5 players who saw their stock rise during NBA Summer League

5 players who saw their stock rise during NBA Summer League: 1. JD Davison, Boston Celtics

It seemed like a mistake when the guard out of Alabama slipped to the No. 53 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. If it didn’t at the time, JD Davison made NBA teams outside of the Boston Celtics feel some level of regret this summer.

Davison was a lightning rod during his lone season with the Crimson Tide. While he primarily came off the bench, the speedy guard averaged a well-rounded 8.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game, earning a spot on the SEC All-Freshman Team.

Still, he almost fell out of the draft altogether, despite demonstrating clear potential for a player who won’t turn 20 before October. No matter for Davison, as he went and proved just that on the court.

Davison did an excellent job facilitating the Celtics’ offense. He averaged 8.2 assists per game, the best mark in the Summer League for any player and the third-highest mark of all time.

The guard wasn’t limited to a distributing role, though. He also dropped 13 points per game in the summer, hitting a remarkable 47 percent of his threes. Davison’s eye-popping quickness and ability to facilitate the offense were known quantities. While he won’t be able to keep up hitting nearly half of his threes, any consistency from beyond the arc makes him a better prospect.

Davison signed a two-way contract before the start of Summer League and despite his strong performance, that deal still makes a lot of sense. He could use some more in-game action before stepping up to a bigger role in Boston, who has their eyes on another NBA Finals trip.

But JD Davison’s stock is clearly on the rise after his Summer League performance. Expect him to make an impact with the Celtics sooner than later.