Robb: Five Takeaways From Celtics Summer League
BOSTON (CBS) -- For some NBA franchises, summer league is an afterthought. For others, like the rebuilding Boston Celtics, it's a crucial two weeks of the offseason. Five young roster players took the court for the Green this summer in Utah and Las Vegas, and their performances will help Danny Ainge and the rest of the front office decide which pieces are keepers and who is expendable in the months to come.
Early signs were not promising for Boston's young crew out west, as the squad started out with two ugly losses in Salt Lake City before the tide quickly turned. The Celtics won five straight games in both Utah and Las Vegas, leading them into the quarterfinals of the Vegas tournament, where they lost to the San Antonio Spurs via a heartbreaking buzzer-beater on Saturday.
So what did we learn about the Celtics in a busy two weeks of action? Let's explore five takeaways.
1. Marcus Smart got hurt at summer league, but that doesn't mean he should not have been playing.
By now, you have probably seen the gruesome footage of Smart dislocating two fingers on his right hand during a game last Thursday against the Portland Trail Blazers. The prized prospect left the floor in complete agony but appears to have escaped a long-term absence. CSNNE.com is reporting that Smart could return to basketball activities as soon as mid-August.
The injury to the 2014 No. 6 overall pick resulted in some corners of the Internet wondering why the point guard was even playing in summer league during his second NBA season. Those reactions are understandable, but shouldn't be given much weight, as the 21-year-old gained some valuable reps running the show at point guard over the past two weeks.
After Smart gave up ball-handling duties to Evan Turner for much of last year's court time in the starting lineup, the Celtics needed to figure out if he was capable of running point in year two. The returns were promising, with the 6-foot-3 guard averaging 16 points and 4.2 assists per game over his five contests, showing off a more aggressive mentality attacking the rim and capable passing out of the pick-and-roll.
While Smart was a cut above the competition on the defensive end, his shooting (35 percent from the field) still needs plenty of work to reach an acceptable level of consistency. The long-term potential remains alluring, but the offensive numbers are a painful reminder that Smart has a long way to go to become a great all-around guard. Despite his talent, the young guard is not above needing summer league reps.
2. R.J. Hunter may be one of the best 3-point shooters on the roster this season.
Danny Ainge did well to upgrade the Celtics frontline this summer with Amir Johnson and David Lee, but one area he failed to address is Boston's lack of reliable shooting. The Celtics finished in the bottom five in 3-point shooting last season, and Boston desperately needs shooters to help space the floor around Isaiah Thomas and other penetrators in Brad Stevens' "pace-and-space" offense.
Hunter proved he could be a viable candidate to fill that void, despite having to battle a crowded Boston backcourt for minutes. After looking absolutely miserable in his first two games in Utah, shooting 0-for-8 from the field, Hunter rebounded and shot 35.6 percent from downtown over eight games.
That number is even more impressive when you consider the fact that Hunter wasn't being shy with his attempts, averaging more than five per game in just 22 minutes of action. The 21-year-old was a volume shooter with NBA range at Georgia State, and that skill is translating well to the big leagues so far. Look for him to be a potential spark plug for Brad Stevens deep in the rotation next year.
3. Jordan Mickey is the kind of athletic big man the Celtics desperately need.
The Celtics have a laundry list of big men, but none of them offer the shot blocking or defensive versatility that Mickey showed off over the past couple weeks. The second-round pick is only 6-foot-8, but he stuffed the competition regularly, tallying 2.4 blocks per game. More importantly, he defended the pick-and-roll well, displaying the speed and recognition to switch onto smaller players, a crucial skill in today's NBA for any big.
Offensively, Mickey surprised as well, showing off a competent jumper and solid finishing around the rim. He posted 12.8 points per game while shooting 52.6 percent from the field. It wasn't all pretty for Mickey, as the big man was pushed around on the defensive glass for a lot of summer league and will need to add some strength to hold his own among the trees at the start of the regular season.
Overall though, the Celtics liked what they saw, and signed him to a four-year deal on Monday in another hint that a remaining piece of the Boston frontcourt could be expendable in the coming weeks.
4. Terry Rozier still seems redundant on the Celtics roster.
The 6-foot-1 guard out of Louisville held his own while manning both the point guard and shooting guard spots. He filled up the stat sheet nicely (12ppg, 3.0 rpg, 3.9 apg, 1.2spg), while displaying the kind of defensive intensity and athleticism that led to his rise to the middle of the first round. Still, on a team full of undersized guards, Rozier seems a bit repetitive in a group that includes Smart, Isaiah Thomas and Avery Bradley.
There really aren't going to be a ton of minutes to go around beyond that trio, making Rozier a potential cheaper alternative to one of them if/when Ainge deals some of the backcourt glut as part of an enticing package for a star.
5. Jonathan Holmes is an NBA player.
There may not be room for him on the Celtics next year, but the stretch-four proved in summer league that some team probably should have taken a chance on the former Longhorn in the second-round of the 2015 NBA Draft.
Holmes didn't take a ton of shots in summer league, but he was incredibly efficient when he did, hitting 44.6 percent of his three-point attempts in eight games. He looked solid in other aspects of his game as well, playing competently on defense, chipping in on the glass and taking what the offense gave him.
With 16 guaranteed contracts already on the roster next season, it will be tough for Boston to convince him to come to training camp without trading away a player or two. However, odds are strong that Trader Danny might have something cooking, and if so, Holmes may be a beneficiary of an open spot created in a multiple player deal. Stay tuned.
Brian Robb covers the Celtics for CBS Boston and contributes to NBA.com, among other media outlets. You can follow him on Twitter @CelticsHub.
