the players they drafted or acquired in other means.

And what coach Brad Stevens has seen during this year’s Summer League games must be encouraging. Plenty of the Boston Celtics players have grabbed the spotlight whilst performing on this podium after putting up some terrific performances.

One of these headline grabbers has been number three pick Jayson Tatum. Many people criticized Danny Ainge when he made the decision to trade down to three, but it appears that Boston have picked up someone who could be the real deal.

Plenty of discussion was made around Tatum’s scoring abilities, and he has flexed his metaphorical muscles in the Summer League this year. In Utah he was putting up 18.7 points a game, and in Vegas he averaged 17.7 points whilst shooting 46.8 percent and 42.2 percent from the field. He’s also established himself as a good rebounder, claiming 9.7 and 8.0 rebounds a night.

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Another good performer has been European Ante Zizic. Zizic is a big man who impressed whilst playing in the Euroleague, and has brought his good form to Boston. He has displayed some real strengths during this summer, showing that he can rebound well (averaging 6.0 and 8.5 rebounds per game) as well as bully his way into the paint.

A more senior member of this Summer squad is Jaylen Brown, a guy who has had some great games in the summer league, like the first match against Philadelphia. Brown has of course proven his worth to the Celtics team, having a great regular season and a good set of play-off performances.

He also has a blossoming friendship with Tatum which has formed the former ‘7/11’ partnership, and good chemistry between players is a positive for any sports team.

Ex SMU forward Semi Ojeleye has also been talked about a lot, and for the right reasons. Semi is a versatile player, who possesses incredible athleticism that he incorporates into his game.

He uses his strength to attack the rim, but he has really been earning plaudits for his defensive play. He seems to be able to lock down most positions, and this defensive skill coupled with his good three point shooting means that he could be a very useful 3 and D player for this team. Ojeleye may be the steal of the draft as he came in on the 37th pick.

All these players I have wrote about all contribute in different ways, but there is a common characteristic amongst all four; they can all play a role in this team right now, as well as in the future.

Tatum has the ready made scoring abilities that may see him come off the bench and do a good job or potentially may even earn some starting minutes. Ojeleye’s versatility could help Stevens find depth in the team. Ojeleye is a utilitarian type of player who can shoot threes and guard well on defense. A valuable type of man in this sport.

European Zizic can also be a terrific player off the bench throughout this season. Him, Al Horford, and Aron Baynes alternating at the big position means they have plenty of cover at centre, and Brown has already shown us that he can play on the Boston Celtics team.

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The Celtics had a great draft, and the Summer League has looked positive too. With the current contingent of great players, and the younger personnel coming in, the Celtics really are in a fantastic position. Not only to compete in the present day, but also to transition themselves into one of the best teams of tomorrow, too.

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