Boston Celtics: Semi Ojeleye will be a big factor this season

He was a big part of the Boston Celtics postseason run, and Semi Ojeleye is proving in Summer League just how important he’s going to be next season.

Drafted #37 overall by the Boston Celtics, Semi Ojeleye went into his rookie year not expecting to play much. Then All-Star Gordon Hayward went down. He was thrust into the first game of the season against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Ojeleye had a pretty hesitant rookie season. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. He genuinely looked like a rookie, and you could tell he was feeling out the league in his first year.

While known as being a defensive-minded player, Ojeleye is actually a very good scorer. At Southern Methodist, Ojeleye was averaging nearly 20 points per game. Let’s not forget guys, Semi was a dude who was originally at Duke. There’s definitely talent there.

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So what comes next?

Ojeleye is going to be a big part of this team next season. I’d expect him to be more aggressive offensively. Also, I definitely see him being better defensively.

Honestly, having a Terry Rozier–Marcus Smart-Ojeleye second unit is really something special on the defensive end. I’m not sure how any team can match up with that.

Personally, I think player development is one of the most exciting things. I mean it’s not always about the flashy free agent. Sometimes the guys you have make big leaps, and I know we’ve seen this under Brad Stevens.

That second unit next year? Yeah, with a more confident Semi, it’s going to get a huge boost. Oh, don’t forget! Our guy Daniel Theis is coming back too!

Additionally, Semi did a fantastic job on guys like LeBron and Giannis Antetokounmpo. I think we as Celtics fans genuinely have plenty to be excited about. Of course, I’m basing some of this on summer league (hey, it’s July in the NBA gimme a break!), but he’s showing he’s better than the new crop of rookies.

While Jabari Bird has been getting all the attention (and rightfully so), Semi Ojeleye has been putting in a solid performance. He had 13 points, three assists and seven rebounds against the Hornets. The rebounding number sticks out, and if he can contribute a stat line close to that off the bench, he’ll be another great weapon for the C’s.

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The next time you can catch Ojeleye and our guys in green is on Thursday, July 12th at 4:30 ET on ESPN2.