Final Celtics Summer League Notes and Takeaways

The Celtics concluded NBA Summer League with back-to-back losses to the Mavericks and 76ers with JD Davison, Neemias Queta, Jaden Springer and Jahmi’us Ramsey on the bench. Boston saw, almost immediately, what it needed to from the end of its NBA championship bench and several of its G-Leaguers soon followed. Drew Peterson sat against Charlotte and Dallas before returning for an uneven finish in the Philadelphia loss.

A team that looked loaded to begin the July showcase played more inconsistently due to both the quick removal of some of its key players from the lineup and disappointing performances. The offense didn’t gel immediately, with spacing and poor shooting a challenge, but they stayed in games throughout the schedule. Several players from outside the organization showed themselves worthy of training camp tryouts, while both rookies impacted the game in ways they projected to following the NBA Draft.

Summer League wasn’t the smash hit it looked like it could’ve been on paper. More importantly, Boston got a look at almost its entire roster and learned more than it knew when it started — both good and bad. Here’s how each player performed…

Jordan Walsh – 20 y.o., Celtics active roster player, second season, 6-6, 205, guard/forward, 2023 draft

5 G, 27.3 MPG, 3.2-11.0 (29.1%) FG, 0.8-6.0 (13.3%) 3PT, 1.8-3.4 (52.9%) FT, 9.0 PPG, 6.6 RPG (1.8 OR), 2.2 APG, 2.2 TOV, 1.2 SPG, 1.0 BPG, 2.4 PF.

• Would be the first to admit he did not play well in Vegas, and that had more to blame than the 0-for-22 three point shooting drought he experienced through the first four games. Walsh shot poorly, often short on his threes, while noting after a 1-for-8 opener that he focused more on getting his own shot off than playing within the flow of the offense.

• DJ MacLeay stressed having only one care to give after misses then moving on, something Walsh said he has to improve at, attempting to pretend he made missed shots. The bigger issues came when Walsh dribbled too much, losing the ball in the lane multiple times. He missed free throws, and initially failed to impact the game in other ways before his offensive rebounding and defending improved as the schedule progressed. It marked as setback even if it proves to be a brief one.

• Any questions about whether Walsh could break the 2024-25 Boston Celtics rotation appear settled for now. Boston expected Walsh to spend at least parts of two seasons with Maine when the team drafted him at 19. It’s discouraging, immediately, to see him take steps back from how successfully he played a narrow, focused role in the G-League and his mentality seemed more disruptive at Summer League than his physical capabilities. That, along with the fact that Boston’s summer squad looked disconnected and disheveled as a whole at different points, provide hope that Walsh could recover into training camp and preseason when he rejoins his real Celtics teammates and eventually a more structured Maine offense.

• It’s too early to begin discussing it, but worth noting that while Walsh signed a standard contract following his selection in the 2023 draft, he received only a $200,000 guarantee for 2025-26 and his fourth year is a team option. This is the final guaranteed season on his rookie contract.

Baylor Scheierman – 23 y.o., Celtics active roster player, rookie, 6-6, 205, guard/forward, 2024 draft

5 G, 27.8 MPG, 3.4-9.4 (36.2%) FG, 2.0-6.8 (29.4%) 3PT, 2.4-3.2 (75.0%) FT, 11.2 PPG, 5.4 RPG (2.4 OR), 3.4 APG, 1.8 TOV, 1.0 SPG, 0.0 BPG, 2.6 PF.

• Didn’t shoot well and handled it professionally, flashing his passing skills and attacking the boards in encouraging ways that look like they’ll translate to the NBA. Whether he shoots as prolifically as he did in college remains a question. Scheierman fared better off the bounce, creating his own looks, than in the catch-and-shoot scenarios where he missed badly on his first two attempts against Miami. He finished that night 3-for-7 with six assists, fell into a 1-for-6 slump in the second game and the Celtics still won his minutes by 24 points against LA, highlighted by an offensive rebound his tipped toward the sideline that he flipped head-over-heels to keep in-bounds. He grabbed an important defensive rebound late in their win over the Hornets while shooting 1-for-8 from three, then finished the final two games 5-for-13 from deep.

• Defensively, Scheierman also played as advertised, boasting enough size and sound positioning to survive sometimes, and other times left in the dust due to his lack of speed and athleticism. He told ESPN he’ll continue to work at that and get stronger between Summer League and training camp.

