NBA Notebook: Summer League notes before Celtics' final game

The Celtics conclude Summer League on Sunday at 5:30 p.m. EST against the 76ers with most of their regular contributors likely to take a seat. Jaden Springer, Neemias Queta and Drew Peterson all sat midway through the team's schedule before JD Davison joined them on Friday. An intriguing roster didn't pan out as expected with offensive lulls and defensive lapses undermining the talent on paper that entered Las Vegas hoping to show some internal strides alongside external additions hopeful to join the roster. Here are some notes from the Celtics' slate of games so far and what was on display around the league at a sleepier-than-usual week at Summer League given the coinciding US national team training camp, WNBA All-Star Game and Peach Jam.

• Jordan Walsh's struggles are the obvious headline for Boston. He missed all 22 threes he attempted through the Celtics' first four games after hoping to show Joe Mazzulla and Brad Stevens he could contribute to the NBA team this year. The team drafted Walsh at 19 knowing he probably needed multiple seasons in the G-League, and while last year's strides in the G-League (35% 3PT) showed him willing to commit to a narrow role, his issues at Summer League admittedly stemmed from trying to do too much. Walsh dribbled too much, got caught up in his misses and DJ MacLeay stressed his need to compete through offensive struggles. Some defensive flashes against the Lakers showed him getting back in the game mentally during another inconsistent shooting display, but Walsh finished his fourth game noting his need to be able to forget his misses. 
• The offense as a whole looked clunky throughout the Celtics' four games. JD Davison did a decent job providing some structure at the point, as did Jaden Springer in the opener, but Neemias Queta's finishing issues in the first game, some shot-hunting by others on the roster looking to showcase themselves and obvious spacing issues made it more difficult to succeed within the context of this team. It's impossible to rule out Walsh, or anyone, on this roster based on how they played alongside teammates they'll part ways with, in a matter of days. I still believe in Walsh, but it's worth remembering for him, Davison and others that second-rounders often develop with their first team before finding their NBA role elsewhere. Walsh is only guaranteed $200,000 next year in 2025-26.
• Let's get to the positives: Anton Watson looked fantastic, whether blocking Jaime Jaquez in the first game and showing similar late burst around the rim on defense while guarding multiple positions, he also showed enough shooting flashes to make you think he could play some spot NBA minutes at the four on nights where the Celtics have multiple injuries or players resting this year. Watson finished his first four games shooting 51.5% from the field, 33.3% from three and 5-for-13 (38.5% 3PT) in his pair of starts. He also hit a game-tying baseline jumper late in the team's comeback win over the Hornets. His unselfish approach will likely leave Boston's coaches screaming at him to shoot more often, but he and Baylor Scheierman handled the highs and lows of their first NBA action well, ignoring misses and impacting the game in other ways when they were cold. 
• Scheierman shot 38.2% from the field and 29.6% from three, finishing stronger against Dallas with 5-for-8 shooting (3-6 3PT) with his 5.0 RPG and 3.3 APG carrying him through his slow start. The defensive limitations showed too, he's not fast out there, but he uses his length and positioning well, especially when he's competing on the boards. Against the Lakers, he tracked down a long offensive rebound on a corner crash from the opposite side and saved it, flipping head-over-heels into the crowd. He might need some time in Maine to adapt to the speed of the game, but his most important adaptation will be developing more strength and athleticism, which might happen best with Boston. The team is hopeful he can contribute right away when the Celtics are down players during the regular season. Between Walsh and Scheierman's youth and inexperience, though, you have to ask whether Boston has enough depth at the wing. 
• The Celtics' primary backup wing, Sam Hauser, and Boston remain in negotiations on a contract extension with the hope that a deal gets done. Brad Stevens said the team wants Hauser around for a long time, and despite the massive tax implications of a new contract that would almost certainly exceed $10 million annually, Stevens and his propensity for getting extensions done wants to have every option available to him in the future as Boston assesses its financial situation on a year-by-year basis. Under new second-apron rules, the Celtics wouldn't be able to recover anything beyond second-rounders in sign-and-trade scenarios if Hauser departs in free agency next summer. Stevens, speaking in Vegas, said he found out around the same time the public did that Wyc Grousbeck would sell his majority share as team governor, but doesn't expect the sale to impact his job in the near term, noting the strength and long-term commitments the team has to its core players. Stevens also gleaned that free agents Oshae Brissett and Svi Mykhailiuk will probably pursue more opportunity elsewhere after playing deep reserve roles with Boston last season. He also noted the likelihood that the Celtics could keep their 15th and final roster spot open for as long as months as the team assesses its needs. 
• Davison and Peterson probably did enough to enter training camp as Boston's pair of two-way players, with Watson the most likely to sign the third of those contracts. Davison and Queta said they never considered leaving the Celtics this summer as they'll return to develop as a depth guard and big man, respectively. MacLeay said Boston altered its defense to suit Queta's strengths during Summer League and the big man fared well in switching situations, something he flashed during his first year with the team. That side of the ball remains the largest hurdle in him playing regular NBA minutes this season alongside reserves Luke Kornet and Xavier Tillman Sr., but his offensive rebounding, hands and the moments where he's finishing strong at the basket showcase a physicality that made Boston recommit to Queta on a three-year contract with non-guarantees similar to how they locked up Hauser several years ago in the early stages of his career. 
• Ron Harper Jr. and Tristan Enaruna signed Exhibit 10 contracts that'll likely land both in training camp and Maine with the Celtics next season. Harper flashed his shooting against the Mavericks on Friday, noting that he couldn't shoot from December until June after undergoing surgery on his torn labrum. He showed promise to begin his career with the Raptors' G-League program. Enaruna played sparingly for Boston and didn't get involved much in the offense, but the Celtics quickly signed him as an undrafted free agent following the draft. He was formerly a Kansas recruit from the Netherlands who flashed athleticism with good size at the wing. He doesn't have much of a three-point shot well. Could Jahmi'us Ramsey, who sat out on Friday, join them? The former Texas Tech guard shot 62.5% from the field and 63.6% from three with Boston, which might earn him a stronger guarantee elsewhere. Killian Tillie looked spry following a string of injuries that have threatened his NBA career, Tyler Cook played some solid reserve minutes at the five and Eddie House's son Jaelen House brought energy, fire and some passing into the later stages of the Celtics' schedule. He passed for nine assists on Friday against Dallas, joining the team with some help from Austin Ainge and his father. It'd be fun to see him in Maine alongside some other members of this team next season. 

