JD Davison is already a Maine Celtics legend — but he wants more

PORTLAND, MAINE — A raucous Portland Expo crowd rose to its feet as JD Davison sunk a free throw, a shot that cemented his place as the Maine Celtics’ all-time leading scorer.

In just over two G League seasons, Davison has scored 1597 points, eclipsing the previous franchise mark of 1591 points held by Chris Wright.

The scoring record is somewhat of an unorthodox accomplishment; on one hand, it captures Davison’s consistent G League excellence. On the other, it highlights the fact he’s still removed from his ultimate goal of playing in the NBA on a standard deal.

Davison, who was drafted with the No. 53 pick in the 2022 draft, is currently on his third consecutive two-way contract with the Celtics. Once again, he’s spending most of his time with the team’s G League affiliate, at least in the early days of the season.

In Portland, he draws by far the loudest applause upon being introduced in the starting lineup. After games, fans clamor for his autograph or a chance to say hello.

“All-time scoring record — that’s tough!” one fan bellowed towards the 6’1 guard on Friday night.

“JD Davison, the NBA champion,” yelled another.

Davison, after all, has become the indisputable cornerstone of the G League franchise — a familiar face that the passionate local fans cherish. As NBA players have shuffled in and out of Maine — current Celtics rotation players Jordan Walsh and Neemias Queta were both beloved Maine guys last season — Davison has remained a steady presence in Portland.

“He’s a fan favorite,” said Maine Celtics head coach Tyler Lashbrook, who is in his first season as head coach.

On Friday night, the Celtics were blown out by the Westchester Knicks, 127-100. They trailed by as many as 49 points. The crowd didn’t have as much to cheer for as usual, but the gymnasium was still inundated with fans until the final buzzer.

“You gotta love the Expo crowd,” Davison said postgame. “Everybody comes out — they always support.”

Across the board, Davison has only gotten better year after year. As a 20-year-old rookie, he averaged 13.2 points and 7.7 assists; last season, those numbers increased to 21.5 points and 8.5 assists.

This season, he came out hot out of the gate, posting two consecutive 30+ point outings. As the team’s primary facilitator and game manager, he’s averaging 11.7 assists through three games.

When the season began, Davison had no idea that he was just a few games away from becoming Maine’s all-time scoring leader.

“I didn’t know nothing about it,” Davison said. “I just come out and try to do my job every day, put my best foot forward. Just grateful for it, honestly. It’s a big accomplishment.”

Davison is a man of few words. His postgame remarks are typically succinct, but always kind and respectful. He’s grown into more of a leader through his G League tenure, but it’s obvious that his natural demeanor is to be reserved.

In a way, he’s a superstar. But he doesn’t treat his teammates or members of the Maine Celtics organization with any sort of an ego.

“I try to leave my little mark on everybody, try to be grateful for everybody,” Davison said with a smile. “Like Jayson Tatum, I would say — I try to treat everybody the same.”

JD Davison’s pathway toward a standard NBA contract is an uphill climb

Davison has signed three two-way contracts, with a total combined total value of $1,647,250. Notably, he’s the first player in NBA history to sign three consecutive two-way contracts with the same organization — and this season is the last time he’ll be eligible to play on a two-way.

So, he’s not shy about outright stating his goal: a fully-guaranteed NBA contract.

“Coming into Year 3, I’m just trying to build a different type of role going into this year,” Davison said. “Try to get signed — basically, try to get a full contract.”

The third-year guard took advantage of increased preseason opportunities with the Celtics. He appeared in all five of Boston’s preseason games, averaging 7 points and 2.4 assists per game, while shooting 45.5% from the field and 42.9% from three. His preseason run was punctuated by a 12-point explosion in the final 5 minutes of the Celtics loss to the Raptors on October 15th, in which he nearly helped the parent club erase a double-digit deficit.

Davison began the G League season out with a bang, averaging 30.5 points and 14 assists in the first two games of exhibition play. But, just because he’s improved, doesn’t necessarily mean there’s an opportunity in Boston.

The Celtics’ backcourt is crowded and teeming with talent; Jrue Holiday and Derrick White are both Olympic guards and two of the best defenders in the game, while Payton Pritchard is having a breakout season in which he’s started to look like a starting guard, too.

It’s a logjam for minutes and opportunities that Joe Mazzulla has spoken candidly about on numerous occasions.

“There’s nothing harder than being a young player with the Celtics,” Mazzulla said last month. “The young guys have to be very, very patient — because the roster is very top-heavy.”

Mazzulla said both Davison and fellow two-way player Drew Peterson have noticeably improved since last season.

“They’ve gotten better as players,” Mazzulla said. “But when you’re in this situation with the Celtics organization, it can be hard to see the growth. You just kind of have to be patient.”

For now, Davison is focused on being the best player he can be in Maine

JD Davison is both the franchise’s all-time points and assists leader and e’s just 10 steals away from becoming the franchise’s all-time steals leader. Last season, he was named to the All-NBA G-League third team.

He’s achieved almost everything one can achieve in the G-League.

In Maine, Tyler Lashbrook has replaced Blaine Mueller, who served as the team’s head coach last season, but is now an assistant coach for Charles Lee with the Charlotte Hornets.

“I’m just always impressed with him and his maturity, and his growth, and his ability to grow year over year,” said Tyler Lashbrook. “He deserves all those records, and he means a lot here. I’ve learned that pretty quickly.”

Davison said that the two head coaches — who spent last year’s playoff run together in Boston — are similar in their approach. One apparent similarity is how both speak glowingly about the floor general; Mueller consistently praised Davison’s leadership and basketball IQ to the media last season.

“[I] see a lot of similarities with him and Blaine. They were close, especially in Boston,” Davison said. “One of the guys that trusts in me a lot. [He] lets me run the show, so one of the guys I appreciate.”

Davison said he draws a lot of confidence from Joe Mazzulla and Brad Stevens, both of whom he’s in regular communications with. He knows and appreciated that they wanted him back on a two-way when they could have gone back to the drawing board and offered the opportunity to someone else.

Ultimately, Davison’s dream of becoming a full-time NBA player is rooted in a desire to provide a better life for his family. He’s going to work endlessly to make that happen, and at 22 years old, he’s still one of the younger guys on the Maine squad.

“I talk to my family every day,” Davison said. “I just want to change their lifestyle.”