



The Celtics will play their fifth and final Summer League game this Sunday against the Atlanta Hawks in Las Vegas, giving their collection of young players and roster hopefuls one last chance to impress Boston’s decision makers.
Which players have boosted their stock the most thus far? Here’s a look at how eight notable Summer Celtics have fared through four games:
15-man roster members
Jordan Walsh >> If you disregard his occasional fouling issues — including the back-to-back technicals that got him ejected from Boston’s game against Miami, which he said head coach Joe Mazzulla loved — this has been a productive tournament for Walsh, as it should be for a comparatively experienced player entering his third NBA season.
Walsh is the Celtics’ leading Summer League scorer, totaling 60 points over four games despite being booted from one before halftime. He has been effective in transition, benefiting from the summer squad’s mandate to push the pace, and has been a much more reliable outside shooter than he was in either of his first two NBA seasons (though his 65.2% free-throw shooting needs improvement).
In 60 career games with the big club, Walsh has made just 26.6% of his 3-pointers (on 1.0 attempts per game). He’s at 38.9% so far in Vegas (7-for-18) — an encouraging development as the 21-year-old tries to crack Mazzulla’s core rotation for the first time.
Baylor Scheierman >> Scheierman has played by far the most minutes of any Celtics Summer Leaguer, and he’s been the centerpiece of Boston’s offense, leading the team in assists, field-goal attempts and 3-point attempts by wide margins.
His passing has been impressive, as has his playmaking on defense (team-high 2.3 steals per game). His shooting, however, has not. Scheierman enters the Celtics’ summer finale with a field-goal percentage of 27.4% and a 3-point field-goal percentage of 20.5%.
Credit to him for maintaining his confidence — he’s taken at least seven threes in every game, including a total of 24 over the last two — and not letting his wayward shot affect other areas of his game. But the 2024 first-round draft pick will need to be a lot more efficient for Mazzulla to trust him with a more substantial role this season.
Hugo Gonzalez >> As a 19-year-old just weeks removed from his final season with Real Madrid, the Celtics were expecting an adjustment period for Gonzalez, their top 2025 draft pick. And he’s certainly looked raw in some Summer League contests, struggling at times to handle the speed of even this watered-down version of the NBA game. That was especially true in his second outing, during which he had six turnovers and seven personal fouls while shooting 3-for-12 in a loss to the Heat.
Gonzalez has provided plenty of reasons for optimism, however. He came as advertised as a high-motor player who always plays hard, reguarly showcasing the cutting ability that Brad Stevens spotlighted on draft night. Gonzalez leads all Celtics non-bigs in offensive rebounds (seven), and he’s also shot the ball better than he did with his Spanish club, albeit in a limited sample size.
Even including the rough showing against the Heat, Gonzalez has made 37.5% of his threes in Vegas (6-for-16), way up from his 25.0% mark for Real Madrid.
Time will tell how often Gonzalez will see the floor as a teenage rookie, but there’s a lot to like about the youngster’s game.
Two-way players
Miles Norris >> Norris is looking to stick around after signing a two-way deal with the C’s late last season, and his hustle has been evident in Summer League. The long, lanky wing has three blocks, five steals and six offensive rebounds over his 69 minutes of floor time, and he’s scored in double figures twice. Norris hasn’t shown much touch as a shooter, though, making just 23.5% of his threes.
Amari Williams >> Williams boasts intriguing physical traits as a 7-footer with a 7-foot-6 wingspan, and the second-round draft pick showed flashes of his renowned passing prowess in the early days of his Celtics tenure. Overall, though, his output has been limited. The rookie center has averaged 6.3 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 19.0 minutes over his three appearances.
Max Shulga >> The positives for Shulga, the only Celtics draft pick to play in (and start) all four Summer League games: He has a strong 17-to-3 assist-to-turnover ratio as Boston’s primary point guard, and he’s notched seven steals on defense, second-most on the team. The not-so-positives: The second-rounder out of VCU is the only player who’s shot the ball worse than Scheierman, going 6-for-24 from the field (25.0%) and 2-for-12 from three (16.7%).
Summer fliers
Charles Bassey >> The surprise star of Summer League for the Celtics, Bassey averaged 15.3 points, 11.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game over his three appearances, notching a pair of double-doubles. The former San Antonio Spurs reserve led the team in blocks (six) and offensive rebounds (12), shot 70.4% and went 8-for-8 from the foul line. Then, he left, departing before Thursday’s win over the Lakers.
The 24-year-old big man only signed to play in three Summer League games for Boston because he had other commitments, according to the team, and it’s unclear whether the Celtics want to continue working with him. He looked like a player worthy of at least a training camp invitation, especially given how devoid of proven talent the C’s current frontcourt is, but could have other suitors after his strong showing in Sin City.
Kenneth Lofton Jr. >> Lofton, who’s coming off an MVP season in the Chinese Basketball Association, is an unpredictable but undeniably fun player. His 6-foot-6, 275-pound frame belies a fluid and versatile offensive skill set, as he’s able to get to the rim, launch threes and deliver well-placed long-range passes. Defensively? Well, his issues at that end explain why he’s struggled to stick in the NBA despite putting up 42 points in one game as a Memphis Grizzlies rookie in 2022.
Late in Thursday’s win over Los Angeles, Lofton gathered the ball for an inbounds pass and fired a bomb past halfcourt to Walsh, who finished with a windmill dunk. That game was a microcosm of the 22-year-old’s roller-coaster tournament: 5-for-8, 2-for-4 from three, 12 points, seven rebounds, five assists, three steals, one block, five turnovers and eight fouls in 20 minutes.