The Celtics might have dropped their Sin City finale 103-97 to the Orlando Magic, but don’t let that score fool you. Amidst the loss, a few fresh faces stepped up in Game 5, with Milos Uzan, Tucker DeVries, and Amari Williams getting significant looks. With Hugo Gonzalez, Chris Cenac, and Dillon Mitchell chilling on the bench, we saw some real potential emerge. For guys not lottery picks, the Summer League is all about showing you’ve got that one NBA-level skill to hang. Think Sam Hauser’s clutch three-pointers or Jordan Walsh’s lock-down D. These players gotta build from that foundation, and a couple of these Celtics prospects definitely started laying some bricks.
Williams is a High-Post Hub You Won’t Believe
First up, Amari Williams is just a fascinating prospect to watch. He is on a two-way deal, which means he will split his time between Maine and the big club in Boston, eligible for 50 games. What’s so wild about him? His truly unique ability to be an offensive hub right there in the high post. Seriously, unless you’re Nikola Jokic, that is not a skill most teams are trying to develop in their bigs, especially not someone so far down the depth chart. But the Celtics? They seem absolutely dead set on making it happen with Williams. We saw him working outside the restricted area, using that massive 6’11” frame as a true watch tower in the half-court set all week in Vegas. He even dropped a nifty find on a back cut for a hockey assist that was pure wizardry. There’s still a long road from “Amari loves to pass” to being Mazzulla’s go-to playmaker above the break, but the team’s got another year to see this development through, and honestly, it is super intriguing.
Uzan’s Got The Keys, DeVries Is Right There
Then there’s Milos Uzan. This dude can just flat-out play, no question about it. Even with the crazy short turnaround of throwing a Summer League roster together, getting in a few practices, and trying to build some chemistry, it was obvious Uzan has the skills to run point on an NBA team. He put up a tidy 9 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists average through five games, and finished Saturday’s game with nine points in just 17 minutes. That kind of consistent production for a point guard in a new system? That’s what you love to see. Both Uzan and Tucker DeVries have Exhibit 10 deals for training camp in October. You can bet they will most likely be heading to the G League affiliate in Maine, ready to put in the work. It’s their shot to keep building on what they showed. John Tonje, who got traded to the Celtics last season in the Chris Boucher deal, sadly saw his option declined and is effectively a free agent now. Tough break, but that’s the nature of Summer League battles.
So, what’s next? For Williams, it’s about making the most of those 50 big club games while honing his unique skill in Maine. For Uzan and DeVries, it’s all about making an impact in training camp and then grinding it out in the G League, proving they are ready for the call-up. There’s real talent bubbling under the surface here for the Celtics, and it is going to be fun watching these guys fight for their spot.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
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