JD Davison is a front-runner for G League MVP. His Celtics vets believe he’ll make a great NBA player.

PORTLAND — In mid-March, the Maine Celtics spent the weekend in Greensboro, North Carolina, ready to play a pair of games against the Swarm, the Charlotte Hornets’ G League affiliate.

Maine Celtics starting point guard JD Davison posted a near triple-double in the first game of the weekend (23 points, 10 assists, 9 rebounds) before getting on a commercial flight, alone, to meet the Boston Celtics for their regular-season game against the Nets in Brooklyn.

There, he went through his player development regimen with the coaching staff — but, as is typically the case, didn’t get any in-game NBA run.

The next morning, Davison flew back to meet his G League teammates in Greensboro, eager to help them continue building a win streak that would position them for a spot in the G League playoffs.

Such is the life of an elite two-way player in the NBA. Sometimes, the back-and-forth nature and dueling responsibilities get draining.

But, Davison — in his third season with the Celtics — has taken his commitment to another level.

Ahead of the Celtics’ second game against the Swarm, Maine head coach Tyler Lashbrook held a film session, as is customary on gamedays. Davison didn’t want to miss any of the team’s prep.

“I didn’t know if he was coming back,” Lashbrook told CelticsBlog. “And he was like, ‘Oh, I’m coming back.’”

So, when Davison landed in North Carolina on Sunday morning, he texted his coach that he was rushing back — and could they wait for him?

“He was like, ‘Hold that film session. I’ll be there in 5,’” Lashbrook recalled. “And he rolls in, bag in hand.”

As Davison burst through the door, his Maine Celtics teammates began excitedly clapping and yelling, “Three’s here!”

It was a small moment, but one that highlighted Davison’s ever-growing dedication to his craft and to maximizing all of the opportunities to get better as a two-way.

‘Three’ — as his teammates playfully call him — has been on a tear this season as the central hub of Maine’s offense. He has averaged 25.1 points, 7.5 assists, and 5.2 rebounds, shooting 48.1% from the field and a career-best 33.3% from three — all while vastly improving his defense.

At the same time, opposing G League teams make him the focal point of their defensive schemes.

Miles Norris, who signed a two-way contract with the Celtics last month, told CelticsBlog he remembers the extensive gameplans against Davison when he was on the Memphis Hustle earlier in the season.

“He gave us a lot of problems,” Norris recalled, adding that now that they’re teammates, Davison makes the game a lot easier for him.

“That’s the G League MVP,” said James Banks III, who has played alongside Davison in Maine in each of the past two seasons.

Others around the G League have taken notice of Davison’s play. At NBA All-Star weekend, Osceola Magic guard Mac McClung, who won G League MVP last year, told CelticsBlog’s Bobby Manning that Davison was the front-runner for the award.

“I hope he gets his chance [in the NBA] soon,” McClung said.

In Maine, Davison has been the engine that’s made it all go. His playoff run begins tonight at the Portand Expo against the Capitol City Go-Go, and while the ultimate role remains a spot in the NBA, for now, he’s focused on the pursuit of a franchise-first G League title.

“I can’t even really put into words how important he is,” Lashbrook said.

Jaylen Brown and the Celtics vets have taken notice of Davison’s improvements

JD Davison was selected 53rd overall in the 2023 NBA Draft after an up-and-down freshman year at Alabama. The 6’3 guard was a consensus five-star recruit out of high school, but played a more limited role at Alabama, averaging 8.5 points off the bench.

After draft night, he signed a two-way contract with the Celtics, and almost three years later, he is the Maine Celtics’ all-time leader in points, assists, and steals.

“Coming into Year 3, I’m just trying to build a different type of role going into this year,” Davison told CelticsBlog earlier this fall. “Try to get signed — basically, try to get a full contract.”

He hasn’t gotten much of an on-court chance in the NBA, save for a few limited opportunities. Still, his Celtics teammates have been impressed by what they’ve seen from the 6’1 guard behind the scenes.

“He’s been balling,” said Jaylen Brown, who has taken Davison under his wing since he arrived in Boston.

Both Brown and Davison are from the South — Brown from Georgia and Davison from Alabama — and Brown wanted to make Davison’s transition to New England as smooth as possible.

“It’s different moving from the South and coming to Boston,” Brown said last season. “When I was that age, it was a lot for me. So, I’m just trying to help him with the experience.”

The duo’s connection has been on full display many times over the years. Moment after the Celtics won the championship, the Finals MVP, who lovingly calls Davison ‘Bama’, embraced the then-21-year-old and said, “I told you I’ll get you a ring.”

Last week, Brown said he took notice of Davison’s growth firsthand this past fall.

“You could tell he took it to another level in training camp,” Brown said. “I think he’s been able to learn from our guys, going against Payton [Pritchard], going against Jrue [Holiday] and Derrick [White].”

“He’s gotten so much better, and that’s credit to him. He’s developed at a high rate.”

Jrue Holiday noted that Davison is in a tough position, being on such a good NBA team and playing behind so much talent. That’s something Joe Mazzulla has spoken to, too.

“There’s nothing harder than being a young player with the Celtics,” Mazzulla said at training camp. “The young guys have to be very, very patient — because the roster is very top-heavy.”

Still, Mazzulla gave Davison one of his most extensive opportunities last month in a game against the Portland Trail Blazers — eight meaningful minutes, with Payton Pritchard finding himself in early foul trouble.

The third-year head coach thought Davison looked good in the stint, noting he made good reads and that his ball pressure impacted the game.

“You can tell anytime he comes back, and we throw him out there – he’s so comfortable,” Holiday said. “He fits right in.

Al Horford, who has spent the last three seasons as one of Davison’s vets, said he’s noticed a change in the young guard’s approach.

He told CelticsBlog on the Celtics’ recent road trip that he feels like Davison has grown increasingly comfortable with the parent club and that he’s continued to commit to the everyday grind — lifting, his shooting times, and everything else that goes into getting better.

Horford hasn’t had to be in Davison’s ear, he said. It’s just part of being a Celtic.

“He understands that everybody here from Jayson [Tatum] to Payton [Pritchard] to Luke [Kornet] — everybody’s working,” Horford said. “Everybody’s getting after it. We’re all trying to get better. And when you come in here as a young player, or a guy that’s trying to be on this team, you understand that you have to put in the work. And I think JD gets it.”

Right now, Horford believes that Davison’s most NBA-ready skills are his playmaking and ability to get to the rim.

Derrick White’s similarly deemed Davison the team’s best lob thrower, and described him as a “hard guard” at training camp. Both vets describe the G League star as a master in the pick-and-roll.

“JD is a really good passer, and he has a really good feel for the game, especially when he’s playing pick-and-roll,” Horford said. “He’s a real guard. He’s able to kind of manipulate the defense. And then his ability to get to the basket, he’s really explosive.”

Throughout his 16-year NBA career, Holiday has played with and against hundreds of NBA guards. He’s confident Davison is going to make it.

“He’s definitely going to be a really good NBA player,” Holiday said.

This post was originally published on this site