What Vegas Told Us About the Boston Celtics: Part 1

Plus why I'm in the minority on a key two-way contract battle

Summer League is officially over for the Boston Celtics. Their loss to the Orlando Magic means they leave the desert with a 3-2 record. Now, as we head into the unforgiving void of the offseason, we’re going to have plenty of time to discuss the current roster, two-way spots, the 15th and final roster spot, and whatever else offseason basketball throws at us.

Before we get there, though, it’s time to start taking stock of Boston’s Summer League roster. For me, the ideal place to start is by looking at some of the lessons we learned over a five-game sample size in Sin City.

The Celtics Envision Hugo As A Do-It-All Forward

Summer League goals are different for everyone. For some, it’s a chance to put themselves in front of decision-makers from around the league. For others, it’s an on-ramp toward the NBA. Yet, for players already experienced at the NBA level, it’s an opportunity to work on their game in a high-intensity environment against players who are giving it everything they've got.

Hugo Gonzalez falls into that third category. He’s already got 74 games of NBA experience under his belt. He’s been part of a professional basketball setup for multiple years. Furthermore, he flew into Las Vegas fresh off representing Spain at an international tournament.

There’s not much Hugo was going to learn simply by showing up and going through the motions.

Instead, the Celtics forced him into an uncomfortable situation.

Hugo found himself dictating the offense, creating out of the pick-and-roll, pressuring the rim on downhill drives and being a focal point on defense. Oh, and that’s before the different types of shots that came his way throughout the course of the tournament.

As a rookie in the NBA, Hugo had none of that responsibility. Last season, his remit was clear: play hard defense, be disruptive, crash the offensive glass and take open threes when they come your way.

I’d assume his role with Real Madrid before jumping to the NBA was similar, too. I also doubt there’s much variance when he’s wearing a Spain jersey, either.

Yet, in Summer League, Hugo got a chance to work through the pitfalls that come with sliding into such a wide-ranging role. His shot was the biggest loser, sitting at 31.8% from the field on 14-of-44 shooting, and 25.9% from deep on 7-of-27. He also struggled with turnovers, giving the ball away 11 times over 5 games.

Teething issues.

Hugo certainly got more out of those five games than his scoring or turnover numbers suggest. He got reps as a focal point. There were opportunities to develop his handle, his processing of the game, and his understanding of how to bend defenses, along with initiating scoring opportunities within a two-man game.

Most importantly, though, he got an understanding of what it takes to be the guy.

Obviously, there’s a huge jump from being a focal point in Summer League and a reliable multi-level contributor in the NBA.

Foundations have to be built somewhere.

I’m not expecting Hugo to suddenly take on a huge role within Joe Mazzulla’s rotation this season.

However, I wouldn’t be surprised to see his on-ball development continue in short spurts throughout the year, especially if he’s going to be playing in a lot of non-Jayson Tatum minutes.

For now, though, Hugo’s calling card will remain his defensive versatility.

“He’s a pro…You saw us last season put him on teams’ five, play him one through five, just whoever the best player is, because he can not only be physical, but he's very mobile,” Amile Jefferson said of Hugo on Saturday. “He can move. He plays with such high energy and intensity that, for a coach, I think it's really helpful to have a guy like that.”

Based on what we saw at Summer League, where he registered 24 rebounds and 17 assists, the long-term vision for Hugo is starting to come into focus. He’s going to need time, reps and patience; however, it was fun seeing him learning on the fly while also getting a sense of what could be yet to come.

The Celtics Are About To Get A LOT More Bouncy

If there’s one thing Chris Cenac Jr. and Dillon Mitchell have in common, it’s that they’re elite athletes. Both can jump out of the gym, both can defend the rim as roamers or helpers, and both are lob threats when cutting (or rolling) toward the rim.

Boston needed a jolt of explosiveness on the roster, and Brad Stevens found two guys to help plug that gap.

Will we see either of Cenac or Mitchell take on sizeable roles in the rotation this season? Probably not. Cenac is more likely to enjoy some form of consistent playing time, as he’s on a standard NBA contract. Yet, the reality is that both Cenac and Mitchell (assuming he gets a two-way contract) will spend a large portion of their rookie seasons with the Maine Celtics.

Nevertheless, when they get on the floor, we know that Boston will look more explosive on both ends. If the Celtics are edging toward a faster-paced offense, having high-level athletes is a non-negotiable. You need the rim pressure and vertical spacing they can provide.

I think that’s why Mitchell is so enticing, too, because we all saw how eager he is to leak out in transition following a defensive rebound. Now imagine it’s Tatum running the offense and finding Mitchell or Cenac on the break.

Jordan Walsh is another wing that boasts solid athleticism. If he can take a leap, both as a perimeter-based scorer and as a slasher, the Celtics will have more than enough bounce to attack downhill on nights where Boston’s three-point offense is operating in sub-zero temperatures. Oh, and that’s before we discuss the addition of Mitchell Robinson.

