Celtics Summer season League gamers reveal which NBA gamers they mannequin sport after

LAS VEGAS — A lot of the gamers on the Boston Celtics Summer season League crew have little to no NBA expertise. A number of most likely received’t ever signal an NBA contract.

However, the entire gamers who made the journey to Las Vegas with a Summer season League roster accomplish that with the hope of at some point making it within the NBA, even when that hope is farfetched. Some are proper there — Scheierman and Walsh performed NBA minutes final 12 months, and Hugo Gonzalez will inevitably get alternatives subsequent season. Some are additional away, and are mulling abroad choices for subsequent season.

At Summer season League, I requested 4 Celtics gamers — two former first spherical picks and two second spherical picks from this 12 months’s class — which NBA gamers they’re presently modelling their sport after.

Right here’s whose movie Jordan Walsh, Baylor Scheierman, Amari Williams, and Max Shulga are presently watching.

Jordan Walsh — Jaden McDaniels, Aaron Nesmith

Getting into his third season, Jordan Walsh is eyeing his first actual NBA rotation alternative subsequent season. The 21-year-old ahead, who was chosen with the thirty eighth general decide in 2023, has had a standout Summer season League with the Celtics, averaging 15 factors per sport on 46.3% taking pictures and 38.9% from the three-point line.

Whereas Walsh has drawn loads from his Celtics teammates through the years — he’s often named Jrue Vacation as a defender he’s studied — he named two gamers across the NBA he’s watched movie of: Minnesota Timberwolves ahead Jaden McDaniels and Indiana Pacers ahead Aaron Nesmith.

“These are guys that I’m taking a look at, that I’ve had comparisons to, who’re enjoying a task on championship-level groups,” Walsh stated. “I’ve a bunch of their movie, highlights, and stuff on my cellphone, on my iPad.

McDaniels is without doubt one of the NBA’s elite wing defenders and can be somebody who can area the ground. Final 12 months, he averaged 12.2 factors per sport and shot 47.7% from the sphere. Nesmith emerged as one of many league’s most dependable three-point shooters for the Pacers final 12 months, hitting 43.1% from past the arc.

Amari Williams — Nikola Jokic, Domantas Sabonis

Celtics’ forty sixth decide Amari Williams is thought for his passing and court docket imaginative and prescient, so it’s no shock that he presently research two of the NBA’s greatest playmaking bigs: Nikola Jokic and Domantas Sabonis.

Williams stated earlier than he hit his development spurt, his favourite NBA participant rising up was Derrick Rose. However when he obtained older (and taller), his inspiration grew to become the 2 playmaking European bigs.

“[I’m] simply seeing how he reads the ground — learn the sport by means of his eyes, see what he sees,” Williams stated of Jokic. “Just a few of the European bigs — [Domantas] Sabonis, he’s a lefty as properly. The strikes he did, I attempted to take.”

Max Shulga — Donte Divincenzo

Max Shulga is prone to spend a while within the G League as a two-way participant with the Maine Celtics earlier than becoming a member of the Boston Celtics. The Celtics’ No. 57th decide is presently modeling his sport after Minnesota Timberwolves ahead Donte DiVincenzo.

“He knocks down open threes, performs protection, disrupts on the defensive finish, and when it’s wanted, he can get on the ball — playmake, create his personal shot, create for his teammates,” Shulga stated. “I’ve been watching a whole lot of him.”

Baylor Scheierman — Mike Conley, Duncan Robinson, Luka Doncic

Baylor Scheierman has extra NBA expertise than any present participant on the Celtics’ Summer season League roster. Scheierman, who was drafted thirtieth in 2024 after a standout profession at Creighton, has struggled together with his shot as of late. He’s averaging 12.3 factors per sport however taking pictures simply 20.5% from three, whereas additionally tallying 6.8 assists and 5.3 rebounds an evening.

At 24 years outdated, Scheierman seems to be a possible candidate to enter the rotation if he can discover his footing offensively. Final season, he spent the primary half of the 12 months in Maine earlier than becoming a member of the mum or dad membership for the remainder of the 12 months.

Scheierman stated he doesn’t have one NBA participant he’s presently modeling his sport after; as an alternative, he’s drawing completely different expertise from completely different gamers.

“I don’t suppose it’s essentially one man,” Scheierman stated. “I’m watching Mike Conley as a result of he’s obtained a fantastic floater. [I] watch Luka Doncic as a result of he performs with good tempo, performs off two toes, and [has] good passing, Duncan Robinson flying off threes. It’s simply taking bits and items from different guys that they do properly, and attempting to implement that into my sport.”