Welcome to Boston, JD Davison! – Appreciation Thread (Waived July 24, 2025)

[redslastlaugh]

Alright, great news, love JD.

LETS GO!

Summer league is gonna be awesome. Baylor Scheierman gonna go all Kelly Olynyk up in here, let’s do it!!

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

[Dogen]

Why is everyone so bearish on JD? I mean, I understand we're spoiled now with a bevy of great signings and extensions. JD helped bring the Maine team to the G-Finals as a starter. Now he's back with that team to follow up from last year in Maine. The team brought him back, and he still has a job in the league.

It's OK just to say "congrats JD, good luck in Maine this year, maybe see ya for a few minutes in Boston!" and let it be. Instead, it's "Oh look at him dribbling away our precious lives!" Kind of petty.

There's still a roster spot open. If the team needs a backup vet PG, they can get one. We're not dependent on Davison.

[Dogen]

Alright, great news, love JD.

LETS GO!

Summer league is gonna be awesome. Baylor Scheierman gonna go all Kelly Olynyk up in here, let’s do it!!

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

Oops, I think this came in while I was composing my complaint.

That's better, Red!

WELCOME BACK, NBA CHAMPION JD DAVISON!!!

[phincsfan]

If he was an NBA player a team would have picked him up already. I watched most of the Maine games this season and I thought Steward was the better player in that backcourt. It's nice that the organization is giving JD every possible chance to succeed, but eventually you gotta.....

[cl2117]

We definitely needed a two-way PG if Jrue, White and Pritchard were going to be our only non-wing ball handlers. There's gonna be stretches of the season where we'll want depth at the position.

I'm fine with it being JD. He'll only be 22 and is super athletic. He's still worth a flyer, especially given the continuity he provides.

[165bows]

Watch on YouTube

[Parliament10]

Meh, I don't see it with him. Just doesn't seem like an NBA player. I definitely agree with signing a ball handler to one of those two way spots. If any 2 of Holiday/White/Pritchard miss the same game, we'll have to resort to the square peg in the round hole that is Jaden Springer playing PG. Probably still a better option than JD, but nice to have another layer of depth.

It's time to Cut Davison loose. He can always get Cut from a Two-Way.

If he was an NBA player a team would have picked him up already. I watched most of the Maine games this season and I thought Steward was the better player in that backcourt. It's nice that the organization is giving DJ every possible chance to succeed, but eventually you gotta.....

Agreed. No Team picked JD Davison up, and he was an UFA. The only thing that I see as a plus, is that he knows our System.
DJ Steward, as well, is a good G League Option. But, he (DJ) has been in the G League for 3 yrs, himself.

I think that it may be time to move on, for our Two-Way PG Option.

[Hal14]

JB was never a high turnover guy, that is a myth. He doesn’t rack up assists, I think that is where people get lost.

Turnovers were a huge problem for him in college, as evidenced by his scouting report video by Box and One (which I can't post on here since Adam Spinella, Box and One guy took down all of his old vids when he got hired by the Sixers).

He was also a turnover machine in summer league last year..

And has had some turnover issues in the G league.

Turnovers, shooting and defense are his main weaknesses..as well as being kind of undersized for a guard..

JB not JD

Oh whoops, lol..thought that said JD.

[Dogen]

If he was an NBA player a team would have picked him up already. I watched most of the Maine games this season and I thought Steward was the better player in that backcourt. It's nice that the organization is giving DJ every possible chance to succeed, but eventually you gotta.....

I like Stewart too. Better shooter than JD. Still needs to get stronger as he got pushed around when against NBA players.

JD is... well, he's still 21. After the past two years of investment, he's worth a 2 Way. I won't give up on Walsh after this year either.

The team is big on continuity. It may seem small, but even a marginal player can have an impact if a team has a revolving door policy. Are there better prospects out there than JD? Very likely, but there's the entire onboarding experience for every new player, and we're talking 2 Way here. If JD helps the Maine team win the G-Finals this year, that will be a cool sub-plot for the season.

Anyway, he's here now. If JD doesn't make the steps to improve his game this year, I promise to let go gracefully next year.

[cloverleaf]

Turnovers were a huge problem for him in college, as evidenced by his scouting report video by Box and One (which I can't post on here since Adam Spinella, Box and One guy took down all of his old vids when he got hired by the Sixers).

He was also a turnover machine in summer league last year..

And has had some turnover issues in the G league.

Turnovers, shooting and defense are his main weaknesses..as well as being kind of undersized for a guard..

JB not JD

Oh whoops, lol..thought that said JD.

Our eyes weren't lying when we saw JB repeatedly dribbling the ball off his foot or throwing the ball away at those rare times he tried to pass it to a teammate. But he of course has made himself a dramatically better player now.

