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Everyone knew that Marcus Smart was good, so it can't be too much of a surprise that he's played a level above most other summer league players. The rest of the guys have something to prove. Terry Rozier has had his moments and Kevin went into great detail on R.J. Hunter. But a couple of other rookies have caught some people's attention in the last week or so.
One was 2nd round big man Jordan Mickey.
Stars, studs and duds: Mickey proves to be reliable | Comcast SportsNet - CSNNE.com
The only player to start every summer league for the Celtics, Mickey has become Mr. Reliable for the Celtics around the rim. In addition to strong rim protection that goes beyond his game-high four blocked shots, he also had his second straight double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds.
Jordan Mickey feels like he should've been a 1st round pick
"I definitely want to show that I have the capability of scoring the ball," Mickey said. "I hang my hat on defense, rebounding and blocking shots. But I have to show I can score some too, and I think I’ve done a pretty good job of that so far." "I feel like I should have been a first round pick," Mickey told CSNNE.com. "I can’t control what other teams did. I’m thankful for the Celtics picked me when they did."
Another guy that has impressed is undrafted rookie Jonathan Holmes (who some projected to be a first rounder).
Jonathan Holmes' game emerging in Vegas for Boston Celtics - Boston Celtics Blog - ESPN
Holmes posted a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds over 26 minutes of court time in the Celtics' 85-76 triumph over the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday at the Thomas & Mack Center on the campus of UNLV. Steady but quiet during Boston's three-game stint in Utah last week, Holmes seems to have found his groove in Vegas. He posted 15 points and seven rebounds during Saturday's win over the Portland Trail Blazers in the Celtics' Vegas opener.
There's a lot of players on the roster so both these guys will have to hope for some kind of daylight to stick around. But they've taken the first step by impressing in summer league.