LAS VEGAS — The Celtics improved to 2-0 at the Las Vegas Summer League on Sunday with an 87-75 win over the Charlotte Hornets at the Pavilion.
Here are five takeaways from the victory, which featured a breakout performance by one of Boston’s 2026 draft picks:
1. Big day for Mitchell
Second-round draft pick Dillon Mitchell wasn’t among the standouts when the Celtics beat the Toronto Raptors in overtime Friday to open their Summer League slate. That changed Sunday.
Known for his springy athleticism and stingy defense, the 22-year-old wing stuffed the stat sheet with 24 points, eight rebounds, two assists, six steals and two blocks. Seven of his rebounds were at the offensive end. He shot 10-for-20 from the field and, notably, 2-for-5 from 3-point range.
Why is that notable? Because it was more threes than Mitchell made in his entire senior season at St. John’s (one, in the season finale). Shooting was by far Mitchell’s biggest red flag entering the draft. If he can become even passable in that area, he has second-round steal potential.
Mitchell also narrowly missed on two explosive putback dunk attempts. Boston outscored Charlotte by 13 points over his 29 minutes.
“He was so alive today,” Summer League head coach Amile Jefferson said. “He played with such great energy. He crashed every time. He had, like, three different times where he almost had a tip dunk. When he’s playing with that kind of pop, he’s going to be really good. And then any time he gets an open three, he should shoot it. He did that today, and he was confident.”
Still unsigned, Mitchell is likely to begin his official NBA career on a two-way contract, as most second-rounders do. But the Celtics do have one opening on their 15-man roster after waiving Dalano Banton this week.
2. Cenac sparks
After a sketchy start that included five turnovers by Celtics starters in the opening six minutes, first-round draft pick Chris Cenac Jr. helped stabilize things for Boston when he checked in midway through the first quarter.
A minute into his first shift, the 19-year-old big man blocked Hornets center Ryan Kalkbrenner at the rim and recovered the rebound. Then, he received an entry pass on the ensuing possession and kicked out to Hugo Gonzalez for a corner three.
The rest of Cenac’s outing was quieter than his 14-point, 10-rebound, four-block Summer League opener. He shot 1-for-7 and grabbed five rebounds, with his only points coming on a loud one-handed dunk shortly before halftime. But Cenac has held his own out in Vegas — a positive sign for a player widely viewed as a long-term project who won’t contribute much this season.
Jordan Walsh, who has attended both Celtics Summer League games, likes what he saw from Mitchell and Cenac.
“They’re both super athletic,” the Celtics wing said at halftime. “That’s something that Boston loves, obviously. Two super tall guys who are super athletic and want to play hard, it’s huge. And their willingness to fit into a new system and give it their all I think is a big part of it.”
3. Tonje spearheads sophomores
Boston’s most consistent perimeter shooter so far this summer: John Tonje.
A 2025 second-round pick who came to Boston in the February trade that sent Chris Boucher to Utah, Tonje is 8-for-13 from deep through two games. The guard scored 17 points against Charlotte — second-most on the team behind Mitchell — and added five rebounds and a steal.
Tonje played on a two-way contract this past season, but he has yet to sign a new deal, making him one of the many unsigned Summer League participants looking to use this tournament as a springboard.
“I know that’s kind of in the back of my mind,” Tonje said, “but I’m really just focused on getting better each day. I love to improve, and I’m blessed to be here, honestly.”
It was a shakier afternoon for the Celtics’ other two returning players. Amari Williams, who put up 23 and 13 against the Raptors, had nearly as many turnovers (five) as points (six), though he did block four shots. Gonzalez also turned it over five times while shooting 3-for-10 and committing five fouls. Through two games, he’s shooting 23.1% overall (6-for-26) and 22.2% from three (4-for-18).
Gonzalez did make an impact with his defensive playmaking, notching steals on consecutive third-quarter possessions that set up a 3-pointer by Tucker DeVries and a fast-break layup for Mitchell.
4. Coach D-White
It’s common for veteran NBA players to attend their team’s Summer League games. But most of them don’t watch from the vantage point Derrick White had on Sunday.
After sitting courtside for Boston’s summer opener, White watched Celtics-Hornets from the bench, wearing the same pale pink polo and black shorts as the C’s coaching staff.
He acted the part, too, walking onto the court to coach up Gonzalez during a first-half timeout. Later, he spent several minutes speaking demonstrably with one of the game officials.
“He blends right in,” Walsh said. “Like, he fits the profile perfectly.”
The coaching cameo was White’s idea, according to Jefferson, who said he “truly believe(s)” the veteran guard could be a head coach if he wanted to.
“He’s a natural,” the Celtics assistant said. “… If he ever wants to do it, he’d be amazing. He just has a great feel for people.”
As for Walsh, he was perfectly happy watching the game as a fan.
“I know I do not want to coach at all,” the fourth-year pro said. “I have no intention of doing that.”
5. Off the rim
One unheralded Celtic who’s off to a solid start in Sin City: undrafted rookie point guard Milos Uzan. A former teammate of Cenac’s at Houston who’s playing on an Exhibit-10 contract, Uzan is a team-best plus-41 across both games, with an 11-2 assist-to-turnover ratio. … Jefferson emptied his bench in the final minute, sending in Chauncey Wiggins, Mohammad Amini, Day Day Thomas, Nick Pringle and Caleb Grill for their first minutes of Summer League. … Guard Kyle Mangas, who played 10 minutes off the bench Friday night, missed Sunday’s game with an illness.