LAS VEGAS — Yam Madar told reporters last week he planned to play for the Celtics in the NBA next season and he certainly backed up that talk in his Summer League debut on Sunday afternoon.
Boston’s No. 47 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft made a meaningful impact as a reserve on both ends of the court in the Celtics’ 85-83 win against the Atlanta Hawks over his 17 minutes of action.
The Celtics came out looking flat in their opener, falling behind by 10 points in the opening minutes as Boston’s experienced starters missed their first eight shots of the game.
Madar brought some life to the offense however once he took the floor midway through the frame. He got the Celtics on the board with a layup shortly after subbing in, knocked down another baseline jumper minutes later and also helped to get Boston’s offensive flow going with his passing in the pick-and-roll and attacking in transition, leading a 17-2 run.
“I think he exceeded expectations,” Celtics summer league head coach Joe Mazzulla said. “It’s on all of us to just help him find a role, what his role will be at this level, and how he can get better at it. It starts with ball pressure and making great decisions for him and our team. Our first practice we turned the ball over a lot, and today we only had 11. We did a great job taking care of the ball, and his decision making, his poise was a reason.”
The 20-year-old played with a good level of flair, bringing some valuable vision to a Boston backcourt that is heavy on experience in this summer league but lacks strong passers in Payton Pritchard, Carsen Edwards and Romeo Langford. Madar stood out from the pack immediately within that group, something that should catch the eye of Brad Stevens as he debates whether to give Madar a spot on Boston’s 15-man roster for this upcoming season.
Perhaps the more encouraging part of Madar’s debut was his contributions on the defensive end. He ratcheted up the ball pressure on Atlanta’s starting point guard Sharife Cooper throughout his minutes in both halves and was a clear disruptor to Atlanta’s offensive flow on that front. Cooper had four turnovers and Madar was an integral part of forcing a pair of those and also provided timely help with double teams on a couple of other possessions.
“I’m just trying to do whatever I can to try to make the team win,” Madar said. “It was the defense today that I tried to bring from the bench just to bring some energy to the floor, helping the guys on the floor to bring some extra push. And I’m happy it was good.”
“I was very happy with Yam,” Mazzulla added. “I thought he did a great job of changing the game with his ball pressure. Last week in training camp was his first time playing and he had some growing pains. He did a great job consequently over the last two days and he really showed that in the game today. We’ll be looking for him to bring that defensive pressure, and down the offensive end get a few more touches, maybe a little more confidence and make plays for others.”
What all of this means in the big picture remains to be seen as overreacting to one Summer League performance usually isn’t a wise choice. However, Madar’s defensive impact is something that has caught the eyes of his teammates during practice this week.
“Yam, he has long arms and quick hands.” Payton Pritchard said. “He definitely has potential to become something.”
The Celtics currently have 15 players signed to the main roster for next season, so Boston would need to release or trade one player in order to make room for Madar on the opening night roster. Jabari Parker has a non-guaranteed contract so he could be released at any point before opening night to make room for another player without Boston taking an extra hit to the salary cap. The team currently sits extremely close to the luxury tax line so any Madar signing would probably be accompanied by some salary dump if the team wants to dodge the tax.
Boston has the ability to use the team’s mid-level exception to sign Madar to a contract that could last for four years in total if they like what they see from him during the rest of Summer League. The team continues to explore other point guard options on the free agent, including Dennis Schroder but Madar could be a cheaper alternative with some long-term upside for the team to develop stateside right away. Brad Stevens was in the stands watching closely on Sunday and that evaluation will continue all week long for Madar.
Whether this upcoming season or a year down the road, Madar looks like he will be ready to make the leap soon to the NBA and he couldn’t be more excited for the opportunity.
“It felt amazing. It’s a dream come true,” Madar since of his first game with Boston. “Being on the floor, wearing that Celtics jersey, it’s amazing. It’s a blessing for me, for my family, representing them. It was great.”
