The Celtics managed to knock off the previously undefeated Grizzlies Summer League team 113-87 on Thursday. The two teams will face one another again on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. in the 2019 NBA Summer League Playoffs.
Here are three takeaways from Boston’s fourth consecutive win:
Robert Williams has arrived
Time Lord went off for 16 points on 7 of 9 shooting, grabbed 16 rebounds, blocked a shot and had four assists in 20 minutes. If he can replicate those numbers in the regular season, the Celtics are going to be just fine at the five.
Aside from how high Williams got on his alley-oops, his pace on both ends of the floor stood out most. With his athleticism in the paint, he’s going to find success when he brings the intensity more often than not — as long as he doesn’t get out of control.
Grant Williams from deep
The Celtics second first-round pick in the 2019 NBA Draft (No. 22 overall) had his best night from deep at Summer League against the Grizzlies. Previously, his best three-point performance had been his 2-for-4 showing against the 76ers in Boston’s first game. But between the two ensuing games, Williams was 1-for-7 from three.
On Thursday, he was 4 of 5 from deep. All that matters with Williams’ long game is he shows it exists. It was a point of emphasis entering the Summer League. There’s still work to be done, but he still has plenty of time to work on it before the 2019-20 season.
Max Strus’ defense
The Celtics reportedly agreed to a two-way deal with Strus hours after this year’s draft. He averaged 20.1 points per game for DePaul last season, shooting 36.3 percent from three. He can score inside the arc a bit, but his game in the NBA is mainly going to be catch-and-shoot.
He’s a question mark defensively. Strus isn’t particularly quick at 6-foot-6. So as nice as his stroke is, it’s hard to imagine he has much of an impact for the C’s this year, if any at all.