• The Celtics believe he can fit into NBA games on injury and rest nights. They’ll have to get him touches and find ways to hide him defensively for those minutes to go smoothly. Acclimating to NBA speed and intensity in Maine might be a better idea than keeping him on the Boston bench receiving DNP-CDs on most nights. Those games helped Sam Hauser adapt, who’s clearly a different player even if they shared a similar hurdle in reaching the NBA.

• Scheierman and Walsh’s relatively early stage in their development raise some questions about the Celtics’ wing depth if Oshae Brissett and Svi Mykhailiuk depart, as expected, this offseason. Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Hauser, along with double-big minutes, are enough at full health. It’ll be tougher to survive if Hauser slumps, either star takes a night off, or an injury happens. Brad Stevens said at Summer League that the Celtics could assess their options for the 15th roster spot for months.

Anton Watson – 23 y.o., unsigned Celtics second round pick, rookie, 6-8, 236, forward/center, 2024 draft

5 G, 24.4 MPG, 4.6-9.0 (51.1%) FG, 1.4-4.0 (35.0%) 3PT, 1.2-1.4 (85.7%) FT, 11.8 PPG, 5.2 RPG (2.0 OR), 1.6 APG, 0.6 TOV, 0.8 SPG, 1.0 BPG, 1.8 PF.

• Became more comfortable taking jump shots when he moved into the starting lineup at the four next to Killian Tillie. Aside from showing some hesitation as a shooter, he thrived as a switch defender, flashed an impressive late burst around the rim to recover and contest jumpers and made good decisions while playing a narrow role for the Celtics.

• He hit a game-tying baseline jumper late in the win over the Hornets, then broke out for 15 points, four rebounds and three assists in the finale against Philadelphia. Watson put the ball on the floor twice for driving finishes and overall shot well around the rim in his stints at the five.

• His size projects better toward playing next to a bigger center, and if his shooting can keep him on the floor at the four, don’t rule out Watson factoring into Boston’s front court with Kristaps Porziņģis out.

• Watson told our Noa Dalzell that he expects to finalize a contract this week, likely a two-way, and hopefully a five from this roster or elsewhere can join him in Maine and allow for him to play on the perimeter. His versatility, poise and efficiency on offense made him the most optimistic takeaway from the Vegas slate.

JD Davison – 21 y.o., two-way Celtics player, third season, 6-1, 195, guard, 2022 draft

3 G, 26.1 MPG, 4.3-7.3 (59.1%) FG, 1.7-3.0 (55.6%) 3PT, 1.7-2.7 (62.5%) FT, 12.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG (0.3 OR), 6.0 APG, 3.3 TOV, 0.3 SPG, 0.7 BPG, 1.7 PF.

• Had a polar opposite performance compared to his stint here last summer. The three-point shooting came over a small sample (9 att.) and misses at the line maintain questions about his ability to create for himself. He still often looks to kick it out in traffic, leading to turnovers, and the Miami ball pressure in the opener forced four turnovers on him, many in the back court. Still, Davison sounded patient in his development and he can still wow as a distributor,  a skill that’ll be valuable for his young  and inexperienced teammates in Maine.

• Perhaps his best trait in Vegas came in his leadership and transformed vocal presence compared to when the Celtics traded him three years ago. Brown looked impressed watching him court side against the Lakers, when he served seven assists. It’s worth remembering he’s only 21, players don’t always pan out where they start their careers and Davison continues to improve here despite the long odds of him breaking Boston’s rotation.

• Davison signed a third two-way contract this month, his final allowed by the CBA with the Celtics. He said he never considered leaving Boston after witnessing their championship run.

Neemias Queta – 24 y.o, Celtics active roster player, fourth season, 7-0, 248, center, 2021 draft

2 G, 24.1 MPG, 8.0-12.5 (64.0%) FG, 0-0 3PT, 5.0-6.0 (83.3%) FT, 21.0 PPG, 8.5 RPG (5.0 OR), 1.0 APG, 0.5 TOV, 0.5 SPG, 2.0 BPG, 3.0 PF.

• Missed shots in the opener then made them all in the opening three minutes against the Lakers, pouring on seven points before finishing with 22 points, eight rebounds and three blocks in the Celtics’ win. MacLeay praised Queta’s willingness to participate in Summer League, which he called Queta’s choice, and the team made a heavy investment in him by trying out defensive schemes that best fit his skill set.

