Dillon Mitchell gave Celtics News the clearest early sign yet that Boston may have found something useful in its Summer League group, scoring 24 points in an 87-75 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday at the Pavilion in the Las Vegas Summer League.
The second-round draft pick added eight rebounds, two assists, six steals and two blocks in 29 minutes, and the performance stood out because his shooting had been viewed as a red flag entering the draft. On this night, he looked much more than a one-dimensional scorer.
Amile Jefferson: Mitchell was alive and energetic
Amile Jefferson was direct in his assessment of Mitchell’s display. “He was so alive today,” Jefferson said. “He played with such great energy.”
That energy showed up in the work that often gets overlooked in Summer League games. Mitchell crashed the glass, finished possessions, and kept finding ways to affect the game on both ends. Jefferson pointed to that relentlessness as a major reason for the strong outing, adding: “He crashed every time.”
For a player whose shooting was the pre-draft talking point, that broader impact matters. Boston did not just need Mitchell to make shots; it needed to see whether he could contribute when the play was messy, physical and less structured. He answered that question well against Charlotte.
The shot selection looked more encouraging
Mitchell also gave Boston something even more important: a reason to believe the jumper can hold up enough to keep defenders honest. He went 2-for-5 from 3-point range, a notable step because he made only one three-pointer in his entire senior season at St. John's.
Jefferson made it clear the Celtics want that confidence to continue. “When he’s playing with that kind of pop, he’s going to be really good,” he said. “And then any time he gets an open three, he should shoot it. He did that today, and he was confident.”
That is a promising sign for a 2025 second-round pick who entered the summer with questions attached to his perimeter game. The key now is whether this was a one-night spike or the first real glimpse of a player who can give Boston more than effort and athleticism.
Boston's summer is taking shape
The Celtics are 2-0 after Friday’s overtime win over the Toronto Raptors and Sunday’s victory over Charlotte, and the early signs are positive even if Summer League results only tell part of the story.
John Tonje has been Boston's most consistent perimeter shooter so far this summer, while Chris Cenac Jr. remains a longer-term project who is not expected to contribute much this season. That leaves Mitchell’s breakout in a useful middle ground for the Celtics: a player who can help now in flashes while also giving the coaching staff a clearer sense of what might come next.
Boston waived Dalano Banton this week, leaving one opening on its 15-man roster. The Celtics will not make a final decision on any player based on one Summer League game, but Mitchell’s 24-point performance has certainly made him harder to ignore.
