Four Lessons From The Celtics’ 2024 Summer League Action – NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Celtics dumped their summer roster into the desert this year, knowing that the team was returning all nine of its best players from a championship season. So even with the highest draft pick of the Brad Stevens era on the roster, this year’s Vegas soirée felt more like a chance for deep depth players – and those players just hoping to stick around in the Celtics’ ecosystem – to flash their potential.

That’s a huge luxury for a team still basking in the afterglow of Banner 18 and quickly getting the core of that team back on its feet.

The Summer C’s ended their brief Vegas residency with a 101-90 loss to the Dallas Mavericks in the Jayvee version of an NBA Finals rematch on Friday. The Celtics (2-2) will not be one of the four teams competing for the Vegas summer title starting Sunday.

The Celtics continued to check off many boxes on their summer to-do list. Most encouragingly, two of the players set to increase their regular-season workloads were among the bright spots of the team’s play in Vegas.

Springer, Queta on another level

Jaden Springer didn’t get much of a chance to show his potential in Boston after being signed at the February trade deadline. But it took him just one game in Vegas to show he’s a cut above most of the younger players in the West.

Springer, entering his fourth NBA season, has shown offensive improvement in addition to the defensive tenacity that has been his calling card. The road to consistent playing time is a bumpy one when you have Jrue Holiday, Derrick White and Payton Pritchard ahead of you on the guard depth chart, but Springer should have a better chance of playing without having to step in mid-season this year.

Neemias Queta played two games in Vegas and averaged 21 points and 8.5 rebounds before switching to spectator mode. He is perhaps the most likely of Boston’s summer team members to play a meaningful role this year. Queta could provide important depth with Kristaps Porzingis sidelined to start the season.

Queta made the jump from two-way big to roster player in large part because of his steady play early last season when Porzingis was out. Both Luke Kornet and Queta should get quality time this year to help limit the wear and tear on both Porzingis — when he returns — and veteran Al Horford over the course of the regular season.

Walsh struggles with his shot

Making shots in the summer isn’t a requirement for regular-season success (just ask Sam Hauser), but sophomore prospect Jordan Walsh would probably prefer you burn the tapes of his Vegas shootouts.

Walsh didn’t make a single 3-pointer in Vegas, capped by an 0-for-10 performance (with a couple of airballs) from deep in Friday’s loss. He was 0-for-22 from distance overall.

Walsh did a lot of good things, especially on defense, but you can’t be a 3-and-D guy without the first half of that description. He had some nice hustle sequences against the Mavs, including perhaps his best bucket of the day on a tough tip in over traffic.

With Oshae Brissett being one of the few players not on last season’s roster, there appears to be an open spot for a wing to get some minutes this year. Walsh has the defensive talent to get on the court, but his offensive game needs to improve, especially if he wants to earn the trust of this coaching staff.

Walsh is still the youngest player on the roster, and we’d be surprised if he didn’t perform better the next time the Celtics take the court. But he just couldn’t buy a triple in Vegas.

Scheierman shows that he is more than just a shooter

While the scouting report on first-round pick Baylor Scheierman will focus on his 3-point shooting skills, the rookie showed he can do much more during his first games in Celtics green.

We like Scheierman’s game and the way he can create for himself off the dribble. He has excellent vision and hasn’t seemed to get ramped up as quickly as many rookies do in their first NBA outing. He has to make moves defensively, but he plays with grit and urgency. Scheierman threw himself into the crowd to save a loose ball during Boston’s game against the Lakers earlier this week, then went to the floor to get a 50/50 ball against the Mavericks. That’s the kind of stuff that will endear you to you here quickly.

Fellow rookie Anton Watson, the 54th pick in last month’s draft, also had a stellar summer. Like Scheierman, all that college experience seemed to prepare Watson well to jump right into an event like the summer league.

House money!

Perhaps we should have expected it given his bloodlines, but Jaelen House is a joy to watch. He plays with speed and confidence. He competes on defense. House finished with 18 points and 9 assists in a start on Friday.

We’re curious to see if any players from Boston’s summer team will stick around as guests at training camp and perhaps eventually be sent to Maine to continue their development within the Celtics’ system.