Boston Celtics

R.J. Hunter is heating up in Las Vegas

Published Jul. 13, 2015 6:43 p.m. ET

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The morning after last month's NBA draft, many analysts pegged R.J. Hunter as a potential steal. Taken with the 28th overall pick by the Boston Celtics, Hunter was predicted by most to go much earlier, potentially as high as the lottery.

Now, in Las Vegas Summer League, Hunter is showing the rest of the league what they missed, not only with his three-point shot, but also his improving defense. Here's a closer look, courtesy of CelticsBlog's Kevin O'Connor:

"Plays on offense will always make the highlights, but it's his defense that will determine how much and how frequently he plays this season. As was the case last year, both Gigi Datome and James Young were unable to earn consistent minutes down the stretch because they were unreliable on the defensive end. While Datome is an elite shooter, and Young theoretically is, shooting isn't enough if you're getting scored on with ease on the other end. So far, Hunter has passed the eye test and has developed each game. He keeps his head on a swivel playing off-ball, and appears to be picking up man-to-man concepts quickly after primarily playing zone in college."

Hunter could become the floor-spacing presence Boston's offense desperately needs, but, as O'Connor writes, he won't find time in Brad Stevens' rotation unless he learns how to play reliable man-to-man defense.

It's early, but so far so good.

(h/t: CelticsBlog)

Photo Credit: Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images