Here's what else happened around the NBA this week...

Atlanta: Clint Capela remains available as the Hawks sort out an overloaded frontcourt that also includes Onyeka Okongwu and Zaccharie Risacher, who averaged 14.5 PPG on 39.3% FG (25% 3PT) at Summer League between two games. The Pelicans, who signed Daniel Theis as their likely starting center this month, and Rockets had previously been known as Capela suitors. The Knicks have also reportedly looked into him, though he makes $22.3 million and would be a difficult salary to match. Larry Nance Jr., Jalen Johnson, Cody Zeller and Bruno Fernando are also in the mix for front court playing time in Atlanta, with De'Andre Hunter's contract long a hindrance to him being moved. 

Boston: Jaden Springer scored 23 points with six assists and two steals while shooting 8-for-15 from the field and 3-for-6 from three in a dominant showing to open Summer League that quickly placed him on the bench. Neemias Queta also set himself apart, recovering from some misses around the rim in the first game to finish with 21.0 PPG, 8.5 RPG and 2.0 BPG. He shot 64% on 25 attempts. Jordan Walsh struggled immensely while trying to do too much in the opening game. His shooting slump extended over the next three, setting him back to 22% from the field (0% 3PT). Baylor Scheierman started slow (30.8% FG, 23.8% 3PT) while Anton Watson showed promising defense and shot 5-for-13 from three in his two starts. Jahmi'us Ramsey averaged 14.7 PPG on 62.5% shooting while Ron Harper Jr. joined Tristan Enaruna in signing training camp deals. Drew Peterson (37.5% FG, 33.3% 3PT) sat with Queta and Springer after two games. Brad Stevens said the Celtics' 15th roster spot will likely remain open as Oshae Brissett and Svi Mykhailiuk explore the opportunity for more playing time elsewhere. Jaylen Brown cleared up his Team USA complaint. 

