LAS VEGAS -- By the time the regular season begins, Boston Celtics rookie Dillon Mitchell will be 23 years old. He's on the older side for a rookie. Jordan Walsh, who will be entering his fourth NBA campaign, won't turn 23 until March 3.
The two forwards were in the same high school class. They were All-Americans together. "We was at McDonald's together coming out of high school," Mitchell said. And at one point, they even considered attending college together.
“It's so funny that you call him young guys, because me and Dillon Mitchell were the same class in high school," Walsh said. "Literally, we were talking about going to the same college to play with each other in high school before college. So, it's so weird to hear him call young guys, just because I'm going into my fourth year and he's starting. So, it's just kind of a crazy experience. But obviously, wish him the best. Obviously, I have some history with him, so excited to see his journey.”
"That would have been an athletic team, I tell you that," Mitchell said of him and Walsh potentially playing college ball together. "I don't know where we would have went. Probably, I guess Arkansas; he went to Arkansas. But yeah, that would have definitely been an athletic team. That would have been fun. But we're here now. You know, it all comes around.”
Both guys have come a long way since high school. The only difference is that Walsh was a one-and-done at Arkansas, while Mitchell spent four years bouncing around the NCAA. But just because they're the same age and have a history doesn't mean Mitchell will be receiving any special treatment from Walsh, who was labeled 'Rook' his rookie season in the NBA.
“Yeah, because we go by years. We're not going by age. I'm not going by age," Walsh said with a smile. "But yeah, I'm still the vet. He's still gonna get called Rook, like me, the whole season. So yeah.”
Walsh is an NBA Champion. Last year, he enjoyed a breakout campaign that saw him emerge as one of the league's most promising perimeter defenders. Meanwhile, Mitchell has yet to log a single NBA minute. But through two Summer League games, Mitchell has already raised some eyebrows.
After a relatively underwhelming performance against the Toronto Raptors, Mitchell lit the gym on fire on Sunday afternoon. In a blowout win over the Charlotte Hornets, he filled up the stat sheet. Mitchell ended the game with 24 points, eight rebounds (seven offensive), two assists, six steals, and two blocks. He shot 10-of-20 from the field and 2-of-5 from deep range.
Mitchell was a monster. Everywhere he went, chaos followed (in the best way possible). Whether it was soaring in for offensive rebounds or jumping a pass for a steal, Mitchell never stopped moving.
“He was so alive today. He played with such great energy," Amile Jefferson said of Mitchell. "He crashed every time. He had like three different times that he almost had a tip dunk. And so, when he's playing with that kind of pop, he's going to be really good. And then anytime he gets an open three, he should shoot it, and he did that today. He was confident, and so that's all we want. We want our guys to play hard, play confident, and do it together.”
Without Mitchell's offensive rebounding, Boston would have been in a much different position. The Celtics eventually cruised to an 87-75 victory, but Mitchell's game-high seven offensive rebounds helped the Celtics attempt 14 more shots than the Hornets.
“I mean, that's the culture here is to crash the glass and rebound," Mitchell said. "It doesn't matter if you don't score, anything like that. All they look at is if you're going. They don't even care if you get the rebound necessarily. It's just make sure you're going every time.”
That said, the 3-point shot was the most eye-opening part of Mitchell's game. His rebounding was crucial. The defense was elite, but that was his M.O. in college. But last year at St. John's, he shot 1-of-5 from deep range. He made two on Sunday afternoon.
“Just the work that we've been putting in, especially with Coach Craig [Luschenat]," Mitchell said. "Just working on the jump shot and being confident. Confident in it. I mean, Kalkbrenner was guarding me, and he was just playing off. They're looking at me every time, like, bro, shoot the ball. So, I mean, I shot maybe half as many threes I did today than the whole season [at St. John's]. Just going out there and just playing confident, and especially hearing their confidence in me to just shoot the ball, and I know they're going to crash and everything like that. So, just the confidence they instill in us.”
