The Boston Celtics began summer league season courted by some outside confusion.
Three of their four draft picks were guards, including two point guards. As even Marcus Smart wondered, what was Danny Ainge doing, drafting more guards into an already overloaded backcourt?
When Ainge insisted he had to take Terry Rozier at No. 16 because another team was poised to draft the Louisville guard not long after, the choice was hammered. But the Celtics president of basketball operations was right. According to multiple league sources, Chicago was prepared to take Rozier at No. 22.
But after two summer leagues and 16 days on the road, the new rookie class offered a peek into what Ainge was thinking. Jordan Mickey, the 33rd pick, was a dominant rebounder and shot blocker, with a decent ability to score. Rozier and R.J. Hunter, the 28th pick, showed a desire to take big shots.
“There’s no fear in either one of those guys to take the big shot,” said Celtics assistant coach Micah Shrewsberry, who coached the summer league team in Las Vegas. “Some people shy away from it because they don’t want to miss it. You see Terry the last two nights has really stepped up and taken the lead. He put us on his back.
“Everyone saw R.J. on the grand stage in college basketball,” he said. “He’s definitely not afraid to take it and put a team on his back. He takes big shots and makes big shots. A lot of people take them, but he makes them in crucial situations.
“That’s something that we need to know. Sometimes we need to know that (we can count on them). Last year we had multiple guys hit last-second shots. Guys who have that swagger to them, it really helps when you’re drawing plays up late.”
Here’s a breakdown of the Celtics draft picks, with stats from the Las Vegas summer league:
TERRY ROZIER (12.2 ppg, 4.0 apg, .333 FG, .438 3-pt.): Rozier’s so-called burst is what initially piqued the interest of the Celtics staff. And by the time the team reached Las Vegas, he was beating most of his summer league competition off the dribble. Like Smart last summer, Rozier’s shot was a sometimes success. Also like Smart, he was better with shots that truly mattered late in games.
“I’m very confident. I’m a confident person on and off the court,” said Rozier. “I believe in myself more than anybody.”
There are limits. Asked if open shots are the same for him, regardless of where, he laughed and replied, “I’m not J.R. Smith, so I don’t want to say anything crazy.”
R.J. HUNTER (15.6 ppg, .365 FG, .317 3-pt): In part because of his thin build, defense is going to be a challenge for Hunter, though he was surprisingly good at playing the passing lanes and deflecting balls. Perhaps pointing to the help he’ll need once he comes up against real NBA competition, Hunter has been particularly effusive in his praise of the Celtics’ team defensive schemes.
But he’s here because of his jump shot. Until he puts on some weight, he’ll probably have contact at the next level. But he also had one of the quickest releases in both the Las Vegas and Utah summer leagues.
JORDAN MICKEY (13.8 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 2.6 bpg, .529 FG): Some have predicted that Mickey will become the real star of this year’s Celts draft, and he showed a great knack for defending all sorts of frontcourt players – including big centers like Philadelphia’s Jahlil Okafor. The Celtics lacked his kind of athleticism up front last season.
“Everything is new for Jordan, especially defensively,” said Shrewsberry. “But Jordan, from the first practice to Game 9, has gotten so much better. It’s helped his game in terms of blocking shots more.
“We knew he could block shots, but the way he’s guarding on the perimeter against pick-and-rolls, he understands it a little bit better now.”
Mickey credited the competition with his short-term growth.
“When you play against high-IQ guys, you can’t help but get better – where the open spots are, where to be for the ball,” he said. “I definitely grew a bit.”
MARCUS THORNTON (6.8 ppg, .385 FG, .400 3-pt.): Thornton’s slight build occasionally led to trouble, especially when the William & Mary guard ventured into the paint.
But by the time he reached Las Vegas, he was better at finding openings and ways to get off his shot, which is his greatest attribute. His 3-point shooting, especially, came into its own over the last week. But the Celtics aren’t looking to him for immediate help. Management has already discussed with Thornton the prospect of starting overseas as a stash player.
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