Recapping the Boston Celtics’ 2023 Las Vegas Summer League

The Celtics got good looks at players like Reggie Kissoonlal, Vincent Valerio-Bodon, Justin Bean, Olek Balcerowski, and Udoka Azubuike.

The Boston Celtics had a mixed performance in the NBA’s 2023 Las Vegas Summer League, finishing 2-3 and missing the playoffs. There was plenty to learn from the Celtics’ participation in the annual Nevada exhibition series nonetheless.

The Celtics gained good looks at Reggie Kissoonlal, Vincent Valerio-Bodon, Justin Bean, Olek Balcerowski and Udoka Azubuike.

The team felt good enough about Jay Scrubb’s play in the backcourt to sign him to a two-way deal after a strong series of games. Scrubb was one of the Celtics’ most consistent players.

The hosts of the “How Bout Them Celtics!” podcast sat down to talk over summer league as a whole on an episode.

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear what they had to say about what we should take away from what we saw in Las Vegas this year.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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The best of Udoka Azubuike with the Boston Celtics vs. the Washington Wizards in Vegas

All in all, a very solid outing for the Nigerian big man.

Big man Udoka Azubuike impressed during the Boston Celtics’ 99-88 loss against the Washington Wizards in the NBA’s 2023 Las Vegas Summer League.

His effort came after a rough outing in the Celtics’ loss to the Miami Heat in their summer league opener.

The former Utah Jazz center put up 14 points, 10 rebounds, an assist and a blocks in 18 minutes of playing time. He shot 7-of-7 from the floor overall with no 3-point attempts or trips to the free-throw line. Azuibuike picked up two personal fouls and did not commit a turnover.

All in all, a very solid outing for the Nigerian big man.

Check out the clip embedded above to see the best of his play against the Wizards in Las Vegas courtesy of Tomazs Kordylewski’s official YouTube channel.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Reacting to Summer Celtic Udoka Azubuike’s best plays

Get to know the big man’s game better ahead of the 2023 Las Vegas Summer League.

The Boston Celtics have signed Udoka Azubuike to their summer league team. Azubuike is a former first-round pick and a 6-foot-10 big man drafted by the Utah Jazz out of Kansas in 2020. Azubuike is known for his athleticism and ability to catch lobs and has shown potential as a rim runner and shot-blocker.

There are concerns about his lack of NBA and G League experience with just 68 games played over three seasons in the former league, and a mere two in the latter, but with Boston likely looking at the former Jayhawks as a potential two way prospect, there might be a match depending on how the Nigerian center plays with the Sin City Celtics at the 2023 Las Vegas Summer League.

To get more familiar with his game and to hear key details of what we can expect from Azubuike, check out the clip embedded below from the folks at the “How ‘Bout Them Celtics?” podcast.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Weiss: Boston Celtics add ex-Utah Jazz center Udoka Azubuike to Las Vegas Summer League roster

Azubuike, a 6-foot-10 mountain of a man at 280 lbs, spent the first three seasons of his career in the league riding the pine of the Utah Jazz’ bench. 

The Boston Celtics have reportedly added former Utah Jazz big man Udoka Azubuike to the ball club’s 2023 Las Vegas Summer League roster per new reporting from The Athletic NBA Insider Jared Weiss. Azubuike, a 6-foot-10 mountain of a man at 280 lbs, spent the first three seasons of his career in the league riding the pine of the Utah Jazz’ bench.

But the Kansas alum and his 7-foot-7 wingspan has shown flashes in the rare opportunities Azubuike has had to get on the court at the NBA level, putting up 3.5 points and 3.3 rebounds per contest playing just 10 minutes per game for the Jazz. “He is explosive enough to leap up to the rim and throw it down right off the catch, so he and JD Davison should put on a show in Vegas,” writes Weiss.

The Celtics will get a close look at the Nigerian center as one of the Sin City Celtics’ defensive anchors in the paint, with Azubuike having a real shot at making one of Boston’s three two way slots for next season.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Jazz rookie Udoka Azubuike ejected after flagrant-2 foul vs. Suns

Azubuike was ejected from Monday night’s game versus the Suns after committing a hard foul on Abdel Nader late in the fourth quarter.

Utah Jazz first-round pick Udoka Azubuike was ejected from Monday night’s game versus the Phoenix Suns after committing a hard foul on Abdel Nader late in the fourth quarter.

Azubuike appeared to make a clean attempt at blocking a layup by Nader but only grazed the ball and, instead, made contact with his head. Nader immediately fell down and appeared to hit the back of his head on the court but would eventually walk back to the locker room under his own power.

