Dillon Mitchell didn’t just show up in Las Vegas for the Celtics. He changed the conversation almost immediately.
Boston took the 23-year-old out of St. John’s with the 40th pick, and the appeal was obvious from the jump: a high-IQ wing with freak athleticism, strong rebounding instincts, and real passing feel.
The one thing that kept hanging over him was the shot. Mitchell’s 6.7% rate from beyond the arc was the detail that stood out when the Celtics made the pick last month.
Summer League, though, gave him a chance to answer that concern in a hurry.
His debut against the Toronto Raptors wasn’t perfect, but it still came with the kind of plays that make people sit up. Mitchell chased down a block so emphatic he had to duck his head to keep from smashing it on the backboard.
He followed that with a putback dunk that looked like it belonged in a highlight reel, then swiped the ball twice in Toronto’s backcourt early in the second half. Those steals were especially loud.
It’s one thing to force a turnover once; it’s another to do it twice against NBA-adjacent talent trying to bring the ball up the floor.
He only got better from there.
Against the Charlotte Hornets, Mitchell posted 24 points, eight rebounds, and eight stock - steals and blocks - and for the first time he really let it fly from deep. That mattered because the jumper didn’t look like the swing skill of a player who made just one three on 15 attempts as a senior.
It looked smooth. It looked repeatable.
And he wasn’t shy about taking them, either, knocking down two of five from beyond the arc.
“Everybody on the bench has confidence in me shooting the ball, and it's not a lot we were able to do before summer league,” Mitchell shared. “But it's just as far as just confidence and tweaking the little things [it’s been helpful]. After summer league, when we have a lot of time, and I get back to Boston, we'll definitely even work on it a lot more.”
The shooting wasn’t a one-night illusion, either. In Boston’s blowout loss to the Atlanta Hawks the next day, Mitchell kept showing the same clean mechanics on a catch-and-shoot three, a fadeaway off a spin, and a pullback jumper from the free-throw line. The ball came out smoothly every time.
That’s why it’s hard not to get carried away a little. When draft evaluators were saying Mitchell might have been a lottery pick if he hadn’t been viewed as the “worst shooter in the class,” it was always going to be impossible to ignore any sign that the jumper might actually be coming around. Add in the defense, the athleticism, and the playmaking that were already part of the package, and the picture gets a lot more interesting.
Boston clearly saw enough. After just three games in Vegas, the Celtics shut him down, the kind of treatment usually reserved for players who are too good to keep running around in Summer League. That alone says plenty about how Mitchell looked in his first run with the team.
In Other News...
Celtics Free Agency Twist Could Put Tatum In A Tough Spot
Bradley Beals free agency picture is starting to look like it could be shaped by a decision far beyond his own market, with Jake Fischer reporting that LeBron James next move is part of the backdrop. Miami is said to be in the mix, and Boston cannot be dismissed either, especially with Beals connection to Jayson Tatum keeping the Celtics on the radar as teams sort through how the board might shift.
For Boston, the appeal is obvious but the fit is more complicated. Beal would not be arriving to chase a starting job, and the Celtics would be looking at him more as a scoring option off the bench who could deepen the rotation. If Miamis situation changes depending on LeBron, that could alter the lane for Boston too, leaving Tatum and the Celtics waiting to see how much room is actually there. [Read more 🡒]
Former Champion Just Backed Boston In The Jaylen Brown Debate
P.J. Tucker has never been shy about weighing in on the leagues bigger debates, and on Jeff Teagues Club 520 Podcast he landed on the side of the argument that has lingered around Jaylen Brown all summer. The former NBA champion said Paul George had the better playoff series and made it clear he is siding with PG in the Boston-Philadelphia conversation, a take that fits the broader view that Boston may have enough around its core to stay ahead of the pack.
For the Celtics, the appeal is not just about one star-versus-star comparison. Recent additions have given the roster more depth, and there is a real sense that the group can be even sturdier if the younger wings keep coming along and Payton Pritchard settles back into a larger role after last seasons sixth-man run. Philadelphia still looms as the main challenger, but Tuckers comments are another reminder that Bostons margin may be built as much on balance as on headline names. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics Fans Have Every Reason To Fear This Bradley Beal Move
The Celtics offseason has already been shaped by tough roster math, and Bradley Beals name only adds another layer to it. According to Bleacher Reports Jake Fischer, Boston may have interest in the veteran guard if he reaches free agency, a possibility that makes sense on paper because of his connection with Jayson Tatum and the idea of adding another proven scorer to the mix.
But the fit is far from simple. Beal played only six games for the Clippers last season before hip surgery, and his injury history is hard to ignore for a team trying to balance immediate contention with long-term flexibility. Even a minimum deal would come with ripple effects for Bostons cap situation, and the Celtics still have to decide whether that kind of gamble is worth one of their final roster spots. [Read more 🡒]