Dillon Mitchell gave the Celtics something they have not yet seen from him in Summer League: a real jump shot that held up under pressure. The second-round pick scored 24 points and hit two 3-pointers on Sunday in Boston's 87-75 win over the Charlotte Hornets at the Pavilion, a performance that pushed the Celtics to 2-0 in Las Vegas.
Mitchell did more than score. He finished 10-for-20 from the field, grabbed eight rebounds, handed out two assists and added six steals and two blocks in 29 minutes, while Boston outscored Charlotte by 13 points during his time on the floor. Seven of those rebounds came on the offensive glass, the kind of constant effort that turned his night into more than just a shooting line.
The made threes carried the sharpest edge. Mitchell connected on 2 of 5 from deep, which means he made more 3-pointers in one game against the Charlotte Hornets than he made in his entire senior season at St. John's, when he finished with one. That matters because his shooting was by far the biggest red flag around him entering the draft, the one question that followed him even as teams valued his athleticism and defense.
Amile Jefferson liked what he saw. After the game, he said Mitchell was “so alive today,” played with “such great energy” and “crashed every time,” adding that he “had, like, three different times where he almost had a tip dunk.” Jefferson also said that when Mitchell is playing with that kind of pop, “he's going to be really good,” and that when he gets an open 3-pointer, “he should shoot it.” Mitchell did that on Sunday, and Jefferson said he was confident.
The Celtics still have reasons to be patient. Most second-round picks begin their NBA careers on a two-way contract, and Boston has one opening on its 15-man roster after waiving Dalano Banton this week. Mitchell's 22 years old and has already shown the kind of pressure defense that gets him on the floor, but whether this shot is a real turn or just a Summer League spike is the question Boston will carry out of Las Vegas. For now, the answer is simpler: Mitchell made himself harder to ignore.
