LAS VEGAS — The Boston Celtics got back in the win column on Monday night, taking down the Los Angeles Lakers in the premiere showcase of the evening. Bronny James drew oohs and ahhs from the crowd, but Boston got the job done, earning an 88-74 victory.
Neemias Queta was the leading scorer of the evening, pouring in 22 points and grabbing eight rebounds. Jahmi’s Ramsey had 13 points off the pine, and Drew Peterson also chipped in with 12 points, five rebounds, and three assists.
1. Neemias Queta is back on track
After a relatively lackluster Summer League debut, Queta showed why the Celtics invested a three-year contract into him on Monday evening. The Portuguese behemoth was by far the best big man on the floor, and the Lakers had no answer for him, as evidenced by his nine free-throw attempts (of which he made eight).
The best sign of improvement from his first game was defensive confidence. Against the Miami Heat, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Isaiah Stevens, and others would glide by defenders, but rather than help over in the paint, Queta hesitated. On Monday, there was no hesitation. Queta made his presence known, and his three blocks were evidence of that.
Queta has also been challenged with defending on the perimeter more, as the coaching staff are attempting to prepare him for potential real minutes in Boston next season.
“Guys want me to get out there and just be effective [and] impactful defensively in the paint,” Queta said. “And even more on the perimeter, too. They’re getting me to switch a lot more on the perimeter, stay in front of guards.
“So, that’s also one of the things I wanted to work on coming into Summer League, and definitely staying out of foul trouble. And we’re on the right path.”
2. Jaden Springer’s odd night off
In the Celtics’ first Summer League game, Jaden Springer was the best player on the floor. But he didn’t even get onto the floor against the Lakers. Instead, he could be seen on the bench in street clothes.
Springer was wearing similar attire for the Celtics’ earlier practice session, too, but head coach DJ MacLeay wouldn’t give a straight answer as to his standing for the rest of Summer League.
“He played great in Game 1. And he’s gonna be out here with us for another couple of days,” said MacLeay. “So, we don’t really have any information other than that right now.
Nor would MacLeay reveal whether or not the Celtics guard is injured.
“Nope, we don’t think so,” MacLeay said when asked if Springer is hurt.
3. Jordan Walsh’s bounce-back
Jordan Walsh may have had the worst game of his professional career on Saturday. But he made up for it against the Lakers.
At practice, Walsh spoke about a message Sam Cassell gave him, noting that he won’t be judged based on his shot-making but rather his defense. That’s was Walsh focused on in his follow-up performance.
The youngster still failed to make a three, shooting 0-of-5, but his defensive presence shined through. He nabbed three steals and picked up a block as well, as his body language looked infinitely better than it did against Miami.
“I think, in general, he was just playing within himself,” MacLeay said of Walsh. “Like, he had a better way about him today. He was committed on the defensive end, which I think is where he’s going to be at his best.
“And I really have given him a lot of credit. He kind of embraced a failure of the other night, and he just took it on the chin, and played much, much better. Played much more within himself, and much more like the guy we know and he’s been for the last couple of months.”
Seeing some threes go down would still go a long way for Walsh and his potential place in Boston’s rotation, but this was a massive step in the right direction.
4. Drew Peterson finds something
It’s been a weird couple of games for Drew Peterson so far. The 24-year-old joined the Celtics for the latter portion of last season, and he looked great in Maine.
Against the Heat, Peterson’s defensive impact was far superior, and against the Lakers, his three-point shooting proved to be his best asset. The versatility feeds into the way Peterson wants to present himself within the organization. It’s what he strives to be moving forward.
“Just getting a little bigger. Stuff like that. And like I said, I’m taking in everything I can from the older guys and doing what I can to compete,” said Peterson. “Shooting, defensively, I like to be a do-it-all guy. So, anything I can do to help the team. Tonight, it happened to be shooting, and anything I can do out there to help is my goal.”
5. Baylor Scheierman challenged defensively
An ice-cold shooting night (1-of-6 from deep) wasn’t enough to slow down Celtics rookie Baylor Scheierman. Rather than slump his head and shy away from the moment, Scheierman allowed his value to be put on display in different aspects of the game.
