Robb: Three Things We Learned About Celtics During Utah Summer League
SALT LAKE CITY (CBS) – The Boston Celtics wrapped up the first portion of their summer league schedule this week, playing three games against a talented group of squads from Utah, Philadelphia, and San Antonio. Boston won just one of those games, but what can Celtics fans learn from those performances? Let's take a look from some crucial takeaways from week one of summer league.
1. Marcus Smart played a cut above the competition
The 21-year-old only suited up for two games in Salt Lake City this week, but the point guard made a strong case for being the best player on the floor. He led all scorers by posting 24 points per game, continuing an aggressive shift in his scoring mentality heading into his second season.
"I'm real confident," Smart said of his week. "I played in summer league last year so I kind of know what to expect from the coaches, and what they want. The game has slowed down for me. I've been working on my game and hard work pays off.
Additionally, the 6-foot-4 guard looked very comfortable running the point guard spot. He distributed the ball well (7.5 assists per game) and that's a promising sign for Brad Stevens as it's anticipated that Smart will be handed the keys to run Boston's offense this year. The defense and competitiveness is going to remain constant with Smart, so if he can perform more competently on the offensive end with his shooting and passing abilities, Boston's deep backcourt will look ever better than ever this fall.
2. James Young still has something to prove
No player was hyped up more entering summer league than the 19-year-old former Kentucky star. It was widely reported the swingman had gained 20 pounds of muscle and was itching to prove he could be a factor in next season's rotation after spending much of his rookie year with the Maine Red Claws.
Unfortunately, Young only proved this week that he could probably use some more seasoning in Maine. The 6'7" guard shot a paltry 23 percent from the field and even worse from downtown (13 percent) in three games of action. He left Thursday night's game against San Antonio with a hip injury, putting a disappointing exclamation point on his week.
Overall, Young saw plenty of open looks, but was constantly off balance on his attempts. He fared poorly against NBA-level defenders like Rodney Hood, looking more like a timid rookie than a second-year player. Defensively, Young made a few strides from last year, but is still a ways off from being a reliable contributor on that end.
Boston still desperately needs to improve its outside shooting this season and the team needs Young to step up in its remaining summer league games and prove he can help in that department against NBA-level competition.
"The first thing he's got to do is make shots," Stevens explained this week, while speaking about Young. "And then you know I think he'll be able to play off of some other screens and some of those actions, or he can curl in the lane, use his athleticism and put it on the floor once and finish…He's gonna get points like that just from his athleticism. But I think, obviously, I don't want to overcomplicate this pretty simple game."
3. Terry Rozier does a lot of little things well
With so much attention focused on Smart and Young, the play of Rozier this week has gone a little bit under the radar. The shooting was lackluster, as his track record at Louisville would lead us to suspect, but he held his own in nearly every other aspect of his game. His defense was not at Smart's level but you can tell the pesky on-ball pressure he plays with will translate into steals (tied for team-high five this week).
Rozier was second on the team in points per game (12.3) but more importantly showed an ability to play through contact and get to the free throw line (tied for team-high 13 attempts) on the offensive end. That's an area Boston struggled in last year in the backcourt, so adding a smaller player that showcases that ability will help Rozier earn minutes.
In a week that was full of up-and-down performances across the roster, Rozier stood out as one of the more consistent prospects on the roster. We'll see if it continues for the team's final three games, as the grind continues for the Celtics on Saturday in Las Vegas as they take part in the 24-team summer league tournament in Nevada.
Brian Robb covers the Celtics for CBS Boston and contributes to NBA.com, among other media outlets. You can follow him on Twitter @CelticsHub.
