The Summer League is a college ball sicko’s haven: players who are fighting to get into the league from every college imaginable. I had previously been unenthused by the concept and deemed it “bad hoops” when in reality it’s as pure as it gets. This is essentially a tryout for the NBA for some of these guys. It’s been great watching Celtics shine, who I will be noting today as I recap the performances of some of the more notable players on the squad.
The Cs best Summer League player is clearly Hugo Gonzalez, who I feel gets praise every week on this page. This is the perfect time for him to shine and hone his skills as a ball handler but then return back to his off-ball role on the main roster. Hugo has unfairly been under the lens because of Brad Stevens’ rumored reluctance to include him in a Giannis package, so fans are criticizing his play even harder than justified.
Starting with a W against the 6
Williams is such a perplexing case for me; he played well in the spot minutes last season (and saved the game against Brooklyn in 2OT) but is one of the most unathletic bigs I’ve ever watched. His lateral quickness is lacking to say the least. He’s also not a stretch big, which may or may not be a downside like I mentioned last week. Amari had a solid stat line of 23/13/2 with 2 blocks against Toronto.
Summer League Kings Dethroned: Win Against Hornets
Cenac Jr’s college teammate, Milos Uzan, came off the bench against Charlotte for a nice 13/4/6 stat line. If you watched any of the game, you would be aware of his great ability to facilitate but also his comfort with the ball in his hands. I was shocked he went undrafted and he feels like a steal for the C’s. I hope he can stick around in Maine for a few years and maybe make the main roster in the future.
Last player to note from the Charlotte win was John Tonje. The former Wisconsin Badger was essentially the last man on the bench for Boston last season and was acquired in the Chris Boucher trade. He’s been pretty fun to watch in Vegas in the starting lineup. I value plus/minus highly as a stat and Tonje seems to always have one of the better ones in these games, illustrating his top-notch defense. He has a great first step with the ball with a quick take off. He was the leading scorer going into Game 3 for the Cs.
Tough L to Rising Hawks
Jalen Johnson’s brother Kobe Johnson had a pretty 30-bomb off the bench as the Celtics failed to make anything happen offensively. Mitchell once again shot efficiently while Cenac Jr. continues to grow as a rim defender.
W over the Kings
The Celtics play defeated the Kings Wednesday night led by another dominant performance by Gonzalez alongside solid games from the rookies. The Kings somehow only had 4 points in the fourth quarter, highlighting the defensive versatility and overall chemistry from the young squad. Alex Karaban of the Kings had a great scoring night and showed the NBA that he will be an elite role player for years to come. Milos Uzan called game with a pretty lay-up to win 82-76.
The Celtics play a foe to be determined Saturday night.
