Celtics' Hunter: ‘All preseason games are lessons'

Share

R.J. Hunter is an anomaly.

Many rookies enter the NBA unable to “make the simple play.” But Hunter has shown through four preseason games that he’s capable of not just making the simple play, but executing advanced plays.

Whether it’s a perfectly timed bounce pass, a cut, or an off-ball rotation, Hunter is doing things that gain the trust of Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens.

“One of the things I liked best about him in the draft was he was not a well-established, highly ranked prospect as a 16 or 17-year-old in high school,” Stevens said Saturday at Celtics practice. “He was a guy that was trying to figure out how to be at that level. So here’s a guy with a ceiling and hadn’t scratched it when he was 17-years-old. So that’s not always bad, because it keeps a chip on your shoulder too.”

Due to the absence of Marcus Smart (illness), Avery Bradley (rest), and Terry Rozier (knee), Hunter was given the opportunity to play point guard in Friday’s 101-95 loss to the Knicks.

While Hunter did experience mixed results handling primary ball handling duties, it’s still a positive sign Stevens even gave him the chance.

Hunter told reporters that he hasn’t played point guard since middle school, but it’s clear he has the instincts to be a playmaker.

With a 2.4 assist-turnover ratio this preseason, Hunter ranks fifth of all rookies, per NBA.com. Though it’s a small sample size, the early signs are encouraging for Hunter.

Still, the 21-year-old realizes he has work to do. In the fourth quarter, down 83-79, Hunter had what appeared to be an open transition layup. Hunter casually tried a layup and Knicks forward Derrick Williams leaped out of nowhere to swat the ball away.

For Hunter, this was his ‘Welcome to the NBA’ moment.

“I got my layup two-handed swatted. So I was like, ‘All right, we’re here (in the pros) now,’” Hunter said after Friday’s loss. “All these preseason games are lessons. So we’re just trying to learn from them all.”

With a process-oriented outlook, R.J. Hunter could eventually earn a consistent role in Brad Stevens’ regular season rotation if he continues to work hard in practice and translate those learned behaviors to the court.

Watch the video above for the full Celtics report from CSNNE’s Abby Chin.

Contact Us