Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
3 Up, 3 Down from Celtics' Summer League Opener vs. Heat
The Boston Celtics made their 2023 Summer League debut Saturday, facing a familiar foe in the Miami Heat. Unfortunately, like in this year's Eastern Conference Finals, the former was on the wrong end of the outcome.
While the latter emerged with a 99-88 victory, Boston had plenty of bright spots worth highlighting.
Three Up:
Jordan Walsh:
While discussing his goals at Summer League, Jordan Walsh told Inside The Celtics, "I want to be able to dominate every single game with the team and get a W."
While his team came up short, and it's an exaggeration to say he was dominant on Saturday, the former Arkansas Razorback was the best player on the floor for Boston. It's game one at Summer League, but it was an encouraging start for the 38th overall pick in this year's draft.
Walsh finished with a team-high 18 points, converting on 6/11 shots, including 4/6 threes.
The Texas native made his first four attempts from beyond the arc, not missing from three-point range until the final frame.
In the conversation with Walsh referenced earlier, he conveyed that to improve as a shooter, he's working on "consistent footwork and getting up more reps, more game-speed reps that are makes that I can see go in, I feel like that's the biggest part, and that's what I've been talking about with the coaches, so that's what we're working on."
It's safe to say that on Saturday, that work paid off.
Beyond how well he shot the ball, Walsh had a solid all-around game, staying on-brand by applying on-ball pressure and playing aggressively on defense.
And along with swiping two steals and swatting a shot down low, the 19-year-old rookie grabbed five rebounds, and there were multiple instances where his weakside boxouts prevented the Heat from extending possessions.
JD Davison:
JD Davison earned entry into both categories in this three-up and three-down evaluation of Boston's opening matchup in Las Vegas.
Last year's 53rd overall selection erupted for ten points in slightly over five minutes in the fourth quarter, scoring from all three levels. The former Alabama Crimson Tide point guard also pushed the pace in transition, leading to buckets for him and his teammates.
Davison stuffed the stat sheet with 14 points, a game-high 11 assists, four rebounds, and two steals.
Unfortunately, there's more on his performance later.
Jay Scrubb:
Jay Scrubb's a 2020 second-round pick who spent time with the Clippers and Magic on two-way deals.
As someone who has NBA experience and turns 23 in September, this is a stage where the expectation is his performance stands out. On Saturday, he checked that box.
Scrubb quickly made an impact off the bench, generating nine points in under 8 minutes, sparking a Celtics' run. He put 12 on the board by halftime, knocking down four of his five field goal attempts.
He finished with 17 points on 6/11 shooting.
Honorable Mention:
Justin Bean:
Playing for the Grizzlies' G League affiliate last season, Justin Bean averaged 10.2 points and 6.9 rebounds.
Saturday, he demonstrated a good feel for the game, staying active without the ball, including the sequence shown while discussing Walsh's impact, where Davison found a cutting Bean who kicked the ball out to the rookie for a three.
There's also some grittiness to Bean's game that this author appreciates. It was even visible as he boxed out, then snagged some of his seven rebounds.
Bean, who had ten points on 4/7 shooting at intermission, ended the day with 13 on 5/11 shooting, plus those seven rebounds, three assists, a steal, and a block.
Three Down:
JD Davison:
While Davison had a terrific fourth quarter and was impactful in transition throughout the matchup, he needed to operate with a faster tempo far more frequently, especially regarding getting the ball up the floor quicker off makes and attacking in the half-court. Too often, he went too slow.
Davison, whose explosiveness often gets him deep into the paint, also seemed to lack a backup plan for when the defense took away his first choice.
While the second-year point guard stuffed the stat sheet as referenced earlier, he tied Miami's Dru Smith for a game-high five turnovers and shot 5/14, including 1/5 from three-point range.
Justin Champagnie:
Justin Champagnie's on a non-guaranteed contract and fighting to show the Celtics and the rest of the NBA why he belongs on this level.
While he was productive on the glass, including corralling six offensive rebounds, doubling Orlando Robinson, who had the second-most, and secured 11 boards, matching Robinson for a game-high, he fared 3/13 from the field, including 1/4 from beyond the arc.
Champagnie, who finished with seven points, also committed four giveaways. And as outrageous as it is to note someone's plus-minus rating in a Summer League game, his minus-19 rating was the lowest on either side of Saturday's contest.
Udoka Azubuike:
Unfortunately for Udoka Azubuike, he had a rather forgettable performance.
At halftime, his only contribution on the stat sheet was the two rebounds he grabbed. He also had a pass from Davison go through his hands and out of bounds.
Azubuike was motivated to pick up his play in the second half, producing six points, snagging four rebounds, swatting a shot, and setting effective screens after the break.
But he struggled defensively and was a liability in drop coverage in the pick-and-roll, contributing to Robinson registering a game-high 36 points.
As a soon-to-be 24-year-old at Summer League with NBA experience, the former star for the Kansas Jayhawks must stand out on this stage as he fights for his next contract.
Fortunately for Azubuike and the Celtics, this was only game one. Their next Summer League matchup is tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. ET against the Wizards.
Further Reading
Marcus Smart Reflects on His Time with Celtics: 'I Left Everything I Had'
Evaluating Celtics' Options in Free Agency
Celtics Sign Second-Round Pick Jordan Walsh
Celtics Reportedly Not Pursuing Damian Lillard
Celtics Losing Grant Williams in Sign-and-Trade Demonstrates Intention of NBA's New CBA
NBA Insider Says Multi-Team Deal Could Get Damian Lillard to the Heat
The Latest on Celtics' Negotiations with Jaylen Brown
Marcus Smart Wants It Known There's No Beef Between Him and Jaylen Brown: 'We're Brothers'
Brad Stevens Discusses Difficult Decision to Trade Marcus Smart: 'He'll Always Have Boston'