Brooklyn: Jalen Wilson, a second-round pick last summer out of Kansas, emerged as one of the best players at Summer League by averaging 24.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG and 1.0 APG on 46.3% shooting (55.6% 3PT on 9.0 att.). He hit a game-winning layup to reach the Elam ending in overtime, beating the Magic behind Wilson's 33 points and 10 rebounds. Grizzlies wing Ziaire Williams will join him among the team's youth movement, a former 2021 lottery pick that Memphis moved on from on Friday to save money. He's 23 this season and averaged 8.2 PPG, 3.5 RPG and 1.5 APG while shooting 39.7% FG (30.7% 3PT) last season. Cam Thomas, Dariq Whitehead, Noah Clowney and Day'Ron Sharpe round out their cast of players younger than 24, but they'll have to contend with veterans Ben Simmons, Nic Claxton, Bojan Bogdanovic, Dorian Finney-Smith and Dennis Schroder for minutes. 

Dallas: Kyrie Irving underwent surgery on his left hand after breaking it while training earlier this month, a setback for the star guard after a bounce-back season where he helped lead Dallas to the NBA Finals. It's unclear how much time he'll miss, but Adrian Wojnarowski reported the Mavericks are hopeful he'll be ready for training camp. Dallas' Summer League team playing under Jared Dudley found its first win against the Celtics after three straight losses. Olivier Maxwell-Prosper, the Mavs' 2023 first-round pick who played sparingly last season, who has overall struggled in Vegas, shooting 37.3%. AJ Lawson, Dallas' fourth-year wing out of South Carolina, scored 21 points while Eddie House's son Jaelen House tried to keep Boston in the game in a spot start, posting 18 points and nine assists on 7-for-19 shooting (2-7 3PT). 

Denver: Signed veteran Russell Westbrook after his two-year run with the Clippers ended with a trade to the Jazz that freed him to join the Nuggets on a minimum deal after his release. Westbrook will likely start in place of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope after averaging 11.1 PPG, 5.0 RPG and 4.5 APG on 45.4% shooting, mostly coming off the bench in LA. He finished seventh in sixth man of the year voting, but his three-point shooting fell to 27.3%, his worst mark since 2019-20 with Houston. That makes him a questionable fit next to Nikola Jokić, who usually patrols the interior for Denver, unless Westbrook commits to screening for the big man like Bruce Brown once did. At Summer League, Julian Strawther thrived in his two games (28.5 PPG) while 2024 second-round pick Trey Alexander shot 40% from three. Peyton Watson, Christian Braun, Zeke Nnaji and Strawther all need to step up. 

Golden State: Warriors owner Joe Lacob will not enter the race to purchase the Boston Celtics, his hometown team, unsurprising given the massive tax bills he finished paying with Golden State coming to an end this season. Lacob previously held a minority stake in Boston from 2006-2010 before purchasing the Warriors, but said there's no chance he'll get involved there again. Golden State saw encouraging performances from its young cast at Summer League, with Brandin Podziemski posting 18.5 PPG, 9.5 RPG and 6.5 APG (50% FG, 50% 3PT) alongside Trayce Jackson-Davis' 13.5 PPG and 8.5 RPG (66.7% FG) in their two games together. BC big Quentin Post, the team's second-round pick, scored 10 PPG on 57.1% FG (50% 3PT).

