Watch CBS News

Celtics Summer League Preview

BOSTON (CBS) -- The NBA Draft is over and free agency is in full swing. While the regular season is still months away, basketball will be played very, very soon.

If you're a basketball junkie, even the NBA's summer leagues get you excited. It helps break up the long wait between the end of the NBA Finals and training camp, and lets you get a look at your favorite team's newest -- and youngest -- talent.

The Boston Celtics will participate in a pair of summer leagues out west, in Utah and Las Vegas, with assistant coach Jay Larranaga once again on the bench to guide Boston's rookies and young players. It provides a great opportunity for the players to show off their skills, and the coaches a chance to give them an early lesson on Celtics basketball.

"We're trying to adapt them to the culture that Coach (Brad) Stevens has established with the Celtics," Larranaga said Thursday after the summer squad's second of four practices leading up to their departure for Utah. "That's defensive-first mentality; it's a team-first mentality. So, everything we're doing is reinforcing that, is demonstrating to them, 'This is how we do things here.' And to their credit, they've been great."

Jay-Larranaga
Celtics summer league coach Jay Larranaga chats with point guard Phil Pressey during the 2014 Summer League in Orlando. (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images)

Basically, the Celtics want to be the best defensive team in both of their summer stops.

The summer C's will be led by Marcus Smart, who will take part in his second summer league despite a successful rookie campaign last season. Smart hopes to improve both his game and leadership over the next couple of weeks.

"We know what coach [Stevens] wants and what he expects out of the offensive and defensive end," said Smart. "So being able to go out there and play for Brad for a year, and kind of going out there and being the demonstration guys for these guys to help them learn… it feels good."

Smart is doing his best to get the 11 rookies on the roster prepared for a busy schedule ahead.

"They're listening to everything and trying to do everything that they can to make sure that they got everything down," he said. "They're catching on really quickly and that's hard to do when you've only got a couple of days before you start playing in summer league."

No, summer league basketball isn't for everyone. While Celtics fans will get their first look at last month's draft picks and another pre-preseason look at Smart and Young, the roster is rounded out by NBA hopefuls looking to catch on somewhere in the NBA, the NBA Development League or even somewhere overseas. That doesn't always lead to the best basketball, but for hoop heads, it's a nice treat during the summer months.

Here's a quick breakdown of what to expect over the next couple of weeks:

The Roster

In addition to Smart and Young, the Celtics summer roster will be made up of their four draft picks, roster hopeful Colton Iverson and a bunch of hopefuls.

Guards

Marcus Smart (2014 1st round pick, sixth overall)
James Young (2014 1st round pick, 17th overall)
Phil Pressey (undrafted in 2013, played with Celtics last two seasons)
Terry Rozier (2014 1st round pick, 16th overall)
R.J. Hunter (2015 1st round pick, 28th overall)
Marcus Thornton (2015 2nd round pick, 43rd overall)
Corey Walden (undrafted in 2015 out of Eastern Kentucky)

Forwards

Eric Buckner (undrafted in 2012 out of Georgia State)
C.J. Fair (undrafted in 2014 out of Syracuse)
Jonathan Holmes (undrafted in 2015 out of Texas)
Colton Iverson (2013 second round pick, 53rd overall)
Jordan Mickey (2015 second round pick, 33rd overall)
Malcolm Miller (undrafted in 2015 out of Holy Cross)
Royce O'Neal (undrafted in 2015 out of Baylor)

The Schedule

The Celtics will take part in both the Utah Summer League (July 6-9) and Nevada Summer League (July 10-20).

Utah Summer League

Monday, July 6 at 9pm -- Boston vs. Utah
Tuesday, July 7 at 7pm -- Boston vs. Philadelphia
Thursday, July 9 at 7pm -- Boston vs. San Antonio

Vegas Summer League

Saturday, July 11 at 8pm -- Boston vs. Portland
Sunday, July 12 at 10:30pm -- Boston vs. Philadelphia
Tuesday, July 14 at 7pm -- Boston vs. Miami
Tournament Play July 15-20

The Celtics will play at least five games in the Vegas Summer League, depending on how they do once the tournament begins.

Who To Watch

Celtics fans already know what to expect from Marcus Smart, and his tenacity will still be on display in these exhibitions. It will be worth keeping an eye on how he looks as Boston's floor general, but here are four players to really watch if you tune in to the Summer League fun:

Terry Rozier: This will be our first real look at Boston's top pick from a few weeks ago. Fans and the media were very critical of the pick, but if Rozier attacks the basket and plays defense like he did in college, a good showing over the next two weeks could start to turn those opinions.

James Young: Young didn't do much in the NBA his rookie season, but he's bulked up and is ready to break out.

Colton Iverson: He's spent the last two seasons overseas (most recently in Spain) and is ready to show he belongs on the NBA roster. This will be his third go-around in the summer league with the Celtics, and the seven-footer is hoping his improved defense will earn him a roster spot come October.

Colton-Iverson
Celtics center/forward Colton Iverson during the 2013 Orlando Pro Summer League. (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images)

"I'm a defender and I do the dirty work that a lot of people don't want to do," Iverson told reporters following Thursday's workout. "Every team needs a guy like that. I'm going to show that I can bring that to the team."

Jordan Mickey: The second-round pick led the nation in blocked shots in college, averaging 3.6 per game last season at LSU, so let's see if that can translate to the NBA game. Or at least the summer version of the NBA Game.

 

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.