Milos Uzan Could Be Found Money

I’m higher on Milos Uzan than most, it would seem.

I like how he’s entering the NBA after sacrificing some of his game with the Houston Cougars. I like his size (6’4’’), and I really like that he can impact the game as a passer, scorer, creator and rebounder.

Uzan ended Summer League with a total of 46 points, 21 rebounds, 20 assists and 1 block. He turned the rock over 7 times, which for someone with his level of touches, in a scrappy environment, is solid.

I think Uzan also showcased some translatable skills. He plays with effort, he navigates screens well, the shot isn’t forced, and the cycling of speed allows him to adjust to how defenses are guarding him.

Right now, Uzan is on an exhibit-10 deal. He must build on his showing in Las Vegas once the Celtics’ training camp gets underway later this summer.

If he can hang in Boston’s pre-season preparations, where the competition is higher and the expectations rise, then there’s a chance he could be the latest undrafted talent to land in Maine’s developmental system and potentially begin working toward a spot within Mazzulla’s rotation.

Of course, Uzan faces a tough task: he will likely have to beat John Tonje to a two-way contract.

My Thoughts On John Tonje

The problem Uzan will face is that Tonje is further along in his development. He’s already proven at the G-League level and has nibbled at the NBA apple.

Yet, Tonje’s game feels more limited. He’s a scorer, plain and simple.

Outside of Hugo, I doubt anyone on the Sin City Celtics roster had more touches and a higher usage than Tonje. He repaid that trust with a team-leading 74 points over five games, on a highly efficient 51% shooting and a 45.2% three-point conversion rate.

Yet, Tonje only dished out 5 assists. He had 11 turnovers. And he fell short of Uzan in the rebounding department, too (17 vs. Uzan’s 21).

Look, I’m the first one to push back when I see box score numbers being used to discuss a player's impact and/or upside. Yet, in this instance — with a limited sample size, no game tracking, and a tournament that doesn’t translate to NBA success, along with knowing that Tonje is a scorer and Uzan is a more well-rounded guard — the box score numbers serve a purpose.

Let’s assume Tonje beats out Uzan for a two-way spot. On the occasions he earns minutes for Mazzulla, what is his role going to be? I’d hazard a guess that he’ll be a spot-up shooter, spacing the floor, cold, out of rhythm and tasked with hitting his shots at a respectable clip.

There’s nothing wrong with that.

However, the Celtics already have guys who can play that role. Sam Hauser is one of the best spot-up and movement shooters in the league. Derrick White could have a bounce-back season as a shooting threat. Payton Pritchard can get it done in countless ways.

The list goes on.

Tonje would get lost in the shuffle. His skill set is one Boston has in abundance across multiple positions. What happens when Tonje has a bad shooting night? I doubt Mazzulla would keep him on the floor, not when his impact projects to come as a microwave scorer deep off the bench.

That’s Why I Think Uzan Could Beat Out Tonje

Because if Uzan is given an opportunity, and his shot isn’t falling, he’s still going to make an impact in other ways. You can lean on him as a tertiary creator, a slasher, a rebounder or a chaser on defense.

One takeaway I had from the whole Jaylen Brown saga was that Stevens wants the Celtics to become a more egalitarian offense. That means leaning into more guys doing more things, while touches and usage rate flatten (outside of Tatum) across the board. Uzan’s versatility fits into that potential blueprint.

One thing I will give to Tonje, though, and it could be a potential swing factor, is that right now, he’s a better defender.

“Everyone wanted to see the defense from John, and I think he showed that at a super high level,” Jefferson said. “I’ve talked the entire week about how proud I am with the effort he’s given, and most of that has come defensively. Obviously, he is a high-level shot maker at all three levels…and so you just want to see for his position: can you guard the ball? Can you pressure the ball? Be at your shifts? Can you be where you need to be? And I think he showed that at a high level.”

Fortunately for Uzan, he’s coming out of a collegiate system where he’s used to being coached hard and having high expectations placed on his shoulders. At his size, with his speed, there’s every reason to believe he could become a reliable perimeter defender in the next few years.

The potential training camp battle between Tonje and Uzan is something I’m expecting to revisit later this summer. However, based on what we saw at Summer League, I’ll be coming into training camp and preseason higher on Uzan than I am on Tonje.

I know I’m in the minority there, though.

Still to come: Tomorrow, I’ll continue my thoughts on the lessons we learned from Summer League — focusing on Amari Williams, Tucker DeVries (DeThrees) and Caleb Grill. Subscribe today to make sure it lands in your inbox.

Later this week, I’d also like to get a mailbag on the books. It’s been a minute since we did one of those. Please use the comments section to get your questions in.

I’m pushing for 2,000 subscribers by opening night. If today's breakdown earned it, you know what to do…