Celtics-Hornets Summer League Takeaways: Watson, House Impress in C’s Win originally appeared in NBC Sports Boston
The Boston Celtics improved to 2-1 in the NBA Summer League with a win over the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night.
After passing Bronny James and the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday, it was a tough battle for the C’s against Charlotte in Las Vegas. They outscored the Hornets 33-24 in the fourth quarter and went on to win 89-84.
Rookie second-round pick Anton Watson and newly added Jah’mius Ramsey led the way with 15 points each. First-round pick Baylor Scheierman had 12 points, while Jaelen House, son of 2008 NBA champion Eddie House, had eight points in 16 minutes.
Zavier Simpson led the Hornets with 19 points. Matt Morgan contributed 15 points to a Charlotte team that had five double-digit scorers in a losing drive.
The Celtics will wrap up their four-game Summer League slate on Friday night against the Dallas Mavericks at 4:30 pm ET on NBC Sports Boston. First, here are three takeaways from Wednesday’s matchup.
Anton Watson looks sharp
Watson continues to look solid in three games with the C’s. Wednesday marked the Gonzaga product’s best showing yet, as he led the team with 15 points on efficient 6-of-12 shooting (3-9 from 3) in 24 minutes.
Also a team-best +12, Watson added five rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block in an impressive overall performance. While it’s too early to project Watson’s future with Boston, the 23-year-old has shown intriguing potential.
Watson remains out of contract at press time but is advocating a two-way deal. Another high-profile game on Friday could strain the Celtics’ management.
Baylor Scheierman’s shooting struggles continue
Scheierman couldn’t find his offensive rhythm against LA and the problems continued against Charlotte.
The Celtics’ first-round pick (No. 30 overall) in the 2024 NBA Draft shot 3-of-10 from the floor and just 1-of-8 from 3-point range. He finished with 12 points (5-8 FT), but this wasn’t the shooting performance the Creighton product was hoping for after a tough showing on Monday.
However, similar to the Lakers game, Scheierman made a difference in other aspects. He grabbed six rebounds and made an impact defensively with two steals.
That’s encouraging, but there’s no doubt Scheierman hopes to shake off his shooting funk Friday against Dallas.
Jaelen House brings the energy
The C’s added Jaelen House, son of former Celtics guard and NBC Sports Boston analyst Eddie House, to their Summer League roster last week. The undrafted guard didn’t play much in Boston’s first two games, but he had an opportunity to shine on Wednesday.
House was a spark plug for the C’s, who seemed indifferent before stepping up in difficult moments. The 23-year-old New Mexico product was at the center of Boston’s dominant fourth quarter, scoring eight points with five rebounds, two assists and two steals in entertaining fashion.
House ended up playing 16 minutes in the C’s win. Boston may consider him for a spot on their G League roster this season.
