Jul 12, 2026 3:24 PM
Updated Jul 12, 2026 3:29 PM

The Celtics beat the Toronto Raptors in the Summer League opener in Las Vegas, and they'll look to beat the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday.

After beating the Toronto Raptors in the Summer League opener on Friday, the Boston Celtics are back in action in Las Vegas on Sunday (5 p.m. ET) when they take on the Charlotte Hornets.

Boston will play four total regular season games in Las Vegas before a potentially Summer League semifinal on July 18 and a final on July 19.

While Summer League can't necessarily tell us a lot about how the upcoming season will go, there are several individual storylines to look out for.

We've narrowed it down to three.

Related stories

Will Hugo Gonzalez shoot better this time around? 

The other day, we identified Gonzalez as the likely leader of the Summer League Celtics given his NBA experience in 2025-26. While that's still true, he badly struggled offensively in the contest, going just 3-of-16 from the floor and 1-of-9 from three-point range.

He still played 37 minutes and took the most shots of any player, signifying his importance to this group, but he'll still want to see some better results as he looks to find an even bigger role in 2026-27. And with Jaylen Brown gone, there's opportunity there to be had.

How about Dillon Mitchell? 

The team's second-round pick from St. John's struggled mightily in his first taste of professional action, scoring just four points in 26 minutes. He was 2-of-6 from the floor, pulling down three rebounds and registering no assists. He had two turnovers, two steals and two blocks, however.

His athleticism should continue to shine through, but we'll see how it manifests itself in this game.

How about a follow-up for Cenac?

Chris Cenac Jr., a player from Houston who the C's took in the first round of the NBA Draft, was excellent in his Summer League debut, scoring 14 points and pulling down 10 rebounds in 29 minutes. He was 5-of-13 from the floor and 2-of-4 from three-point range. He also had four blocks. At 6-foot-11, he can be a big part of what the C's do on the interior this season, but he's got competition with Mitchell Robinson, Luka Garza and Neemias Queta.

Houston's Chris Cenac Jr. (5) cheers during a second-round game in the NCAA men's basketball tournament between Houston Cougars and Texas A&M Aggies at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Saturday March 21, 2026. SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn ImagesHouston's Chris Cenac Jr. (5) cheers during a second-round game in the NCAA men's basketball tournament between Houston Cougars and Texas A&M Aggies at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Saturday March 21, 2026. SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Also in the news for the Celtics

Celtics guard Derrick White spoke with the media at Summer League, including Celtics on CLNS, about his offseason, the trade of Jaylen Brown, Queta's extension and much more, including the team's addition of Robinson in free agency.

He said that it's going to be great to have Robinson on the roster, calling him a "pain" to play against for years. He also noted that he's one of the best offensive rebounders in the league.

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