• The Celtics still want to see more from Queta as a rim protector, and limiting his fouling will key his ability to play consistently with Porziņģis out. Like last year, he’s squarely in the mix for minutes if any other center misses time or rests, and he strung together multiple quality performances in those situations last year.

• Can Queta expand his game beyond where he is right now? We’ve seen flashes of high dribble handoff creation ability, spot switching and he shot 10-for-12 at the free throw line in an underrated development. The Celtics gave Queta a similar three-year deal to the one that sparked Hauser’s NBA career with the Celtics in 2022. He was 24 then, Queta’s age now, and while his shooting would likely translate more than any of Queta’s individual skills, Boston needs a young big man to emerge and has time to develop Queta.

Drew Peterson – 24 y.o., two-way Celtics player, second season, 6-9, 205, forward, 2023 draft

3 G, 23.2 MPG, 2.7-7.3 (36.4%) FG, 1.3-5.3 (25.0%) 3PT, 0.7-1.0 (66.7%) FT, 7.3 PPG, 3.3 RPG (0.3 OR), 2.0 APG, 1.7 TOV, 0.7 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 1.7 PF.

• Had one strong game against the Lakers, shooting 4-for-8 from three before missing all four attempts in the Celtics’ finale against Philadelphia, which he returned for after sitting out two games. Boston signed Peterson to a two-way contract after adding him midway through last season. It’s no guarantee he maintains that spot through or following training camp with Davison and Watson more likely to maintain theirs.

• Shooting isn’t everything across fewer than 30 attempts in Vegas, but Peterson converted 36.7% of his 207 three-point attempts in Maine last year, roughly the NBA league average. What does he do at 24 that could translate to Boston? Unless the Celtics want to remain patient and see more of him in the G-League and trust him as emergency wing depth, it feels like they could potentially find a higher-upside player at this position. If Peterson has this much burst off the dribble, I would’ve loved to have seen more of it.

Jaden Springer – 21 y.o., Celtics active roster player, fourth season, 6-4, 202, guard, 2021 draft

1 G, 25.0 Min., 8-15 (53.3%) FG, 3-6 (50.0%) 3PT, 4-4 (100%) FT, 23 PTS, 2 REB (1 OR), 6 AST, 0 TOV, 2 STL, 0 BLK, 4 PF.

• Didn’t see much of him. Against a tough Heat team that went on to win the Summer League championship at 6-0, he shot 8-for-15 from the field, hit a mix of threes off the catch and bounce, and passed the ball well. Dare I say the display resembled what Avery Bradley did for the Celtics early in his career. It’s no surprise he’s capable of that at this competition level, he won a G-League championship as his team’s best player. Can he find a way to fit into Boston’s crowded back court in the final season of his rookie deal?

• It’s not totally a make-or-break time for Springer, who could stay with the Celtics long-term beyond this year on a low average annual value contract like some of his younger teammates have. He’s still so young. That might, however, require both sides seeing if he can develop some NBA role here. He’s next up in case of injury and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him receiving minutes prioritized on a rest night. There’s a reason he only played on game at Summer League. He probably won’t see much time in Maine this year.

Jahmi’us Ramsey – 23 y.o., Celtics Summer League player, fifth season, 6-3, 192, guard, 2020 draft

3 G, 15.9 MPG, 5.0-8.0 (62.5%) FG, 2.3-3.7 (63.6%) 3PT, 2.3-2.7 (87.5%) FT, 14.7 PPG, 2.7 RPG (1.0 OR), 2.3 APG, 2.7 TOV, 1.0 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 2.0 PF.

• Might’ve proven more to other teams than Boston, as he sat out the final two games of Summer League after a scorching start and there probably isn’t any active or two-way roster space available to him here. Ramsey also played a role similar to what the Celtics signed Jay Scrubb to a two-way contract to provide last season, and Scrubb’s agency announced that he’ll return to Boston to finish his rehab before playing for Maine this fall. Ramsey shot exceptionally while mostly looking for his own shot, hitting a game-winner against the Hornets off the dribble from the right wing. He turned the ball over more than he assisted it.

