Anton Watson may have traded his red, white and blue digs for Boston Celtics’ white and green, but the former Gonzaga men’s basketball standout had a familiar impact with his new team in the NBA Las Vegas Summer League.

Watson, the 54th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, had made a name for himself in NBA circles as a versatile two-way forward who found ways to impact winning that went beyond the traditional stat sheet. While his defensive ability stood out, some scouting reports referred to a certain lack of athleticism and scoring ability from Watson, despite a career-high in points and field goal percentage as a fifth-year senior at Gonzaga. That and the need to improve as a 3-point shooter were reasons why Watson didn’t appear on most mock drafts heading into draft night.

But expectation wasn’t reality. Brad Stevens liked what he saw from the 6-foot-8 wing in pre-draft workouts, not to mention the lengthy scouting reports derived from Watson’s days as a Zag. Stevens found it worth using a late second-round pick on an older but perhaps more polished player who could potentially fit in Boston’s championship-caliber rotation in 2024 and beyond.

Watson, sporting an odd-looking No. 28 jersey, proved his game could translate to the NBA and was a solid fit in the Celtics’ summer league rotation. Despite the concerns over his ability to create scoring opportunities for himself, the Spokane native’s high basketball IQ led to a handful of backdoor cuts and offensive putbacks at the rim. Like he did at Gonzaga, Watson thrived when his teammates were able to get downhill and attack the rim, opening up chances for him to score as a trailer or cutter.

Perhaps the point of emphasis though was 3-point shooting. Watson, who shot 41.2% on 1.5 attempts in 2023-24 with the Bulldogs, shot 35.0% on 4.0 attempts per game in five summer league games with Boston. A slight dip in efficiency shouldn’t overshadow the fact Watson was aggressively hunting for his shot and was willing to fire when given an open look.

A majority of those 3-point attempts came from a spot-up shooter’s position in the corner, an area Watson will look to hone as his own after not taking many corner 3s at Gonzaga. Much of that had to do with Watson playing the “4” spot in Mark Few’s system compared to his position on the wing with the Celtics, which doesn’t put him in as many pick-and-pop or pick-and-roll sets that allow him to dive or kick out for an open shot. Watson’s versatility will likely lead to him playing more position-less basketball with Boston as his minutes and reps go up.