The 27th overall pick was tossed from the contest after the officials charged him with a flagrant-2 foul following a review of the play. While Azubuike didn’t appear malicious in the contact, a flagrant-2 foul is categorized as unnecessary and excessive by rule, with an automatic ejection.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eN-jjnfvsl0

Azubuike had just entered the game during the fourth quarter prior to the foul and recorded two points and two rebounds in just under seven minutes of work. The appearance was his second of the preseason with the Jazz after debuting on Saturday.

The foul by Azubuike was likely not intentional but the NBA has gone through great measures to protect players against fouls in the head and neck area and the officials reacted accordingly on Monday.

Utah wraps up preseason play on Thursday vs. the L.A. Clippers.

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2020 NBA Draft Big Board 5.0: Final update ranking Top 100 prospects

After numerous delays and postponements, front offices and draftniks have had more time to analyze the 2020 NBA draft than any previous year.

After numerous delays and postponements, front offices and draftniks have had more time to analyze the 2020 NBA draft than any previous year.

Originally scheduled for June, the ongoing pandemic pushed the big night back by five months. While this may cause some teams to overthink their decisions, it gave analysts plenty of time to study all of the top prospects eligible in this class.

This year, players had to participate in a mostly virtual pre-draft process. On the bright side, this meant that teams had the opportunity to interview more candidates than ever before.

However, the number of in-person visits were incredibly limited due to the restrictive parameters set by the league. Similarly, the NBA draft combine was conducted without the typical scrimmages where players can separate themselves from the others with impressive on-court performances.

Overall, the players that stood out in this pre-draft process had a different path to recognition than any other year. College basketball players did not have the opportunity to showcase themselves during March Madness. The nation’s top seniors did not get to participate in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament.

As such, executives will rely mostly on the existing game footage as well as the intel they gathered during their conversations with the prospects. We also depended on similar strategies, getting access to one-on-one interviews with more than three dozen prospects and exchanging our thoughts with various scouts across the league.

This helped us put together our final big board, looking at the Top 100 players ranked on their potential to make a difference for teams in the NBA.

Relevant statistics were pulled from Synergy Sports Tech, Bart-Torvik, KenPom, Open Look Analytics and RealGM. Note that the age listed for each player references how old they will be on the night of the draft.

2020 NBA aggregate mock draft 8.0: Draft day ranges for top prospects

The 2020 NBA draft is fairly unpredictable and prospects have wider ranges in where they could get selected when it is all said and done. 

The 2020 NBA draft is fairly unpredictable and prospects have wider ranges in where they could get selected when it is all said and done.

We looked at mock drafts from NBADraft.net, ESPN, The Athletic, Bleacher Report, CBS Sports, The Ringer, Stadium, SI.com, USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s Rookie Wire, USA Today and Yahoo to give us a more clear understanding of consensus rankings and projections.

This also provided context for realistic high-end and low-end predictions for the players most often included in mock drafts.

Please note that the range included for each player is not based on our own reporting or intel and it only reflects the data pulled from the various mock drafts.

The full list of our latest aggregate mock draft rankings can be found here. HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report.

2020 NBA aggregate mock draft 8.0: Draft day ranges for top prospects

The 2020 NBA draft is fairly unpredictable and prospects have wider ranges in where they could get selected when it is all said and done. 

The 2020 NBA draft is fairly unpredictable and prospects have wider ranges in where they could get selected when it is all said and done.

We looked at mock drafts from NBADraft.net, ESPN, The Athletic, Bleacher Report, CBS Sports, The Ringer, Stadium, SI.com, USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s Rookie Wire, USA Today and Yahoo to give us a more clear understanding of consensus rankings and projections.

This also provided context for realistic high-end and low-end predictions for the players most often included in mock drafts.

Please note that the range included for each player is not based on our own reporting or intel and it only reflects the data pulled from the various mock drafts.

The full list of our latest aggregate mock draft rankings can be found here. HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report.

New Sports Illustrated mock sees Boston take Hampton, 3 bigs

Sports Illustrated’s Jeremy Woo sees Boston taking the NBL’s RJ Hampton 17th overall — and three big men after.

Sports Illustrated’s NCAA expert Jeremy Woo has released a new mock draft with the Boston Celtics taking some novel prospects in the 2020 NBA Draft.

The Celtics could see their actual draft fortunes change with eight games of the 2019-20 NBA season finally being resumed at the end of July in Lake Buena Vista Florida at Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports complex, particularly if the Memphis Grizzlies fall out of the postseason picture.

Had the season ended today, Boston would get that first rounder 17th overall, though it’s not out of the question that selection could end up as high as seventh overall if the Griz stumble enough (due to top-six protections) — or dropping even further back if Memphis has a late surge.