Ron Harper Jr. – 24 y.o., Celtics Summer League player, third season, 6-4, 245, forward, 2022 draft

4 G, 15.8 MPG, 2.5-6.3 (40.0%) FG, 1.0-3.3 (30.8%) 3PT, 0.8-1.0 (75.0%) FT, 6.8 PPG, 1.0 RPG (1.0 OR), 0.8 APG, 0.0 TOV, 0.3 SPG, 0.8 BPG, 1.8 PF.

• Signed an Exhibit 10 contract this month so he’ll likely participate in Celtics training camp before joining Maine. Size and a shooting slump hurt Harper early in Boston’s schedule before he finished 3-for-6 from three against Dallas. Harper discussed his torn labrum and surgery that left him out of basketball and waived from December until June, but he said his shot feels better now. That’ll become his swing skill in deciding whether he can reach the NBA, but he began his career taking steps with a highly-regarded Toronto G-League program. Harper averaged 12.6 PPG on 43.9% shooting in college (34.0% 3PT).

Tristan Enaruna – 23 y.o., Celtics Exhibit 10 contract signing, rookie, 6-8, 220, forward, 2024 draft

3 G, 14.7 MPG, 1.7-3.3 (50.0%) FG, 0.0-1.0 (0%) 3PT, 0.3-0.7 (50.0%) FT, 3.7 PPG, 1.0 RPG (0.3 OR), 0.0 APG, 0.3 TOV, 1.0 SPG, 0.7 BPG, 0.3 PF.

• Also signed an Exhibit 10 contract that’ll hopefully provide a longer look at him in training camp, the preseason and eventually in Maine. This summer team couldn’t provide him much playing time or opportunity with the ball in his hands. He emerged as a roller in the finale against Philadelphia, flashing his athleticism in a 3-for-6 performance where he made all three two-point attempts and missed three threes. Enaruna will have to remodel his game somehow to reach the NBA. It’s worth watching how he does so in the G-League.

Killian Tillie – 26 y.o., Celtics Summer League player, fifth season, 6-9, 220, forward/center, 2020 draft

5 G, 17.2 MPG, 3.2-6.6 (48.5%) FG, 1.4-3.4 (41.2%) 3PT, 0.6-0.8 (75.0%) FT, 8.3 PPG, 3.8 RPG (1.0 OR), 0.6 APG, 0.8 TOV, 0.4 SPG, 1.0 BPG, 3.6 PF.

• Whether he continues his NBA career after two years out of the league in Maine or elsewhere, it was nice seeing him look so spry, driving and shooting comfortably, finishing 5-for-10 from three in his three starts. He also blocked shots throughout the schedule. That’ll attract at least two-way looks for the formerly intriguing Grizzlies prospect who can hopefully fulfill his promise with better health luck going forward.

Tyler Cook – 26 y.o., Celtics Summer League player, sixth season, 6-8, 255, forward, 2019 draft

4 G, 16.1 MPG, 2.8-4.5 (61.1%) FG, 0-0 3PT, 1.8-2.5 (70.0%) FT, 7.3 PPG, 3.8 RPG (2.0 OR), 1.8 APG, 1.0 TOV, 0.0 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 1.0 PF.

• Probably the more likely option alongside Killie to play center for Maine most nights in 2024-25. Austin Ainge said at the Celtics’ training camp that Cook impressed them with his ability to play with the ball in his hands, and he made some flashy passes from the high post once he got into games midway through the Vegas slate. His athleticism, motor and finishing ability all make him an intriguing pairing next to Watson in the G-League, but given that he played in Spain last season, he might be more comfortable than other players returning overseas for more money.

Jaelen House – 23 y.o., Celtics Summer League player, rookie, 6-0, 170, guard, 2024 draft

4 G, 19.2 MPG, 3.5-9.5 (36.8%) FG, 1.0-3.8 (26.7%) 3PT, 2.8-3.5 (78.6%) FT, 10.8 PPG, 2.8 RPG (0.8 OR), 4.3 APG, 1.8 TOV, 0.5 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 4.3 PF.

• The most pleasant surprise of Summer League. House had a spat with the Hornets as he helped close out a win at the free throw line, hit three-pointers and played point guard when his teammates began resting, posting nine assists against the Mavericks with only two turnovers. He’s undersized and underweight right now, and sounded intent on building his own path to the NBA. There’ll likely be opportunity off the bench with Maine and a spot at Celtics training camp if he wants one though, and his intensity, aggressiveness and edge drew praise from teammates throughout the summer, who called him one of the team’s most competitive players.