His passing has proven to be one of the most valuable tools in his belt, and the former Bluejay’s nose for offensive rebounds is extremely impressive as well.
But perhaps the best part of Scheierman’s game against the Lakers was his defense. He didn’t stand up well against Jaquez and the Heat, but he turned things around on Monday.
“I think after the game the other night, we really talked about, that just is not our standard,” said MacLeay. “It was a group-wide thing, but it was something that we talked about with Baylor as well. And I thought he really like took on that challenge. He took it on the chin, similar to Jordan, and he really was much, much better tonight.
“I think it’s a growing and learning process. The talent level is obviously a lot higher. I love that he wants those challenges. He’s kind of asking for those challenges. He’s trying to grow on his own. He’s committed to that. He’s competitive. And I think that you saw that.
Scheierman guarded Dalton Knecht, the Lakers first-overall pick, for most of the evening. In two-straight games, he’s guarded who could be considered the opposing team’s best player. And while the Celtics are looking to push him defensively, those matchups are something the rookie has been asking for.
“It’s something that he keeps taking on,” MacLeay said. “It’s something that he has really embraced. So, I think that it’s a point of ours to help him grow. But in general, it’s been his ownership of that, more than really us.”
6. Jahmi’s Ramsey: Two-way candidate or Tasmanian devil (or both)?
The talent is clear with Ramsey. After spending the early part of his career with questions surrounding his shooting, he’s slowly putting those narratives to bed. A successful shooting year in the G League is being compounded with an impressive Summer League stroke.
Ramsey began the game against the Lakers with some tough turnovers. He was pressing. It looked as though another team came up to him and said, ‘Hey, we’re scouting you tonight,’ and he was trying to put on a show. But as he settled down, things moved back into place.
His ball-handling got tighter, his shot got better, and his rim attacks were far more controlled. The Tasmanian devil that started the game on offense slowly turned into a guy the Celtics could consider finding a way to keep around.
7. Anton Watson is simply reliable
Nothing will stand out about Anton Watson on both nights, but that should be taken as a huge compliment. The former Bulldog is always in the right place at the right time. He’s always hustling for a rebound. He’s always mucking things up down low.
Everything about Watson screams, ‘Long career as a serviceable back-up center,’ and that’s awesome. He had seven points and seven rebounds against the Lakers, and all of them came within the flow of the game.
8. JD Davison goes quiet
While there were some flashes of solid play for JD Davison against the Lakers, this game wasn’t nearly as impressive as his showing vs. the Heat.
Whether it was James or another Lakers defender, Los Angeles did a good job of slowing Davison down at the point of attack. He wasn’t able to get the same space he’s used to in order to get downhill, create space, and make plays for others.
That said, he still shot well from deep, and that’s the most important thing to be tracking heading into his third year on a two-way contract with Boston.
9. Where, oh where is Tristan Enaruna?
It’s been two Summer League games, and the only player who hasn’t stepped onto the floor for the Celtics is Cleveland State forward Tristan Enaruna. The Celtics have already signed him to a training-camp contract, so they are clearly somewhat fond of him.
So, that begs the question, why isn’t he getting any run in Summer League?
10. The others
Jaelen House earned his first minutes of Summer League, and he made the most of them. Not only was he a pest on the defensive end, but he also picked up a tech in just three minutes on the floor. When the only stat a 6-foot-1 guard produces is a block, it’s always fun.
Meanwhile, Killian Tillie showed some flashes of promise. He started out relatively hot from three but cooled down just as quickly. Defensively, his presence down low led to a couple of blocks. Tillie was more impactful against the Lakers than he was against Miami, but it was still a mediocre performance.
That just leaves Ron Harper Jr., who was a team-worst -11 in the Celtics’ 14-point win over the Lakers. Harper made a three, but for the most part, he just looked like an extra body out there.
Oh yeah, Tyler Cook was there, too.
BONUS: Kristaps Porzingis seems to be doing just fine after surgery, according to MacLeay. “Last time I talked to him, he was on a beach somewhere, and he was just chilling,” he said.
