LAS VEGAS -- The Boston Celtics barely scraped by in their first game of NBA Summer League. It was an 83-80 win over the Toronto Raptors, and at first, it looked like Boston was going to get kicked to the curb.
In the first five minutes of the game, the Celtics shot 0-for-5 from the field and turned the ball over seven times. It looked like it would be a long Summer League for Boston's youngsters. But they fought back, and during that fight, they showed some promise.
Perhaps the most noteworthy performance on Friday night came from first-round rookie Chris Cenac Jr., the No. 27 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft (and Brad Stevens' earliest-ever draft selection since taking over the front office). He looks like a guy who could blossom into something special.
"I feel like it all felt natural, honestly. I've always felt like my game was better in the NBA," Cenac said on Saturday afternoon when asked what about Friday's game felt natural. "But yeah, it all felt natural. I just went out and played hard, made the right reads, [and] let the game come to me."
Cenac's rebounding jumped off the page more than anything. Every chance he got, he found a way to get a hand on the ball. He finished the night with five offensive boards and five defensive boards. He never let up on the glass.
And defensively, despite an underwhelming shot-blocking season as a freshman at Houston, he showed out. Cenac had four blocks, two of which came directly as a result of his elite foot speed. It's been just one game, but Cenac's defense already looks impressive.
The rebounding and defense may already be close to NBA level (or at NBA level, in the case of the rebounding), but the offense was where the real under-the-radar flashes popped up. Cenac is a raw offensive talent, but the talent is undoubtedly there.
In the fourth quarter, he broke out a crossover move, driving baseline for a bucket. It was an atypical play for a near-7-footer. The type of movement that makes you raise your eyebrows. There's something to be unearthed from Cenac's offense. Something exciting.
As for Hugo Gonzalez, in spite of a horrific shooting performance, he flashed some improvement. His ball-handling, in particular, stood out. Every one of his eight assists was important on Friday, and he was under a ton of pressure.
Boston used him as its primary offensive creator for most of the night, and he only turned the ball over three times. It was the type of offensive performance that should give hope that Gonzalez could be a real creator in Boston down the line. The shots just have to fall.
Amari Williams grew into his game as the night went on, and Dillon Mitchell threw down a ridiculous slam. Even John Tonje was impressive, giving the Celtics some much-needed buckets throughout the evening. But the guy who stood out most to me (after Cenac and Gonzalez) was Milos Uzan.
Uzan spent last season at Houston, where he was teammates with Cenac. The four-year college point guard -- two at Oklahoma, two at Houston -- was a heavy-minutes player for Kelvin Sampson last year, notching 32.9 per contest, the most on the team.
The Celtics snatched him up right after the draft ended, signing him to an Exhibit 10 contract. And in his first Summer League game, Uzan showed why. He only had five points, four rebounds, and five assists, shooting just 2-of-9 from the field and 1-of-3 from deep, but he was a team-high +17 and played rock-solid defense.
"He was great on both ends of the ball," head coach Amile Jefferson said. "Defensively, his ball pressure really helped our attack. Just being able to get into the ball, speed the offensive player up, disrupt their offense. It was huge for us. And then he brought a calming presence on offense, which really helped us get into our sets and flow more seamlessly. Him working with Amari in the get-game and the pick-and-roll. He's just a really good, dynamic guard who's smart, cerebral, and he sees the floor really well."
Uzan wouldn't let Toronto's ball-handlers rest. They went at him constantly, but he took on the challenge with a ferociousness that completely changed Boston's defensive attack. When he was in the game, the momentum was skewed in the Celtics' favor.
I mentioned it in a previous article, but the Celtics have some flexibility with their two-way contracts heading into next season. The 23-year-old should definitely be on their radar to fill one of their open spots.
© Amber Searls
AJ Dybantsa
1. Vegas rookie takeover
It's been a rookie show in Las Vegas so far. On Thursday night, I got to watch Brockton's own AJ Dybantsa suit up for the Washington Wizards as he took on Utah Jazz rookie Darryn Peterson. The No. 1 and No. 2 picks in the 2026 NBA Draft went at it.
What seemed to be a nagging calf cramp took Dybantsa out of the game late in the fourth, but when he was on the court, he was