After the Celtics drafted Mitchell, Mike Zarren went on the record stating that he was confident in Mitchell's ability to develop a jump shot. Sunday afternoon was certainly a step in the right direction.
Boston has some options for officially adding Mitchell to the roster. At this point, a two-way deal should be inevitable. The real question is, should he get a standard roster spot? If he keeps playing like this? Maybe. Just maybe.
© Winslow Townson
Sam Hauser with Craig Luschenat in the background
Mitchell shouted out a very important person in his post-game interview. Craig Luschenat: The head of Boston's Player Development team. He may not get the public credit of Joe Mazzulla, Sam Cassell, Jefferson, or even Matt Reynolds, who is in charge of the Celtics' challenges, but he's an integral figurehead in the organization.
“I think he's [Mitchell] with the best development guy in the entire NBA," Jefferson said. "And so, he's going to get better. His entire game is going to get better. Craig Luschenat is, I think, the best at what he does, and Dillon is lucky to be working with him. I think it's going to show because we get our guys better.”
After the Celtics' practice on Saturday, I watched Luschenat on the floor with Chris Cenac and Mitchell for at least 20 minutes. He had his laptop on his lap, and he just went over film with the rookies.
The day before, after the Celtics' morning shootaround, Luschenat -- along with Celtics assistants Tony Dobbins, Ross McMains, and others -- walked onto the empty court at the Thomas & Mack Center. Jayson Tatum and Neemias Queta worked out, but before that, it was just Queta.
McMains and Queta were working together, practicing his post moves and finishing around the rim. Luschenat stood at half-court just observing. He'd get in on the drills when called upon, but he was just watching. Taking in every piece of information he possibly could.
That's what he does every single game. I would get to Celtics games over three hours before tip-off. Every single time, like clockwork, Luschenat would be there. As John Tonje, Amari Williams, and Boston's other two-way guys worked out, Luschenat would stand at half-court watching. He wants to put every single player on a plan that helps develop their specific needs.
“Craig's been amazing," Tonje said on Sunday. "Since the first day I've been in Boston, I sat down with him, I had a conversation, and we kind of set a plan, and just been chipping away at it ever since.”
Luschenat also works very closely with Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser, and Baylor Scheierman. Improving 3-point shots is his specialty. All three of those guys have quickly become some of the most reliable 3-point marksmen on the Celtics and around the league.
But he doesn't do it alone. Alongside him is one of the most impressive player development groups in the association. Da'Sean Butler. God Shammgod Jr. Nana Foulland. Steve Tchiengang. Alex Merg. Tyler Lashbrook. McMains. DJ MacLeay. Dobbins. Reynolds. Jefferson. The entire staff has been carefully crafted, and it's created one of the best player development organizations in the NBA.
“I think it's all about the little things, like you said. Everything's very disciplined, and it's looking at the little things and not trying to look at the big picture of things," Mitchell said. "Taking it one day at a time. Nobody's expecting any of us to just become a whole different player the next day, but just one day at a time, getting better, working on things, and trying to get 1% better every day.”
Luschenat is a local guy. He attended Andover High School in Andover, Massachusetts. And now, he's found a home with his hometown club. Maybe that's where he wants to stay. But if he ever had head-coaching dreams, any team in the league would be making a hire that could transform their organization's future.
© David Butler II
Derrick White
A new face may start rising the coaching ranks in Boston, too. Although he'll probably have to finish his playing career first. During Sunday's Summer League game, Derrick White sat on the bench with the Celtics' coaching staff. He even sported the same pink polo.
“He's such a good guy, man," Jefferson said. "Me and him have gotten really close. Love that dude. Obviously, incredible off the court, and more incredible on the court. And me and him have a good relationship. We talked about it. He was like, 'I really wanted to coach a game.' Come on, let's do it. Really good for our guys to see him doing that, to be around him, to share his knowledge with them, and then to just motivate them. That breeds Celtics culture. That's what it's about.”
Throughout the game, White was