Houston: Only Indiana's Jarace Walker played more minutes than No. 3 overall pick Reed Sheppard did in Las Vegas this week, playing out all four games on the Rockets' schedule down to the buzzer and making a strong case for Summer League MVP. He averaged 20.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG , 3.0 APG and 1.0 SPG while shooting 50% from the field and 27.8% from three. His 4.8 turnovers are an obvious point of needed improvement, but few players looked more comfortable getting their own shot off during the week. Head coach Ime Udoka gave Sheppard a big hug after his 22 points and seven assists over the Wizards. Cam Whitmore (16.7 PPG), AJ Griffin (13.5 PPG) and former Heat center Orlando Robinson (14.5 PPG) also played well for Houston. 

Clippers: Completed a sign-and-trade to add Kris Dunn that sent out Russell Westbrook and allowed him to sign with Denver. LA also sent Utah a second-round pick in the deal for freeing up $4.0 million while adding Dunn at roughly $5.4 million. The Clippers brought in admirable depth in place of Paul George, but his loss looms large in the team's ability to compete offensively. Owner Steve Ballmer said he hated losing George personally, reacting to his departure for the first time. He still expects LA to contend for a championship, though, and likes the roster they've assembled this offseason. 

"From a basketball perspective, Paul is a fantastic player, future Hall of Famer," Ballmer said while showcasing the Intuit Dome on Friday. "But we knew we needed to continue to get better. And with the new CBA, what tools, what flexibility [can be restricted], we made Paul what I consider a great offer. But it was a great offer in terms of us thinking about how to win championships. It wasn't what Paul wanted."

Lakers: Bronny James stumbled badly to begin Summer League in Vegas, carrying his struggles over from the California Classic with 3-for-14 shooting against Houston and a two-point dud against the Celtics where he scored his first basket in the final moments of his 25 minutes. His routine pass breakup in transition and that baseline two received massive ovations from the crowd before James legitimately bounced back into game three, shooting 5-for-11 with two threes against the Hawks and 5-for-10 with five rebounds, three assists and two blocks to help beat Cleveland. First-round pick Dalton Knecht took a seat after three games, shooting 39.1% from three on 7.7 attempts per game. Colin Castleton, a two-way big, averaged a double-double. Jaylen Brown clarified himself on Twitter after appearing to say James doesn't look like a pro while watching him against the Celtics court side. 

Memphis: Zach Edey suffered two injuries during Summer League, the second a right ankle sprain ended his Vegas stint after only one game where he shot 3-for-3 with three rebounds and a block in eight minutes. Edey had previously rolled his ankle during Salt Lake City Summer League, forcing him to miss the Grizzlies' first three games in Vegas. GG Jackson built on a strong rookie season while playing out the full schedule in Vegas, averaging 21.5 PPG and 9.5 RPG in a dominant offensive performance, gliding to the rim for a dunk in one fluid motion during one of his drives. The Grizzlies traded former No. 9 overall pick Ziaire Williams to Brooklyn for Mamadi Diakite, a move that clears enough money for Memphis to re-sign Luke Kennard.

Miami: Unsurprisingly the most impressive team at Summer League. Kel'el Ware averaged 17.3 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 1.5 SPG and 2.0 BPG on 60.5% shooting while trying 1.8 threes per game (28.6%). He rose far above the rim on his dunks and with Bam Adebayo shooting 3-for-5 from deep in a USA exhibition against Serbia, there's hope that the Heat could try some double-big combinations this season with Thomas Bryant in the front-court mix too. Jaime Jaquez dominated his summer appearances, posting 26.0 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 3.5 APG and 1.5 SPG on 58.1% shooting (42.9% 3PT). Cole Swider hit 50% of his threes and Keshad Johnson, an undrafted wing from San Diego State, has shot well on limited attempts (47.4% FG, 50% 3PT). They'll play the Warriors in the Summer League semifinals opposite of Clippers-Grizzlies on Sunday before the championship on Monday. 

