Boston Celtics vs Washington Wizards On the second night of the consecutive summer league schedule. Despite some strong flashes, Boston faltered for the second straight game. This is the summer league, though. Every minute played is about development, learning and evaluation.
Let’s dive into today’s 10 fast food items.
#1 Lots of area
Cheer green with Envy’s Will Weir – Asked this question on today’s podcast: “With a new coaching staff on the bench bringing new ideas, are we seeing a prelude to the regular season with how much territory the Celtics Summer League play in?”
We will not know the answer to this question now. However, there’s a chance we’ll see Boston post more territory next season, and there’s a chance they won’t. Either way, SL coach Tony Dobbins rotated 2-3 zone defenses for long stretches of the game.
To Boston’s credit, their district defense was successful in disrupting the Wizards’ half-court offense and resulted in disjointed multiple possessions. Having Olek Balcerowksi or Udoka Azubuike in the middle of the area also ensured the Celtics had some size to protect the edge. Dobbins splashed around 2-3 and 1-3-1 in Boston’s Summer League opener against the Miami Heat on Saturday, but nowhere near that level of hesitation.
We’ll need to wait until Wednesday before we see if Dobbins continues to stick to his zonal defense principles.
#2 A huge improvement from Justin Champagnie
Against the heat, Justin Champagne felt like a rider. The third-year ward rarely made much of an impact. Fast forward 24 hours, and Champagnie flashes the upside and dominance you would expect from one of the most seasoned members on Earth.
The best skill in Champagnie is the attacker role. However, in the fourth quarter, the 22-year-old came alive as a leading scorer, dropping 10 points to help the Celtics try to cut the deficit. Champagnie also finished the competition as the game’s highest scorer and the only player to score a double-double.
On top of that, Champagnie also showed some upside as a secondary builder with a few touchdown passes around the low post to punish defensive rotations and find the big opening.
There are still some questions about the Champagnie defense that need answering, but this is the summer league – the pace is frenetic, everyone wants to impress, and the defense often falters as a result. All in all, this was a solid rebounding game for Champagnie, who will need to piece together more of these performances if he wants to fight for his contract guarantee.
#3 You need a bucket if you are going to scrub something
Honestly, Jay Scrubb has been my favorite Celtics Summer League player over the first two games. When he’s on the playground, Scrubb is a bucket. There’s no telling how his scoring will translate to the NBA level where he’ll be up against a higher caliber defender and athlete, but Scrubb gives all the feel of a microwave scorer off the bench.
Against the Wizards, Scrubb continued to show off his range of scoring moves while also proving himself a capable three-level threat. However, the thing that impressed me the most was seeing Scrubb score from a catching move where he was the ball catcher.
Summer league success, especially on the offensive end, isn’t something we should read too deeply. Scrubb is fun to watch and can definitely get buckets. Can he do this consistently when playing the next level? Or is he destined for another bilateral deal? A lot will depend on how he handles defensive responsibilities, and that’s something we haven’t seen very often in the first couple of games.
#4 Tony Dobbins At The Wheel
Late in the third quarter, the Celtics dug into their playbook archives to run the “wheel” move.
There is not much to take away here. I just loved seeing him get called out and thought it was worth pointing out. For reference, the Celtics have managed these actions under Ime Udoka and often find good opportunities to score from them.
#5 Knee ding over Jordan Walsh
In the first minutes of Boston’s game against Washington, Jordan Walsh suffered a knee impingement while guarding a cross. From that moment on, Walsh looked a slower pace than we saw against Miami, and his scoring ability evaporated. Walsh went 4 of 14 from the field and 1 of 6 from three, more in line with what most of us expected from a second-round pick before shocking us in Boston’s opener hitting the triple four.
But Walsh didn’t let his offensive struggles slow him down. Instead, the Arkansas product stayed active on defense and used his height to be a devastating force. I hope Walsh’s knee isn’t too bad, and he’ll be fine on Wednesday.
Part of being a beginner is lack of consistency. So Walsh’s performance, with his knee restrained, is nothing to panic about. Growing pains will also occur during a player’s first two years.
#6 Olek Balcerowksi needs to use his size more
On the whole, Balcerowksi played a good game against Washington. The big man was a willing checker, showing off his ability to move on both sides of the floor, fading his one foot out of the corner and into the ice in the opening quarter. However, at 7’1”, Balcerowksi has no excuse for not being dominant in the glass.
The rebound wasn’t part of Balcerowksi’s game for Gran Canaria last season, and it’s something I put into a defensive plan that he played. However, Dobbins used Balcerowksi as a 2-3 big man and drop defense. When Balcerowski played his leg higher on the ground, he stayed below screen level. We need to see Balcerowksi show more aggression when challenging rebounds and make better use of his large structure.
On the plus side, Balcerowksi has shown some upside as a check agent.
#7 Flashes of ball movement
The Summer League is an individual tournament. Everyone plays for their own chances of making a roster, getting an invitation to training camp, or impressing the overseas scouts in attendance. Boston apparently put those individual agendas to one side for multiple possessions throughout the game against the Wizards.
Light up screen for Justin Bean. Re-hiring Jordan Walsh. High entry pass. Back cut. Dunk. Good spacing, good off-the-ball movement, and fluidity for the Celtics’ approach. A property like this will tell you more about the players on the ground than any featured game or dunk poster.
#8 Justin Bean
Two games, and Justin Bean did nothing to stand out. Bean hasn’t done anything to hurt his stock. Instead, Bean seems to be exactly what you want from a role player – dependable. By getting into the team’s offensive and defensive plan, Bean plays his role and holds his role.
We’ve also seen moments from the recording that suggest Bean can hurt you on all three levels.
The only question I would have about Justin Bean at this point, however, is whether he would be a step or two too slow to be an effective member of the NBA rotation.
#9 Udoka Azubuike had a better game
Azubuike struggled against the Miami Heat but had more success against the Wizards. The Celts looked to feed the Azubuike on occasion as they sought to take advantage of its reduced size. Unfortunately, the former Utah Jazz Kabir still looks like a weak film and is not in control of the low block despite not having a shot from outside the restricted area.
Azubuike can rebound, though, and has the size to be a shot deterrent at guard as a drop defender or in the middle of a zone defense.
#10 Two Way JD Davison
JD Davison came to the game against Washington after signing a two-way contract with the Celtics. However, it was a night the sophomore guard would forget. Davison showed the same limitations we saw against Miami: He struggles when facing contact and doesn’t have the sustained aggression required to make the most of his penetrating ability.
Davison will thrive alongside Loeb’s menace. Davison needs more than just speed and quick passing to his game. We need to see the two-way sentinel embrace completion through communication. We need to see Davison attract more defensive attention before kicking the ball. Davison needs to improve his scoring ability.
There’s a lot to like about what Davison brings to the court, and he’s clearly improved since this time last year. Unfortunately, there seems to be a long way to go before Davison starts tapping into his potential. The physical tools are there, and now the skills need to continue to be honed.