Final Boston Celtics Summer League Grades and Evaluations

The Boston Celtics are on their way home from Las Vegas after a consolation game loss to the Orlando Magic on Saturday at the Thomas & Mack Center at UNLV. Hugo Gonzalez, Chris Cenac Jr., and Dillon Mitchell all sat the game out, and Amari Williams, John Tonje, and Milos Uzan played limited minutes, making the final game more of a showcase for the roster-fillers hoping to make some kind of impression for scouts in attendance. 

So with that, let’s dive into some final evaluations of the guys who have a chance to stick with the team in some form. 

Hugo Gonzalez

Positives: He ran the pick-and-roll pretty well, especially with Amari Williams, which is an important thing to show the coaches if he’s looking for an expanded role. He’ll be fine as a cutter and energy guy in transition, but showing halfcourt improvement as a playmaker is great to see. He also rebounded really well and averaged nearly six assists in a setting where assists are tough. Finishing with 18.3 points, 8 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game in the three he played is a nice line. 

Negatives: He still needs to work on getting the jumper to fall more consistently. There were some tough turnovers along the way, which isn’t concerning but something he’ll need to focus on if he gets an increased role.

Overall Grade: B+

Good progress, but room for improvement. He didn’t shoot well, but he did also fly straight to Vegas from two FIBA qualifiers in Spain, so maybe some jet lag was involved. I think the grade reflects encouraging progress without overreacting. 

Chris Cenac Jr.

Positives: He can do a little bit of everything. At his best, he hit shots, dribbled past defenders, and finished at the rim. The rebounding is as advertised, especially his ability to rebound out of his zone. That should eventually lead to a high rebounding percentage, no matter how many minutes he plays. The rim protection was very nice to see, especially since he didn’t do much of it in college. He finished the summer sixth in blocked shots (2.8/gm).

Negatives: Still very raw. While he did do a bit of everything, there were struggles in between the flashes. He missed shots, turned the ball over, and ran out of gas as the games wore on. His game kind of looked like an EKG, with spikes of really good, then lows of rookie struggles, especially against other good bigs. 

Overall Grade: B

He had a solid summer league, but it’s clear he needs improvement in all facets of his game … you know, like a 27th pick in the draft would. The tools are all there, though. The potential to become a rotation player is obvious, so it’s a matter of how long it will take for him to realize it, and how much he maximizes his skills. 

Dillon Mitchell

Positives: Defensive instincts are very obvious. He’s a high-energy guy and a mega-athlete. All the scouting reports on him ahead of the draft were on the money. He finished the summer eighth in steals (2.7/gm). Overall shooting wasn’t bad, leading to him averaging 13 points a game.

Negatives: The shooting still needs a lot of work, though, which he’s mentioned a few times, to get him to be a consistent contributor. 

Overall Grade: B

He has 3-and-D potential, but it’s going to take a while to see it consistently. I don’t hate his shot mechanics, so the Celtics apparent plan of building up the confidence and making small tweaks seems like a good starting point. 

Amari Williams

Positives: At his best, he was grabbing rebounds, bringing the ball up the floor, and slinging passes to teammates. Even the passes that missed were good ideas that would have found their targets in a more normal setting. He blocked shots, rebounded, and his chemistry with Gonzalez looked really good. 

Negatives: At his worst, he was confused, slow, and turnover prone. It felt like his games always started with a bit of feeling out, and then he’d either stay confused and make mistakes, or get confident and look good. His shot needs work as well. 

Overall Grade: C

His best was an A and his worst was an F. So I had to meet in the middle. He does, indeed, have NBA-level passing acumen. It’s the one thing that makes me think another season on a two-way deal is fine. But he needs to make big strides to show the confidence and consistency to join Boston’s big rotation a season from now. There's room for both him and Cenac Jr. since Cenac Jr. can play next to him as a power forward. But Cenac Jr. also has the potential to quickly pass Williams on the depth chart this season.

John Tonje

Positives: He can shoot that thing. He has polished form and the confidence to take shots. He flashed a little ball handling, dribble penetration, and individual defense along the way as well.

Negatives: He’s still not where he needs to be on a consistent basis, defensively. I’m still not sold that he can constantly get past a defender off the dribble at the next level. 

Overall Grade: B-

He can probably find a spot somewhere as a spot-up guy off the bench, whether it’s with Boston or somewhere else. His shooting is an NBA-level skill, but can he do the other things to stay on the floor? I feel like he can make a little money helping a team stay around the middle of the pack, a sweet spot in today’s revamped draft lottery system. I’m not sure he’s a rotation player on a contending team, though. 

Milos Uzan

Positives: Flashed a bit of everything offensively. He got to the rim, hit shots, and made some passes. Played with good confidence most of the summer league.

Negatives: Inconsistent, which is to be expected. The three-point shooting was fine but he struggled with contact.

Overall Grade: C+

He feels like a two-way project. Boston only has two spots left and one almost certainly belongs to Mitchell, so either Uzan or Tonje are likely to get the last spot. Uzan will go to camp in Boston, so he could end up as an Exhibit 10 camp cut and stash in Maine.