Hunter played just 315 minutes for the Celtics, averaging eight minutes per game in 36 contests. After the season, however, Hunter got the only votes of confidence he needed from Danny Ainge and Brad Stevens.
"Danny just told me a lot of the things he likes," Hunter said. "'You have long arms, great touch great feel, if you really want to put your mind to this, you could be as good as you want to be.' That's coming from DA. Come on. What else do I need to hear? The same with Brad, Brad's always been good about complimenting my game. ... Just what they said about what future I have and how good I can be, it was super uplifting."
Now, however, Hunter will need to prove them correct. He said he has spent a lot of time this summer in the gym ("twice a day, just trying to get extra shots and engulf myself in that grind again"). He's watching tape and working on his footwork, and it's clear from talking to him that he too sees the limitations that held back his playing time on a team that won games last year, all the way down to the most micro-level defensive adjustments.
And yes, he'll be competing against Young, one of his good friends, for the opportunities to implement what he's learned. But Hunter says the two are above that.
"It was awkward at first, because we clicked," Hunter said. "It was like, 'Oh, you like the same things I like.' And then we just became homies, because we were always on the bench, or we were always working out together. We always shot together after practice. I think we both know what's at stake, and we're grown enough to put that aside. We all have our dreams and aspirations, but it's bigger than just me against him. I think we both kind of know that."
