The Boston Celtics dropped their summer squad in the desert this year knowing the team was already bringing back its top nine 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 pieces — and those players just hoping to stick in the Celtics’ ecosystem — to showcase their potential.
Such is the luxury for a team still basking in the afterglow of Banner 18 having already moved quickly to bring back the core of that team.
The summer C’s wrapped up their short 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.
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The Celtics still checked a lot of the boxes on their summer to-do list. Most encouraging was that two of the players striving to increase their regular-season workload were among the biggest bright spots of the team’s play in Vegas.
Springer, Queta on a different level
Jaden Springer didn’t get much of a chance in Boston to showcase his potential after being acquired at February’s trade deadline. But he needed just one game in Vegas to show that he’s a cut above most of the younger players out west.
Springer, set to enter his fourth NBA season, showed offensive progress alongside the defensive tenacity that has been his calling card. The road to consistent playing time is bumpy when you have Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, and Payton Pritchard ahead of you on the guard depth chart, but Springer should have a better opportunity to play while not jumping in midstream this year.
Neemias Queta played two games in Vegas and averaged 21 points and 8.5 rebounds before shifting to spectator mode. He’s maybe the most likely of Boston’s summer squadders to play a meaningful role this year. Queta could be important depth with Kristaps Porzingis sidelined to start the season.
Queta made the leap 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 see quality time this year trying to limit the wear and tear on both Porzingis — whenever he’s back — and veteran Al Horford throughout the regular season.
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Walsh struggles with his shot
Making shots in the summer is not a prerequisite to regular-season success — just ask Sam Hauser — but sophomore-to-be Jordan Walsh would probably prefer you burn the tapes of his Vegas shooting.
Walsh did not make a single 3-pointer in Vegas, capped by an 0-for-10 performance (with a couple airballs) from deep in Friday’s loss. He was 0-for-22 from distance overall.
Walsh did plenty of good things, particularly on the defensive end, but you can’t be a 3-and-D guy without the first half of that descriptor. He did have a couple nice hustle sequences against the Mavs, including maybe his best bucket of the day on a tough tip in over traffic.
With Oshae Brissett one of the few players not still on the roster from last season, there is seemingly an open spot for a wing to muscle some minutes this year. Walsh has the defensive talent to get on the floor but his offensive game needs to catch up, particularly if he’s going 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 show better when the Celtics are on the court next. But he simply could not buy a triple in Vegas.
Scheierman shows he's more than just shooting
While the scouting report on first-round pick Baylor Scheierman will focus on his 3-point prowess, the rookie showed he can do much more during his first games in Celtics green.
We like Scheierman’s playmaking and the way he can create for himself off the dribble. He has excellent vision and didn’t seem to get sped up the way many rookies do during their first NBA activity. He needs to make strides defensively, but he plays with grit and hustle. Scheierman launched himself into the crowd trying to save a loose ball during Boston’s game against the Lakers earlier this week, then hit the floor trying to get a 50/50 ball against the Mavericks. That’s the sort of stuff that will endear you quickly in these parts.
Fellow rookie Anton Watson, the 54th pick in last month’s draft, likewise had an excellent summer stint. Like Scheierman, all that college experience seemingly prepped Watson well to hit the ground running at an event like summer league.
House money!
Maybe 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 the defensive end. House finished with 18 points and 9 assists in a start Friday.
We’ll be intrigued to see if any of Boston’s summer squadders stick around as training camp invitees, then maybe end up getting steered to Maine for a chance to further blossom in the Celtics’ system.