Similarly, the projected 26th (their own) and 30th (owed them by the Milwaukee Bucks) could move about a bit as well, though not much — particularly given the Bucks’ pick is all but guaranteed to remain where it is.

And while the Celtics have dealt away their own second round pick in this draft, they are owed a second from the Brooklyn Nets that will convey about 46th overall.

So who does Woo see the Celtics taking?

2020 aggregate NBA mock draft 5.0: International prospects are rising

Scouting and preparing for the upcoming 2020 NBA Draft is incredibly challenging due to circumstances surrounding the coronavirus pandemic.

Scouting and preparing for the upcoming 2020 NBA draft is incredibly challenging due to circumstances surrounding the coronavirus pandemic.

As always, we examine the mock drafts from the most trusted analysts to give us the best idea of a consensus for what the upcoming class will look like in June. The latest 2020 NBA mock drafts from experts at ESPN, CBS Sports, SI.com, Bleacher Report, NBADraft.net, The Athletic, SB Nation, Sporting News and USA Today Sports Media Group’s Rookie Wire were used for these rankings.

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Currently, the first three players expected to be selected (Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, James Wiseman) have remained in the exact same order for the third aggregate mock draft in a row.

After dropping from No. 5 all the way to No. 11 between December and January, Maccabi Tel Aviv forward Deni Avdija has jumped back to No. 4 for this version.

He played well recently at the 2020 Eurobasket Qualifiers, scoring 21 points with eight rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal while also shooting 3-for-6 from beyond the arc. This was a welcome change of pace for scouts hoping to learn as much as possible about Avdija as he had averaged just 4.0 points in 14.3 minutes in Euroleague games earlier this season.

Several other prospects playing overseas have seen their stock increase as well. This makes some sense considering many in the NCAA rely on their performance in March Madness to solidify their draft position whereas the international players gain momentum in other ways.

Killian Hayes, who was ranked No. 18 overall on our last aggregate mock draft, jumped up to No. 8 for this edition. The 6-foot-5 guard was 14-for-61 (39 percent) from 3-point range while also connecting on 90.9 percent of his free-throw attempts during Eurocup action. Several outlets are currently projecting him as a Top 5 pick in the 2020 NBA draft.

Another prospect playing outside of the United States but currently making waves is Leandro Bolmaro. He debuted on our aggregate mock draft in the most recent edition before this one but has jumped all the way to No. 29 this time around.

Meanwhile, in the NCAA, some college basketball players managed to make some serious momentum for themselves before the season was unexpectedly cut short. Some of those players are seniors Killian Tillie (Gonzaga), Grant Riller (Charleston), Udoka Azubuike (Kansas) and Desmond Bane (TCU).

As mentioned here, it makes sense for upperclassmen to be more appealing in this class than in previous years. Seniors have far more game film to draw film which may be necessary considering individual team workouts and even the 2020 NBA Draft Combine may be canceled. Plus, older players are likely more ready to contribute immediately.

On the flip side, there are freshmen around the country who have seen their draft stock drastically decline in recent months.

Oregon’s N’Faly Dante has fallen off our boards completely after playing just twelve games and making no appearances in the starting lineup. Kahlil Whitney, who was considered a lottery pick when we did this exercise in October 2019, also dropped off after withdrawing from Kentucky.

Some other freshmen who saw their draft stock fall: Duke’s Matthew Hurt was ranked No. 16 overall back in October but is now at No. 76 overall. LSU’s Trendon Watford was ranked No. 14 in October but has fallen to No. 63. Florida’s Scottie Lewis was No. 9 in July and is currently No. 53 overall.

Less drastic but still valid: Arizona’s Nico Mannion has fallen from No. 6 back in January 2020 all the way to No. 16 now in April. Likewise, UNC’s Cole Anthony dropped from No. 2 back in July 2019 to No. 10 in our new study.

But some encouraging news for prospects who were considered Top-25 recruits coming out of high school but had a disappointing freshman year (e.g. Duke’s Wendell Moore as well as the aforementioned Dante, Whitney, Watford, Hurt and Lewis) can be found in Kentucky’s Immanuel Quickley.

The 6-foot-3 guard was the No. 13 overall recruit in the nation coming into Kentucky as a freshman. But after averaging just 5.2 points as a freshman, he returned for his sophomore campaign.

Fortunately, the SEC Player of the Year dramatically improved his draft stock in 2019-20. His season was highlighted by 21.3 points per game in February and a free throw percentage (92.3%) that ranked as the sixth-best among all underclassmen. This month, he debuted on our aggregate mock draft at No. 42 overall.

HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report.

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