Milwaukee: Khris Middleton underwent surgeries on both ankles this offseason as his string of knee, upper and lower body injuries across recent seasons continue. He suffered what he called the worst ankle sprain he's ever had on the left side during the regular season before a sprain on his right during the first-round playoff series against the Pacers limited him alongside Milwaukee's other ailments. Middleton bounced back from a decline in shooting across two straight seasons, finishing 49.3% from the field and 38.1% from three during the regular season before carrying the Bucks' offense with 24.7 PPG through his injury in the playoffs. Doc Rivers said Middleton will recover in time for training camp. Rookie AJ Johnson shot 41.7% from three in Summer League while Tyler Smith struggled (44.4% FG, 26.3% 3PT). Patrick Beverley, who played with the Bucks last season, signed a $2 million deal with bonuses in Israel that made his contract the largest in Hapoel Tel Aviv franchise history. He said he weighed multiple NBA minimums. 

Minnesota: The Wolves' two rookies Terrence Shannon Jr. (56.3% FG) and Rob Dillingham (28.1% FG) had polar opposite shooting performances in Las Vegas, Shannon's Summer League slate coming to an end with a left toe injury. Anthony Edwards took the lead for Team USA in their exhibition games, scoring 13 points against Canada, 14 over Australia and 16 to blow out Australia while moving between the starting lineup and the bench. 

New York: Their search for center depth continues, checking in on Hawks center Clint Capela, keeping in touch with free agent Precious Achiuwa and currently entering 2024-25 with Mitchell Robinson as the only big who's logged consistent NBA minutes. New York added Cam Payne to their backcourt on a minimum deal while rookie point guard Tyler Kolek showed out at Summer League, scoring 21 points in the Knicks' win over the Kings before serving seven more flashy assists in a one-point win over the Pistons. He has averaged 10.5 PPG, 4.0 RPG and 7.3 APG on 37.8% shooting. Pacôme Dadiet (33.3% FG, 13.3% 3PT) looks like he'll need more time after entering the NBA Draft at 18. 

Orlando: Pat Williams, a former baseball player turned basketball executive, died at 84 after a career that included a championship with the 76ers and helping create the Orlando Magic as an expansion team in 1989. He was involved in team ownership until his retirement in 2019. At Summer League, the Magic received double-figure scoring from 2023 first-rounder Jett Howard (19.0 PPG), 2024 first round selection Tristan Da Silva (17.7 PPG) and Anthony Black (12.5 PPG). Free agent Markelle Fultz likely will not return to the Magic after rejuvenating his career over the last five seasons there. 

Philadelphia: Will play the Celtics in their final Summer League games on Sunday after receiving inconsistent shooting from first-round pick Jared McCain (25.4% FG, 25.0% 3PT) through their first four games. Ricky Council IV, who played with Jordan Walsh at Arkansas, showed out after earning a standard 76ers contract last season with 18.8 PPG. Former Syracuse point guard Judah Mintz, who joined the team for Summer League, averaged 11.0 PPG. With hopes for a downtown arena meeting resistance in Philadelphia, the 76ers' practice facility home of Camden, NJ could host the team.

Phoenix: Kevin Durant returned from a calf injury that threatened his participation with Team USA in London for the team's final two exhibitions against South Sudan and Germany before the Olympics begin later this month. Maine Celtics associate head coach John Little will coach the G-League Suns in their first season this year. 

Portland: Solid start for Donovan Clingan defensively overshadowed some early shooting struggles. His 4.2 BPG would set a Summer League record. It's still unclear how they'll balance out minutes for Deandre Ayton, Robert Williams III and Clingan at the five. Williams III returned to workouts this week after undergoing knee surgery early last season. 

San Antonio: Just a reminder that Victor Wembanyama will play in the Olympics for France this summer. He put on a dazzling scoring display against Canada's Dillon Brooks, playing the perimeter with Rudy Gobert at center. They lost the exhibition, but might be the biggest US threat in the field. 

Washington: No player at Summer League got off to a slower start than No. 2 overall pick Alex Sarr, who followed up poor shooting games in his first two appearances with a baffling 0-for-15 display against the Trail Blazers. Sarr finished his first four appearances averaging 5.5 PPG, shooting 19.1% from the field and 11.8% from three. Plenty of players have struggled at Summer League and went on to have good careers, but this is about as poorly as you can play to begin your career. Sarr made up for it some with 7.8 RPG, 3.3 APG and 2.5 BPG.