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The Maine Celtics are 5 games into the season, and several players have already stood out in the early days. The Celtics G-League affiliate team dropped their first three games of the season — all road games — but followed that up with back-to-back wins at home against the Long Island Nets to improve to 2-3 on the year.
Maine’s three two-way players — center Amari Williams, guard/forward Ron Harper Jr, and point guard Max Shulga — have all shown some promising flashes in the early days.
Here’s who has stood out through five games:
Amari Williams: The Celtics drafted Amari Williams with the 46th overall pick in June, and so far, the 23-year-old big man has demonstrated exactly what it is about his game they liked. Through 5 games, Williams is averaging 14.6 points, 8.8 rebounds (3 offensive), 4 assists, and 2.2 blocks.
The former Kentucky center has had a few standout performances so far and earned the praise of head coach Phil Pressey: “He’s a monster. He’s a beast. I think he has a high upside. He just has to continue to get better, continue to improve on his offensive and defensive IQ, and that just comes with film study.”
Ron Harper Jr: Ron Harper Jr has been the star for the Maine Celtics so far, and he’s also the player who appears to be the closest to being a real NBA player. Harper Jr. is on his fourth two-way contract and has already appeared in two games with the Boston Celtics, and joined the Celtics on their Orlando/Philadelphia road trip last week.
Through four games with the Maine Celtics, he’s averaged 25.8 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1.3 steals. Harper Jr has the best plus-minus on the roster (Maine’s outscoring opponents by 8 points per game with him on the floor), and he’s been the engine of their offense in the early days. The former Rutgers star will look to become more efficient; he’s shooting 43.2% from the field and 31.8% from three so far this season.
His coaches believe an NBA opportunity is around the corner: “He’s right there, right?” Pressey said. “He’s knocking on the door.”
Max Shulga: Max Shulga was drafted with the 57th overall pick and now serves as Maine’s starting point guard, a role that JD Davison held for the past three seasons. Shulga struggled a bit in the early days, but through 5 games, he’s averaging 12.4 points, 7.6 assists, and 5.6 rebounds.
There have been some early-season turnover woes (he’s averaging 3.6 turnovers per game) and efficiency woes (36.2% from the field, 25% from three), but Shulga has also showcased the playmaking flashes that helped get him drafted.
“He’s done a phenomenal job of running the show,” Pressey said. “He’s coming in from VCU, and he’s a guy who can play both on-ball and off-ball, but I’ve put the ball in his hands, allowed him to grow through his mistakes. Being able to run an NBA offense is not easy. It’s a lot of play calls — defensively, offensively — you’re seeing the best defenders, especially in the G League, on every team. But for him, he’s learned so much. He’s grown so much since day one, since the day he was drafted.”
Kendall Brown: Brown is currently Maine’s second-leading scorer, averaging 16.2 points on 49.2% from the field and 35.7% from three, alongside 5.2 rebounds and a team-high 2.2 steals. The former Baylor star spent Summer League and training camp with the Celtics, and thus far has been one of Maine’s most efficient sources of offense.
Brown is not currently on a two-way contract, though he’s previously signed two-way contracts with the Indiana Pacers and Brooklyn Nets. It’ll be interesting to see if another team scoops him up, just as the Detroit Pistons signed Wendell Moore Jr. to a two-way contract a couple of weeks ago after a strong start to the season with the Maine Celtics.
The Maine Celtics’ next game is at the Portland Expo on Friday, November 21, at 7pm against the Delaware Blue Coats. They’ll look to improve to 3-3 on the season.
