Not watching but JC has come across REALLY good in the studio. He's going to be a legit star in the game. After Redick he's the best ex-NBA player voice out there imo.
Summer League 2023
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Hope they can keep Scrubb around on more than a Maine invite.
I believe @nighthob liked Jay Scrubb as a deep 2nd round, under-the-radar guy in the 2020 draft. That 2020 draft has produced some nice value in the late 1st & 2nd rounds
One of Danny's toughest drafts considering he had (3) 1sts + a 2nd.
Having a Scrubb off the bench would probably earn him Tacko-esque chants for Gino Time. Please make it happen.
Most definitely espeically once the story of his upbringing comes to light when he lived with different family members and a (white) classmates family, dropped out of HS, etc
Anybody got a read on his defense? Hard to tell in Summer League. He's rebounding decently for a guard and racking up a few assists every game as well.
He's seems pretty one dimensional. Doesn't do much without the ball and doesn't seem like a defensive grinder which in a switchable league you really need to be to compete. I don't like him with this particular team and if he gets picked up it will be likely be from a faster paced team like Spurs, Pacers, Hawks, Thunder, etc. where he's a better fit.
I missed yesterday's game, but looking at the box score, it appears Valerio-Bodon put up huge numbers. Not sure why he didn't play in any of the C's first four games—maybe he was injured—but he has great length and an intriguing skill set.
Worth a camp invite?
Worth a camp invite?
Just watching the highlights he looked like a guy with some skills for sure, but also a good ways away from being physically ready to play in the NBA. He also didn't look as tall as I was expecting. Certainly worth getting him on the Maine Roster, but I think the camp invite guys are usually a little closer to being an NBA guy.
I'd guess the same reason the final game is when most teams give their end of bench guys some minutes.....they are behind the rotation guys in the pecking order.
All in all, probably as good a SL as can be expected. Added a guy who could maybe show to be an NBA player in Scrubb and Walsh looked as good as you can expect (or at least, not as bad as some feared). I know some were hoping for more out of Davison but I just don't see it in him.
If ever there was a time to show a leap it is in the ideal environment for an athletic explosive point guard in Summer League. If you aren't able to protect the ball against SL defense while even playing at a controlled pace there isn't much hope of getting to the next level anytime soon. He's like Scrubb in many ways imo, a skillset that needs to get out in the open court over the second half of the year on a lottery team more than being a body in a warmup suit sitting next to the 12th and 13th man.
I think both Davison and Scrubb will get most of their playing time in Maine and won't be stuck on the Boston bench too much.
Is he in the conversation for worst player to ever score 40+ points in a game (in his first in the NBA, to boot)?
My point was they won't ever see NBA minutes on a contender whereas on a lottery team they could get some regular post-ASB rotation minutes to show.
He had played some games before that one, but yeah he's probably in the conversation. The thing with Lofton is his weakness is his speed and conditioning against NBA-level athletes. Against lower competition, whether that is all-end-of-the-rotation guys in Game 82 of the regular season, or in Summer League, he doesn't have that problem and is going to thrive because he can get buckets on offense.
It's really hard for any NBA team to develop a late 1st or 2nd round 19yr olds....as a contender it's near impossible.
Just expect Brad to continue to deal those 1st round picks for players that can add value now to the rotation.
No interest in prospect humping when this team is 1 player away.
Interesting take given that Brad's last 2 picks were one and done projects with little track record of college success.
Yep. I'm about as bullish on JD Davidson as HRB. I like the 2nd rounders to have some college success & be pretty filled out. Especially w/the C's presently not in the business of hand-holding/developing kids
JD was the 53rd pick. Almost all the players picked around him were foreign players who were stashed. The only one picked after him that played some last year was Jabari Walker and he wouldn’t have played for the Celtics. They took a shot with an upside athlete and it doesn’t look like it is going to workout.
