It’s just Summer League—unless your NBA career depends on it.
Summer League. A magical time of year where hope springs eternal.
The rules are simple; if the players you like play well, they are future stars in the making. If the players you believe in have a rough showing, it’s just Summer League, and the team infrastructure wasn’t conducive to that player’s specific skill set. A classic win/win situation.
Jokes slightly aside, we need to be careful with reading too much into the results from Vegas. The teams are thrown together in a week, guys haven’t played together before, and you have competing agendas across the roster. It’s easy in theory to tell the players to “make the right play,” but a bunch of these guys are fighting for their careers, and might only have a couple of chances to get a shot up. However, if you’re a top pick or an older and more experienced player, struggling at Summer League is somewhat of a red flag. With all that being said, which players on the Celtics Summer League roster are under the most pressure to perform?
- Jordan Walsh:
The player facing the most pressure on the Summer Celtics is Jordan Walsh. And it’s not close. While Walsh is still only 21 years old with just 486 NBA minutes under his belt, his time with the Celtics and in the NBA is not guaranteed. Literally. The Celtics can waive Jordan Walsh before the opening of the 2025-2026 season and save themselves around $2 million. As it stands today, the Celtics are $331,950 over the second apron. They will not start the season over the second apron.
A poor Summer League performance from Jordan Walsh could spell the end of his time with the Celtics and his time in the NBA. Walsh doesn’t need to come out and play like a “star,” but he needs to show that he can star in his role. Walsh needs to play aggressively, attacking off the catch, making quick decisions, and most importantly, guard. Walsh came into the NBA billed as a defensive playmaker. We’ve seen flashes of the defense, but I’ve been disappointed by Walsh’s impact on that end. It’s time to show Brad Stevens SOMETHING.
- Baylor Scheierman
Baylor Scheierman is in no danger of losing his spot on the Celtics roster or in the NBA, at least not anytime soon. However, if Scheierman were to struggle in Summer League as a nearly 25-year-old, it would be disappointing. In an environment where Scheierman will be one of the oldest players with significantly more basketball experience to draw from, he should be able to make an impact in the tournament — similar to how Payton Pritchard was named to the All-Summer League First Team in 2022. Scheierman showed signs of life at the end of the 2024-2025 regular season, but it’s best not to overemphasize NBA basketball played in March and April. Scheierman still has a lot to prove before I’m ready to declare him a stalwart of the NBA.
- Hugo Gonzalez
Hugo Gonzalez should not be under any pressure. He’s a raw 19-year-old wing who was drafted 28th overall in this year’s draft. Whether you assign the pressure to Hugo or Brad Stevens, the Celtics are desperate for an injection of cheap, cost-controlled talent into their roster as they navigate this retooling period. I know fans are excited about Baylor and Hugo, but as it stands right now, the Celtics don’t have a single player under the age of 25 whom I would bet my life on being a quality NBA rotation player when Jayson Tatum returns for the 2026-2027 NBA season. Hugo Gonzalez hitting would go a long way in helping the Celtics on their quest for Banner 19.
- Amari Wiliams
I can’t remember a 46th overall draft pick getting this much hype before. I loved Juhann Begarin and Yam Madar, but Celtics fans are even more hyped for the rookie big man out of Kentucky. The anticipation might have something to do with him being a measurements king, coming in at 7 feet tall with a 7-foot-six wingspan, and he blends those measurements with high-level passing and excellent rim protection. The buzz might also have something to do with the Al Horford-, Luke Kornet-, Kristaps Porzingis-sized hole that is currently on the Celtics roster. There’s a world where Amari Williams finishes the season as the best big man on the Boston Celtics. A breakout Summer League performance from Williams is the first step in securing the available minutes at the center spot.
- Kenneth Lofton Jr.
How many times can we do this? This will be Kenneth Lofton Jr’s fourth Summer League. The pressure is on because I have to imagine this is Lofton’s last chance to break into the NBA. It is for this reason that I wasn’t a fan of signing him to the Celtics Summer League roster. Lofton is not an NBA player. He’s an NBA Summer League legend, sure, but not an NBA player. I don’t want him soaking up touches from guys that have the potential to help the Celtics down the road.