And good move for a still very young Mr. Davison. I hope he's matured in his focus and that he'll earn his way up from the 2-way during the season.

[Froob]

Why is everyone so bearish on JD? I mean, I understand we're spoiled now with a bevy of great signings and extensions. JD helped bring the Maine team to the G-Finals as a starter. Now he's back with that team to follow up from last year in Maine. The team brought him back, and he still has a job in the league.

It's OK just to say "congrats JD, good luck in Maine this year, maybe see ya for a few minutes in Boston!" and let it be. Instead, it's "Oh look at him dribbling away our precious lives!" Kind of petty.

There's still a roster spot open. If the team needs a backup vet PG, they can get one. We're not dependent on Davison.

Not like we are saying it directly to the guy lol. The board is for discussion is it not?

Curious from the folks that enjoy JD’s game what they specifically see in it. Would love to be wrong about him.

[Gant]

Why is everyone so bearish on JD? I mean, I understand we're spoiled now with a bevy of great signings and extensions. JD helped bring the Maine team to the G-Finals as a starter. Now he's back with that team to follow up from last year in Maine. The team brought him back, and he still has a job in the league.

It's OK just to say "congrats JD, good luck in Maine this year, maybe see ya for a few minutes in Boston!" and let it be. Instead, it's "Oh look at him dribbling away our precious lives!" Kind of petty.

There's still a roster spot open. If the team needs a backup vet PG, they can get one. We're not dependent on Davison.

Not like we are saying it directly to the guy lol. The board is for discussion is it not?

Curious from the folks that enjoy JD’s game what they specifically see in it. Would love to be wrong about him.

Enjoying his game is the easy part. He's a very athletic pure point, a gifted passer and ballhandler, and has a change of speed that creates havoc when paired with his dribble.

The hurdles for him are major though. He's short which means he's vulnerable on defense, and HAS to have a reliable three pointer, which so far he does not. The three got better toward the end of last season, but must improve further. Without a reliable long ball he won't make it.

The good news about the re-signing is Davison helps other players even if he doesn't make it himself. Having the stability of a real point guard in the G league means the other prospects get a better chance to develop their games.

[redslastlaugh]

Elite passing, elite hops and elite speed. The difference between a 40% assist rate PG and a 20% assist rate PG is really something IMO. The defense needs to get better and maybe some maturity and maybe getting to line more often, but with his skill set he could develop into a valuable type of guard who offers a different type of game from PP or DWhite, esp on this Celtics team that’s a tad deficient in setup men.

I really like his game. And I don’t think he’s so far off from being a fine enough shooter to stay on the court.

Why is everyone so bearish on JD? I mean, I understand we're spoiled now with a bevy of great signings and extensions. JD helped bring the Maine team to the G-Finals as a starter. Now he's back with that team to follow up from last year in Maine. The team brought him back, and he still has a job in the league.

It's OK just to say "congrats JD, good luck in Maine this year, maybe see ya for a few minutes in Boston!" and let it be. Instead, it's "Oh look at him dribbling away our precious lives!" Kind of petty.

There's still a roster spot open. If the team needs a backup vet PG, they can get one. We're not dependent on Davison.

Not like we are saying it directly to the guy lol. The board is for discussion is it not?

Curious from the folks that enjoy JD’s game what they specifically see in it. Would love to be wrong about him.

[Hal14]

The upside is he could end up being a decent backup PG..someone who can push the pace, play fast, spray passes all over the floor to the open man so we score before the other team has a chance to set up their defense..and you hope that the shooting and defense can be good enough so he's not much of a liability.

That's a guy who could maybe be your 1st (or at worst 2nd) guard off the bench on a good team.

That's the upside of JD.

And he's still just 21 yrs old..was starting PG on a team that just went to the G league championship so there's at least *somewhat* of a chance he becomes that player.

Now, he might not develop into that player. He might never develop into a guy who can get rotation mins on a contender like the Celtics. But we aren't giving him a standard roster spot..it's just a 2-way. Very little investment..so very low risk, but a fairly high reward if he "hits"..

[lon3lytoaster]

Meh. Guessing the market was cold for him, guessing he maybe didn’t even get an European offer. I don’t see him as an NBA player anywhere in the near future but could be worse 2-ways. Like Drew Peterson.

[Smart2Nesmith43]

If Brad Stevens signed a 21 year old point guard that was top five in total points and assists scored in the G-League last year from another team roster to a two way deal everybody would be praising him for stealing that guy from the rest of the league. But for some reason JD Davison already being in the Celtics system is being held against him. I don't get that.

I understand that he isn't an NBA player today and that might be slightly disappointing after two years in Maine but he got much better from year 1 to year 2 and he deserves another chance to improve into an NBA guy. Last year Stevens cycled through Jay Scrubb and Nathan Knight on two ways before settling on Drew Peterson. If Davison doesn't cut it, I trust Brad to sort it out and find someone who will. Until then let JD show he deserves the opportunity.

