The Boston Celtics just wrapped up their Las Vegas Summer League stint, earning a 4-1 record under head coach Matt Reynolds. Already-rostered players played a bulk of the minutes: Baylor Scheierman, Jordan Walsh, Hugo Gonzalez, Amari Williams, and Max Shulga. But by the end of the five-game mini-season, some of the end-of-the-bench players were getting on the court.
As of now, the Celtics’ roster is full. They have 15 guys on the team and three two-way players (once Williams and Shulga officially sign). But they could add guys for training camp and give them a chance to make the roster.
The question is, which Summer League players made the biggest impact? Who should earn that chance?
Honorable mentions: Though he showed out in the Celtics’ final Summer League game, Isaiah Wong doesn’t seem like a great fit with the rest of the roster. They don’t necessarily need a sparkplug, high-scoring guard. Hayden Gray signed with Maine, so he will be interesting to watch, and hopefully, they can add Zach Hicks’ three-point shooting, too.
1. Kendall Brown
Perhaps the most intriguing name for the Celtics to keep tabs on, Kendall Brown proved very worthy of a training camp invite, if the Celtics can find the room.
Brown is 22 years old and showed off a wide array of skills during Summer League, despite earning limited minutes. The peak of his play came against the Atlanta Hawks, where he had 10 points on 5-of-8 shooting.
His knack for cutting off the ball might be his best skill, though he was also able to knock down some threes throughout his time in Vegas.
If he can parlay his athleticism into solid defensive play, he could be a fun project for the Celtics to latch onto.
2. Jalen Bridges
When Jay King of The Athletic first reported that Jalen Bridges would be joining the Celtics for Summer League, he noted that he could be a front-runner to earn a training-camp spot.
During Summer League, Bridges proved to be a very willing three-point shooter, going 4-of-10 in the team’s Vegas finale. Obviously, that’s a very useful skill to possess.
Like Brown, Bridges wasn’t an incredible defender in Vegas, but he has the build to be solid on that side of the ball, which is something Maine could work on with him.
As an off-ball threat, Bridges could be a very interesting player for the Celtics to keep around.
3. Ben Gregg
Of all the guys on the Celtics’ roster, Ben Gregg may have seemed the least likely to earn an opportunity heading into Summer League. With Charles Bassey and Amari Williams taking up most of the minutes, Gregg barely played.
But when Gregg did get minutes in the Celtics’ Summer League finale, he shined. Against the Hawks, he put up 13 points, eight rebounds, and two assists on 5-of-8 shooting from the field and 3-of-5 shooting from deep.
Gregg’s three-point form is a bit funky, but it works. And his willingness to fight tirelessly for rebounds stood out clear as day during his time on the court.
With James Banks III and Hason Ward departing Maine, they need big-man depth. Gregg could fill that role perfectly.
BONUS: Kenneth Lofton Jr.
This is a bit of a weird one. At the start of Summer League, Lofton looked rough. He wasn’t passing the ball well and continuously drove into space. But by his final game (against the Los Angeles Lakers), he was great.
If he was okay with accepting a two-way spot, it could be worth it for the Celtics, but based on how well he played in China last year (winning MVP), he may rather just go overseas.