JD Davison proved he can thrive in the G League when he was named MVP of the league last year, suiting up for the Maine Celtics. But now with the Rockets, Davison is looking to push for more playing time in an important season in his career.
Davison was waived by the Celtics this summer as the team needed the roster spot and to cut costs. The guard landed with the Rockets on a two-way contract as he was set to serve as one of the fringe guys. But after Fred VanVleet’s torn ACL injury, there are available minutes for Davison on Houston coach Ime Udoka’s squad.
“He’s been great,” Udoka said of Davison earlier in camp, per Rockets Wire. “He’s been very aggressive. Handles well. Makes good decisions out of the pick-and-roll. Big body, picking up full-court. So he brings aggression on both sides of the ball. Obviously you’ve seen what he’s done in the past. I had him briefly in Boston, so know who he is. Taking advantage of the opportunity.”
Davison turned heads when he scored 17 points in his preseason debut against the Hawks. He hasn’t had a huge scoring outburst since then, but it’ll be interesting to see what the Rockets do with Davison throughout the season. It’s clear he’s good enough for the G League, but that doesn’t necessarily translate to NBA success.
While Davison enters his fourth pro season, he’s still only 23. The Celtics picked him 53rd overall in 2022 as he’s spent the past three years in Boston on two-way contracts. He developed behind the scenes to being a great G League player, leading to Davison getting promoted ahead of the playoffs last year. But his time in Boston came to a close when he was waived, leading to a reunion with Udoka.
It remains to be seen what Davison will be able to provide the Rockets. But he’s put himself at least in the mix in the preseason; Houston does need depth with a ball-handling guard after VanVleet went down. The Rockets’ expectations are high after trading for Kevin Durant in the offseason and earning the No. 2 seed in the West last year.
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