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Boston Celtics: summer league all about the bigs

By Joshua Bateman

BOSTON, MA - MAY 13: Semi Ojeleye #37 of the Boston Celtics shoots the ball against the Cleveland Cavaliers during Game One of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2018 NBA Playoffs on May 13, 2018 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - MAY 13: Semi Ojeleye #37 of the Boston Celtics shoots the ball against the Cleveland Cavaliers during Game One of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2018 NBA Playoffs on May 13, 2018 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The summer league will be a great opportunity for the Boston Celtics to evaluate some of their bigs

The Boston Celtics will be going into summer league with a a top squad, even if Jayson Tatum will not be participating. They have a lot of unfamiliar options, with plenty of wings and ball handlers that will try and separate themselves.

The real identity of this summer league team, however, is the bigs. The Celtics will be sending both Guerschon Yabusele and Semi Ojeleye, who have solid experience in the NBA, as well as Robert Williams, who is expected to have a solid role in his rookie season.

The summer league team is going to be run according to those bigs, and they should give the Celtics one of the most dangerous squads in the summer league.

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Keep in mind, Ojeleye was a prominent player in a playoff series win on a team that made game seven of the conference finals. Ojeleye was a truly standout defender, and took on one of the toughest assignments in the NBA in Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Ojeleye should be able to go into summer league and truly lock down anyone and everyone. The caliber of player in summer league should not be even close to good enough to do damage with Ojeleye on them, and he will anchor everything they want to do on defense.

Ojeleye will be asked to defend all five positions on the court and it should be a lot of fun watching him lock down any player the opponent wants to use to get by him.

With Yabusele, you get someone who has NBA experience as well, and knows that he has something to prove. Ojeleye jumped over Yabusele last year, and this could be one of his last opportunities to secure a role on the team.

Add in Williams and the Celtics will be able to figure out a lot about their bigs in summer league. There is a tremendous amount of competition with the second unit bigs, and there may not be enough time to properly evaluate everything.

With these bigs in the summer league, the Celtics will be able to get some extra evaluation, and go into the regular season with a stronger basis than they have right now. All these bigs know that they have an opportunity to have a large role off the bench, because no one has really distinguished themselves yet.

A lot of these guys will have to go out and prove they can be a difference maker, otherwise they will disappear behind the depth.

Next: Importance of passing bigs

If any of these three bigs struggle at all in the summer league, it could be detrimental to their role this season. Brad Stevens will only have so much time to figure things out when they are playing important games, and summer league could be the best opportunity for the Celtics to figure out what they can get from those three bigs, who all have their sights set on a solid role next season.

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