It took just one game for Amari Williams to remind everyone why there was so much buzz around him heading into the 2026 summer circuit. Then the rest of Summer League dragged that excitement back down to earth.
Boston’s second-year center opened in style, piling up 23 points and 13 rebounds with two blocks in an overtime win over the Toronto Raptors. He looked comfortable working around the rim, finished inside with confidence, and even knocked down his mid-paint float shots. One of his most important plays came on the offensive glass, where he secured the rebound that set up Chris Cenac Jr.’s game-tying three and forced the extra period.
That performance was strong enough to send the hype machine into overdrive. It even led to a second podcast on the opener, with Jack Simone bringing in Nik Land, better known as NikNBA, to break down what had just happened.
But the momentum didn’t last.
Williams never found that same rhythm again. Over his next three games, he totaled 14 points and 15 rebounds combined, and his impact faded so much that he was easy to miss in the penultimate matchup against the Sacramento Kings.
In the Summer League finale against the Orlando Magic, he logged nearly 17 minutes and finished with just two points and three rebounds. Orlando, to be clear, wasn’t using any of its regulars.
For a player who spent most of his rookie year with the G-League Celtics in Maine, the expectation was that his playmaking and room to grow would show up again in Las Vegas. Instead, the overall body of work pointed the other way.
That’s why the grade lands at a C-. The opening burst was real, but the rest of the week was a letdown.
Williams was also the lone returning Celtic on the floor against Orlando, aside from John Tonje, which said plenty about how his summer had gone. It was the kind of quiet finish that makes a player feel like he’s disappeared into the background of the event.
That doesn’t mean anything is settled for his career. Baylor Scheierman had a rough Summer League showing in a similar spot just a year ago, then turned things around with a strong second half of the 2025-26 season and eventually earned a regular rotation role in Boston.
Williams still has time to follow that path. He just didn’t give anyone much reason to believe it was happening in Vegas.
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