On June 23, the Boston Celtics selected Alabama point guard JD Davison with the 53rd overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft:
The pick is in ☘️
Welcome to Boston, @jddavison10 pic.twitter.com/yQC7lMDF5q
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) June 24, 2022
Davison, who has tremendous hair, had the following statistics last year with the Crimson Tide:
- 33 games, 5 games started
- 8.5 points per game
- 4.8 rebounds per game
- 4.3 assists per game
- 46.3 percent shooting
- 30.1 percent 3-point shooting
- 72.8 percent free throw shooting
Davison was nowhere near a scoring machine, but he made the 2021-22 SEC All-Freshman team.
He finished with the sixth-most assists in the SEC last season.
However, his 95 turnovers were the fifth-most in the conference.
So, will Davison make the 2022-23 Celtics squad?
Let us take a look at what is ahead of him at the 2022 NBA Summer League:
Davison Will Showcase His Talents In Summer League
On July 9, the Celtics will play their first Summer League game against the Miami Heat.
As long as Davison is healthy, Boston fans will be excited to see him on the court.
He was Alabama Mr. Basketball in both 2020 and 2021 as well as a McDonald’s All-American.
The Alabama point guard — who led his team in assists last season — should run the point for the Summer League Celtics.
According to Sports-Reference, Davison ranked just ninth on the Crimson Tide in usage percentage during his freshman season, so it was good to see him still produce.
The Alabama native — who turns 20 on October 3 — will compete for a spot on the Celtics roster.
Can he find himself on the roster by the beginning of the season?
Will He Make The Celtics?
If Davison does a decent job during Summer League and does not get hurt, he should get a spot on the Celtics roster.
The Celtics are in a strong position with their roster, so Davison might not be making his presence felt early in his NBA career.
However, Boston may be looking to shake up its bench.
Ime Udoka had difficulty playing his bench in the second half of Game 6 in the NBA Finals.
It ended up being the Celtics’ Achilles heel near the end of the fifth Finals loss in franchise history.
Let us take a look at the Celtics’ depth without Davison:
- Backcourt starters: Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown
- Frontcourt starters: Jayson Tatum, Al Horford, and Robert WilliamsIII
- Backcourt bench: Derrick White and Payton Prichard
- Frontcourt bench: Grant Williams, Daniel Theis, and Aaron Nesmith
- The end of the bench squad: Juwan Morgan, Sam Hauser, Nik Stauskas (non-guaranteed contract), and Malik Fitts (non-guaranteed contract)
So, for Davison, he should find his way near the end of the bench when the season begins.
Boston has a strong starting lineup, and Derrick White was acquired at the trade deadline.
That top six appears to be solidified, but Grant Williams and Pritchard may be discussed in trades.
Morgan and Hauser should be gracing the bench this season, but we will have to see about Stauskas and Fitts.
For Davison, he may not be getting that much playing time when he makes the Celtics roster, but it could prove to be a good situation for his development — even if it means some time in Maine.
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