Spending 12 days in Las Vegas is exhausting. But it’s worth it every single time. There’s truly no experience in the sporting world quite like NBA Summer League. Nearly two weeks of watching basketball and brushing elbows with executives, coaches, and scouts, all of whom love basketball more than almost anything in the world.
Even when you’re not at one of the two gyms — the Thomas & Mack Center or Cox Pavilion — you’ll see the same people on the strip, whether at a dinner table or around a Blackjack table. But at the end of the day, it’s all about one thing: Basketball.
The Boston Celtics went 3-2 in Summer League, though the last game was nothing more than a virtual scrimmage. Boston had been eliminated from the playoffs at that point, so head coach Amile Jefferson primarily played his deep bench guys.
However, we did get a few nice games of action from the likes of Hugo Gonzalez, Dillon Mitchell, and Amari Williams. So, as a final ode to Summer League, I wanted to go through the Celtics’ roster through the lens of a stock. Did it go up? Down? Stay the same? How did the Celtics’ youngsters perform?
Gonzalez’s stock went up. Way up. But in my opinion, this was already coming. Nothing Gonzalez did at Summer League necessarily surprised me because I had already seen it in the FIBA World Cup qualifiers, and even at times in the NBA last year.
The biggest reason for Gonzalez’s stock rising in Vegas would be his ball-handling. He proved that he has the chops — or at least could have them — to run an NBA offense. When the ball was in his hands, the Celtics were better because of it.
But in just two games leading up to Summer League, Gonzalez showed off that skill for Spain in FIBA play. When he had the ball in his hands for the national team, it went well. As for his rebounding and defense, he proved he can thrive in those areas when he got NBA minutes last year.
Gonzalez struggled with turnovers at times and wasn’t an amazing on-ball creator when it came to getting himself open shots. Those are the areas in which he still needs to improve. But he’s still only 20 years old. He showed enough to prove that improvements are coming.
In my eyes, Gonzalez was already destined to make a leap this season. I knew he was going to be a solid, all-around lead ball-handler in Vegas. He just did what I expected. Just like I expect a major leap next season.
Dillon Mitchell: Stock up
I might be higher on Mitchell than most people. But I have my reasons. Everything Mitchell put on display at Summer League will be translatable to the NBA level. I believe he could step in and play impactful NBA minutes right now for this Celtics team.
The biggest trait I noticed was Mitchell’s instincts. Whether it’s his nose for offensive rebounds, his knack for jumping passing lanes, or his off-ball timing when acting as a cutter on offense. He just knows where to be and when in order to get the ball in his hands.
His defense also shined. He pestered ball-handlers at the point of attack and still managed to show off some help-over defense at the rim, soaring through the air for monster blocks. That versatility is rare, especially for a guy his size and with his athleticism.
Mitchell made seamless passes when he needed to, and perhaps most notably, the 3-point shot looked clean. After shooting just 1-of-15 in college last year, he shot 3-of-8 in Vegas with the Celtics. And he showed off some shot creation inside the arc, too.
Everything Mitchell does just screams ‘NBA role player.’ But not just any NBA role player. The exact type of role player Joe Mazzulla will love to have on his basketball team, regardless of the 3-point shot.
I know Mitchell was the No. 40 pick. Guys drafted that late don’t always pan out. And maybe I’ll be wrong. But I would be thoroughly shocked if Mitchell isn’t playing regular rotation minutes for the Celtics in the next few years. Maybe even as soon as this season.
Chris Cenac Jr.: Stock up
My thoughts on Chris Cenac Jr. aren’t quite as concrete as my belief in Mitchell. That said, Cenac still showed enough in Summer League to raise the stock I had in him coming out of the NBA Draft.
At Houston, one of the best areas of Cenac’s game was his rebounding, and that proved true in Vegas. Cenac was a monster on the glass. No matter the situation, he always seemed to get at least a fingertip to the ball.
He even got the chance to show off some of his offensive creation. A crossover out of the corner followed by a baseline drive for a bucket. A mid-range turnaround pull-up. He was comfortable with the ball in his hands, which is rare for a near-seven-footer.
But the real reason Cenac’s stock rose for me was the shot-blocking. His defense as a whole, really. Under Kelvin Sampson, Cenac was told to focus on rebounding. So, his block numbers weren’t great. But in Vegas, he was a shot-blocking machine.
Add in his quick feet, and Cenac showed off the defensive profile of a switchable defender who can also be a towering presence at the rim. That’s a rare combo. He has a long way to fulfill that potential, but it’s certainly there.