This year was different because they could have picked anywhere from 25 on. They clearly decided they wanted the second round picks so they traded down before taking Walsh as another upside pick. The first senior taken after him was 6’6” wing Seth Lundy from Penn State. He went to Atlanta and looked pretty good in summer league. Should be interesting to watch him and Walsh going forward.
The reality is Brad/Zarren have traded out 4 First Rounders, a '28 pick swap, and probably a half dozen 2nds over the last 2 years.
Which is exactly what they should be doing. This Summer's draft was about loading the cupboards for future trades. I'm picking nits with the 2nds, it's much ado about nothing.
Walsh has some promise of impacting the back of the rotation by next season since he was probably one of the better defensive players drafted
Weiss with his Summer league grades. Seems generally spot on. https://theathletic.com/4695160/2023/07/17/celtics-summer-league-jordan-walsh-jd-davison/
You would hope for some clear signs of progress over the past few months, but it just didn’t come together in Vegas for Davison.
Grade: D+
Banton’s size and balance on defense make him a viable switcher across the perimeter. He’s a solid fit for someone on the minimum and he showed why last week.
Grade: B
When you add on how much better his deep touch looks, his (Walsh) offensive upside is clearly higher coming out of summer league. Defensively, he showed so much of the shifty help activity and smothering length on the ball that made him an appealing pick. The one red flag was how often he was caught flat-footed in isolation, as he got completely left in the dust multiple times a game. Walsh also had trouble slipping past ball screens, but he at least showed the persistence to catch up and defend from behind, or make the read to be useful elsewhere when there was a switch. He clearly has the tools and the motor, he just needs a lot of work to hone all his talent. Grade: B+
There’s a lot to like about Scrubb’s game as a deep reserve, even if he is a little stuck between the guard positions offensively. But the Celtics don’t need a pure point to get spot minutes. They need someone like Scrubb who has a ton of energy, can do something with the ball and doesn’t have a significant weakness that makes him a liability when the defense figures him out.
Grade: A-
Champagnie was decent as a floor-spacer who crashes the glass and cuts when there are openings, but he had trouble stepping out of that limited 3-and-D role. Justin Jackson was a similar player for last year’s team, but he showed a little more creativity on the ball and was a bit bigger. Champagnie could still make the roster but may be in an uphill battle.
Grade: C
You would hope for some clear signs of progress over the past few months, but it just didn’t come together in Vegas for Davison.
Grade: D+
Banton’s size and balance on defense make him a viable switcher across the perimeter. He’s a solid fit for someone on the minimum and he showed why last week.
Grade: B
When you add on how much better his deep touch looks, his (Walsh) offensive upside is clearly higher coming out of summer league. Defensively, he showed so much of the shifty help activity and smothering length on the ball that made him an appealing pick. The one red flag was how often he was caught flat-footed in isolation, as he got completely left in the dust multiple times a game. Walsh also had trouble slipping past ball screens, but he at least showed the persistence to catch up and defend from behind, or make the read to be useful elsewhere when there was a switch. He clearly has the tools and the motor, he just needs a lot of work to hone all his talent. Grade: B+
There’s a lot to like about Scrubb’s game as a deep reserve, even if he is a little stuck between the guard positions offensively. But the Celtics don’t need a pure point to get spot minutes. They need someone like Scrubb who has a ton of energy, can do something with the ball and doesn’t have a significant weakness that makes him a liability when the defense figures him out.
Grade: A-
Champagnie was decent as a floor-spacer who crashes the glass and cuts when there are openings, but he had trouble stepping out of that limited 3-and-D role. Justin Jackson was a similar player for last year’s team, but he showed a little more creativity on the ball and was a bit bigger. Champagnie could still make the roster but may be in an uphill battle.
Grade: C
I don’t see us guaranteeing Champagnie. I assume he’ll be replaced with a vet min or slightly above signing (if we’re ok being hardcapped). And I assume we’ll only enter the season with 14 NBA contracts to preserve flexibility.