The turnovers issue is so overstated by the way. He has the ball in his hands all the time, of course his raw totals of turnovers are going to look bad. His assist to turnover ratio is a very solid 2.5. He had a 39.4 AST% in the G-League last season which only Young, Haliburton, Doncic and Jokic exceeded at the NBA level last year. As a reference point, nobody on Boston topped 22% except JD in his very limited run where he was at 32.9%. He is a special passer.

[Shak_Celts]

JB not JD

Oh whoops, lol..thought that said JD.

Our eyes weren't lying when we saw JB repeatedly dribbling the ball off his foot or throwing the ball away at those rare times he tried to pass it to a teammate. But he of course has made himself a dramatically better player now.

And good move for a still very young Mr. Davison. I hope he's matured in his focus and that he'll earn his way up from the 2-way during the season.

Your eyes may not have been lying, those few times, but your analysis that it was a lot is a problem that a lot of people have. Terrible turnovers at times, absolutely, but he just wasn’t and isn’t a high turnover guy. This isn’t me just liking the guy either.

It’s all good, it doesn’t really matter now, he can go out next year and turn it over 10 times a game, he’s forever a Celtics champion. If Ray Allen can bring his turncoat behind back then anyone can… well, not Perk (still a champ)!

[Dogen]

If Brad Stevens signed a 21 year old point guard that was top five in total points and assists scored in the G-League last year from another team roster to a two way deal everybody would be praising him for stealing that guy from the rest of the league. But for some reason JD Davison already being in the Celtics system is being held against him. I don't get that.

I understand that he isn't an NBA player today and that might be slightly disappointing after two years in Maine but he got much better from year 1 to year 2 and he deserves another chance to improve into an NBA guy. Last year Stevens cycled through Jay Scrubb and Nathan Knight on two ways before settling on Drew Peterson. If Davison doesn't cut it, I trust Brad to sort it out and find someone who will. Until then let JD show he deserves the opportunity.

The turnovers issue is so overstated by the way. He has the ball in his hands all the time, of course his raw totals of turnovers are going to look bad. His assist to turnover ratio is a very solid 2.5. He had a 39.4 AST% in the G-League last season which only Young, Haliburton, Doncic and Jokic exceeded at the NBA level last year. As a reference point, nobody on Boston topped 22% except JD in his very limited run where he was at 32.9%. He is a special passer.

Yep, it's good to recall that JD is only 21, been in the league for just two years, and in that time he's been behind Marcus Smart, Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, Payton Pritchard, and also JT and JB as far as getting any minutes at all being a ball handler.

Pritchard has been with the team for two more years than JD and is already 26 -- almost 5 years older. Joe doesn't play the youngsters much anyway. It took PP a long look in the mirror last summer to decide that he wanted to re-up with the Celtics as he wasn't satisfied with his role. JD is fine in his own development. He's still one of the youngest players on the team -- two years younger than the 2024 draft picks.

I don't want to compare players too much, as PP has the clear advantage in age, experience, and shooting. They are similar size and weight, but JD has more athleticism and upside. I've thought JD might be that PP replacement last year if PP left, but he's now slipped in the pecking order of a really stacked team.

So I'm still waiting at the altar, as it were, for JD to show up with the goods, but I think he's got more to show.

[cloverleaf]

Oh whoops, lol..thought that said JD.

Our eyes weren't lying when we saw JB repeatedly dribbling the ball off his foot or throwing the ball away at those rare times he tried to pass it to a teammate. But he of course has made himself a dramatically better player now.

And good move for a still very young Mr. Davison. I hope he's matured in his focus and that he'll earn his way up from the 2-way during the season.

Your eyes may not have been lying, those few times, but your analysis that it was a lot is a problem that a lot of people have. Terrible turnovers at times, absolutely, but he just wasn’t and isn’t a high turnover guy. This isn’t me just liking the guy either.

It’s all good, it doesn’t really matter now, he can go out next year and turn it over 10 times a game, he’s forever a Celtics champion. If Ray Allen can bring his turncoat behind back then anyone can… well, not Perk (still a champ)!

JB had more TOs than assists for 3 of his first 4 years in that league--and that other year it was very close (99/100).
To his great credit he has improved immensely, though it is still one of his weaknesses when he has a bad game.

[The_Ghost_of_JB]

A 6'1 guard with absurd athletic ability makes for dominate HS player but not in the NBA unless he has some other skills like a dead eye shooter, great ball handler or defender. On top of that he was not a very good college player.

Maybe if was 6'10 he may have as shot but at 6'1 he is on borrowed time in the NBA (This will be his last year in the NBA) Hopefully JD saves his money or has a passport so he can play in China.