​The Boston Celtics moved to 2-0 in the Las Vegas Summer League on Sunday with an 87-75 win over the Charlotte Hornets. Boston has two more Summer League games left before a potential spot in the Summer League playoffs, set for July 18 and 19.
Before the tip, we issued three storylines to monitor, and now we can see how they played out. The Celtics’ veteran presence on the Summer League roster continued to struggle offensively in this game: after an 3-for-16 performance in the previous outing, he went 3-for-10 from the field and 3-for-9 from beyond the arc. He finished with four rebounds, four assists, and five turnovers. While two Summer League games won’t derail his path to minutes in 2026-27, with Jaylen Brown no longer in the fold, there are opportunities for wings to prove themselves. Gonzalez is among the players bidding for those minutes, and he would like to string together better tape. He did contribute three steals and a block to the effort as well.
The second-round pick from St. John’s had a rough opener, scoring just four points on 2-for-6 shooting. He looked much sharper in this game, tallying 24 points on 10-for-20 shooting, grabbing eight rebounds, and adding six steals and two blocks. He also grabbed seven offensive rebounds and connected on two three-pointers. The Celtics don’t always deploy rookies extensively, but Mitchell is someone who’s trying to break into the wing rotation. If his athleticism can consistently shine through, he’ll push for meaningful minutes.
The Celtics’ first-round pick from Houston posted a solid opener with 14 points and 10 rebounds, but he wasn’t as impactful this time. He logged just 19 minutes, finishing 1-for-7 from the floor for two points. He did contribute five rebounds and a block, but he didn’t make the same kind of impact as in his debut.
Monday’s schedule features a matchup with the Atlanta Hawks at 6 p.m. ET, and the game will be broadcast on Prime Video.
On Friday’s edition of The Herd, Colin Cowherd offered a bold take about the Celtics’ future with Brown in the mix, suggesting the team might actually be better without him. “Here we are with Jaylen Brown,” Cowherd said on the show. “(NFL edge rusher Micah Parsons) was a flawed star before being traded, (Luka Doncic) was a great but flawed star. … Jaylen Brown is great but a totally flawed star. He’s not a top-20 player analytically and that’s what drives the bus for the Celtics in the lead. Since he has arrived, the Celtics have a higher winning percentage when he doesn’t play. … Micah, Luka and Jaylen Brown, I will again be on an island. I think the Celtics will be better next year.”
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