Boston Celtics forward Jordan Walsh during an NBA Summer League basketball game against the Miami Heat on
Saturday, July 8, 2023, at the Cox Pavilion in the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. (Madeline Carter/Las Vegas
Review-Journal via AP)AP
The Celtics ended Summer League with a 2-3 record overall in Las Vegas this past weekend, likely kicking off a
quieter time in Boston’s offseason after some big changes by Brad Stevens since a disappointing end to the 2023
season.
Boston officially added Jordan Walsh to a 15-man contract and added Jay Scrubb on a two-way contract in the past
two weeks. However, there are many other lessons learned from the past few week in Las Vegas as it pertains to the
roster that Stevens is trying to push the finishing touches on for this fall.
Let’s take a closer look at four of those takeaways from the past week:
JD Davidson is still a ways away: The 2022 second-round pick is still just 20 years old so the team is going to
give him an extra year of development before making any grand assessments. With that said, Davidson did not make
tangible on-court gains during his second year of Summer League. His turnover rate was way up and shooting
efficiency took a step back and that’s not the recipe you want to see for point guard who already has a questionable
jumpshot. The pace he can play with is enticing but it’s hard to see him putting together enough of a complete
package at this point to make a 15-man roster anytime soon.
Jay Scrubb could be helpful in a pinch: Boston officially signed the 6-foot-5 to a two-way deal over the
weekend as he stood out as the best backcourt prospect on Boston’s roster in Vegas. This will be his final year of two-
way eligibility in the NBA but he looks like he has the offensive skillet that can help Boston in a pinch this year as a
lefty who can get to the rim and hit 3s consistently. Scrubb averaged 14 points despite only playing 20 minutes per
game so he looks like a wildcard option off the bench during a night when Boston’s wing rotation is shorthanded.
Scrubb essentially did what he’s supposed to do as a fourth year player in Summer League but his willingness to take
a two-way deal made him an appealing candidate to make this roster.
Jordan Walsh may be closer than anticipated: The second-round pick has earned plenty of accolades from
scouts around the league this week, even earning a top-5 ranking from SB Nation for his play among rookies in
Summer League. He knocked down 40.7 percent of his 3s over five games with a healthy volume number (5.4) so
that type of production could quickly propel him into a 10th or 11th man for this team rather than a Maine
developmental project. Walsh is far from a sure thing from being a factor on this year’s roster but he could be
pushing for rotation minutes if Brad Stevens fails to add more depth at the wing spot via the trade market or free
agency.
Justin Champagnie looks like a cut candidate: His deal is non-guaranteed until midseason but there are a
number of incentive days that are upcoming including $50,000 on August 1st and another $350,000 on opening
night. If Brad Stevens is serious about adding more help to the roster as he declared last week, it’s hard to see
Champagnie surviving beyond training camp. The Celtics could keep him to compete for a roster spot or a two-way
but he doesn’t necessarily have a skillset that would translate well for Boston on the wing given the complexion of the
roster.
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