The Celtics took down the New York Knicks 94-81 on Sunday to improve to 2-0 at the NBA’s Las Vegas Summer League.
Here are four takeaways from the win, which featured strong showings from a recent Boston draftee and an emerging big man:
1. Hugo Gonzalez sits
It’s been a hectic couple of weeks for the Celtics’ first-round pick.
Gonzalez was drafted hours after finishing his Spanish league season with Real Madrid, then went straight into Summer League practice with his new NBA club. The 19-year-old showed off his renowned motor in Boston’s Vegas opener against Memphis (12 points, five assists, four rebounds, two blocks, one steal in 28 minutes), but he was understandably “gassed” by the end of the game, according to Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens.
The Celtics gave Gonzalez a breather on Sunday, sitting him for the matchup with New York. He watched from the bench in street clothes.
“We’ll do some of that with him,” Stevens told reporters on Saturday. “Because generally with a 19-year-old, you just throw him to the wolves and let it fly, but coming from Madrid and just finishing (his season) is quite a lot to ask.”
Expect to see Boston’s youngest player back in action Monday night against Miami, but the Celtics will continue to manage Gonzalez’s workload to avoid overburdening him.
Miles Norris, who signed a two-way contract with the Celtics late last season, also sat out against the Knicks. Boston started Baylor Scheierman, Jordan Walsh, second-round draft picks Max Shulga and Amari Williams, and Jalen Bridges, who appeared in eight games for Phoenix as an undrafted rookie last season. Bridges had 15 points, five rebounds, two steals and two blocks in 23 minutes.
2. Baylor Scheierman bounces back
The Celtics’ first Summer League outing was one to forget for Scheierman, who went an ugly 2-for-14 from the field and 1-for-5 from three.
Boston’s 2024 first-round pick didn’t shoot the ball especially well Sunday night, either (6-for-15; 1-for-7), but he delivered an impressive all-around performance, finishing with 13 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, three steals and two turnovers in 27 minutes.
Scheierman’s passing was on point – especially on his two long-range lobs to Walsh and a no-look feed to Bridges that led to a corner three – and he added to his growing reel of circus shots by sinking a high-arcing, off-the-glass hook shot with his weak right hand as Boston put the game away in the fourth quarter. He was a team-best plus-23.
After struggling last summer, Scheierman improved significantly over the course of his rookie year and is one of several Celtics reserves eyeing larger roles in head coach Joe Mazzulla’s revamped rotation.
“He played really well at the end of (last) regular season,” Stevens said in an interview on ESPN’s game broadcast. “The biggest challenge then as you now stack another Summer League on top of this is, don’t try to do too much. Don’t try to be somebody that you’re not, and just do what you would do within the confines of our team when we all get back together in September.”
3. Charles Bassey impresses again
It’s early, and the quality of competition has not been high, but Bassey looks like someone who could compete for a role in Boston’s talent-starved frontcourt.
Two days after notching 14 points and 11 rebounds in 18 minutes against the Grizzlies, the 24-year-old turned in another double-double against the Knicks, racking up 22 points and 13 boards in 22 minutes of floor time. He grabbed four offensive rebounds, blocked three shots, grabbed two steals, shot 8-for-12 from the field and made all six of his free throws.
Bassey is more experienced than your typical Summer Leaguer, having made 113 NBA appearances over his four seasons with Philadelphia and San Antonio, and it’s never smart to put too much stock in stats from this tournament.
That said, the 6-foot-10 center – who joined the team days before Summer League tipped off – has looked like a legitimate NBA player in his first two games as a Celtic, with the C’s outscoring opponents by 35 points with him on the floor. And with Neemias Queta, Xavier Tillman, Luka Garza and Williams (two points, three rebounds, two assists on Sunday) as the only options on Boston’s current depth chart, Bassey is making a strong case for a training camp invite, at the very least.
4. Foul trouble for Jordan Walsh
Whistle. Whistle. Whistle. Whistle. Whistle. That’s how one first-half shift sounded for the longest-tenured Celtic on this summer squad.
During one 4:03 stretch between the first and second quarters, Walsh was called for five fouls, including three in 18 seconds. He committed two more after halftime to finish with seven in 25 minutes.
Fortunately for the third-year pro, players are allowed 10 fouls in Summer League games rather than the usual six, so Walsh’s slew of violations didn’t limit his playing time. And he drew nearly as many, resulting in nearly twice as many trips to the foul line (11) as any of his Celtics teammates. Eight of Walsh’s 13 points came on free throws.
The rest of his stat line was not especially impressive: 2-for-10, 1-for-6 from three, four rebounds, two assists, one steal, two turnovers. It was a step back after he scored 17 on 6-of-12 shooting on Friday.
This is a crucial offseason for Walsh, who was unable to earn regular playing time in either of his first two NBA campaigns.
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