Both the Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic are sitting at a 3-1 record heading into their Summer League Game #5 today, but if you look at the stats, you’d swear these teams had totally different fortunes. The Magic are straight up lighting it up, putting up 49.4% from the field and 39.5% from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, the Celtics are struggling big time, shooting just 37.4% overall and a rough 31.4% from deep. How are both these teams 3-1? That’s the real question.
The Grind to 3-1 and the Guys Calling the Shots
It’s wild to see two teams with identical 3-1 records in Vegas when their offensive production is so different. The Magic started their Summer League run with a loss to Charlotte, but then they bounced back hard, snatching wins against Miami, Portland, and Philadelphia. The Celtics also hit that 3-1 mark, taking down Toronto, Charlotte, and Sacramento, with their only stumble coming against Atlanta. Neither team played in Salt Lake City or California before hitting Las Vegas.
On the sidelines, you’ve got Amile Jefferson leading the Celtics. This guy knows the Boston system, even played for them on an Exhibit 10 deal. He was an assistant coach for the Celtics under Joe Mazzulla since 2023, stepping up after a stint as Director of Player Development and then assistant coach at Duke, where he even played alongside Jayson Tatum. For the Magic, DJ Bakker is at the helm. He’s got a long resume, starting as a video coordinator for the Bulls way back in 2009-10. He’s been a scout for the Magic, a player development coach for the Mavericks, Raptors, and Pistons, and even head-coached the Motor City Cruise and Greensboro Swarm. He joined the Magic as an assistant coach just last June. These guys are putting in the work building these teams up.
The Numbers Don’t Lie: Celtics Need to Get It Together
Seriously, the shooting numbers for the Celtics are a gut punch. To be 3-1 shooting 37.4% from the field and 31.4% from three? That tells you their defense has been saving their butts, which is exactly what the source says: “they were able to play enough defense to get wins in 3 games.” They’re also giving up the ball a lot, averaging 17.3 turnovers per game. The Magic aren’t much better there, with 19.3 turnovers, and yeah, it’s Summer League, so limited playing time together makes that common. But still, the Celtics gotta take better care of the rock if they want to keep winning.
Now, let’s talk boards. The Celtics are crashing them, pulling down an average of 41.3 rebounds per game, a solid advantage over the Magic’s 35.5 rebounds per game. That’s a huge factor in why they’re winning despite the poor shooting. They need to keep that aggressive rebounding going against Orlando. If they can clean up the turnovers and maybe, just maybe, hit a few more shots, they could make a real statement.
This Saturday, July 18, at 4:30 PM ET at the Thomas and Mack Center, the Celtics are going to need more than just defense to keep up with Orlando’s offensive firepower. They need to crash those boards, lock down the D, and for the love of basketball, find some buckets. Can they finally put it all together and prove that 3-1 record isn’t just a fluke built on defense? We’ll find out.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
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