Is JD Davison Too Good for the G League?

Dominating on a nightly basis is rare, but somehow, JD Davison has managed to perform consistently.

Basketball Roots

To understand Davison’s meteoric rise to G League stardom, it is imperative to look back at his journey in becoming the starting point guard for the Maine Celtics. At the Calhoun School, a high school in Letohatchee, Alabama, Davison burst out onto the scene by averaging 30.4 points, 12 rebounds and four assists per game.

He was awarded Alabama Mr. Basketball and Alabama Gatorade Player of the Year. He gained attention from top collegiate programs, such as Kansas and Alabama, but ultimately chose Alabama, which was only a few hours from his hometown.

JD Davison in his senior season DEBUT 🚨 @jddavison10

53 PTS | 11 REB | 5 STL | 4 BLK | 2 AST

This season boutta be a MOVIE 🍿 pic.twitter.com/faWFL8iITD

— Overtime (@overtime) November 14, 2020

Coming into Alabama, Davison was in a crowded backcourt alongside Jaden Shackelford, resulting in only six starts out of 33 contests. Although he was sometimes given limited playing time, the guard still finished fourth in scoring and second in steals. He concluded his short-lived career at the University of Alabama by earning SEC All-Freshman Team honors.

NBA Draft

The consensus on Davison going into the draft was one of a “low floor” with a “high ceiling.”

Essentially, teams were extremely hesitant to select such an unproven player at the collegiate level. However, Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens still decided to use their 53rd overall pick of the 2o22 NBA Draft on the athletic guard.

Davison has always been seen as a project, but his experience seems to be all he needs to flourish in professional basketball. He is currently on a two-way contract with the Boston Celtics and their G League affiliate, the Maine Celtics.

He has been excelling with Maine, cementing himself as one of the organization’s all-time greats at the young age of 22.

JD Davison's recent 40-point effort was another reminder that 'All-Time' doesn't happen all the time! Story on JD's record-breaking season⬇️https://t.co/6cuDZhiE1P pic.twitter.com/65QHEx8W9C

— Maine Celtics (@MaineCeltics) January 8, 2025

G League

At the beginning of the season, Davison surpassed Chris Wright for the Maine all-time scoring record. A few weeks later, he again passed Wright for the all-time steals record. Earlier this month, Davison posted his second 40-point performance of the season on an efficient 68 percent from the field.

“Just grateful for it honestly, it’s a great compliment, Davison shared after the game. You got to love the Expo crowd, they always come out to support.”

Davison currently holds seven franchise records for Maine. So why is he not on the Celtics’ NBA roster? While there could be several reasons why he has not been given a true opportunity at the next level, the logical answer is that Boston does not have room for him.

Celtics Future

At this point in time, the Celtics carry All-Defensive guard Derrick White, future Hall-of-Famer Jrue Holiday, and the 6MOY favorite Payton Pritchard in their backcourt. These three guards excel in various ways and were crucial pieces in the Celtics championship run a year ago, with no signs of slowing down.

For the Celtics, having a guard like Davison is a good problem. From their perspective, they have an overachieving guard who can play at a high level, but they cannot seem to find a spot for him to play consistently.

They are stashing him in the G League to assist his development and ensure he is under contract with the team and not eligible to be claimed by another organization.

Can y'all pls give my guy JD Davison real playing time??? @celtics https://t.co/GQQOc9VRMF

— MC16 Is Coming! 🚨 (@defclubmix) January 5, 2025

JD Davison’s Contract Status

Being on a two-way contract, Davison has developed an understanding of the expectation that is bestowed upon players in the Celtics organization:

“I think everyone knows our standard from Boston to here. We got a good group, so I think we are ready to get together and have fun on the court,” Davison said.

We do not know what the future holds for JD Davison. He is shining at the G League level but has struggled to gain playing time in the association. Both on and off the court, the guard exemplifies a team-first attitude and a will to win.

Will the Celtics ever see him as a role player? Will he be given a well-deserved opportunity in the NBA? Spectators and fans alike can only hope that the former five-star proves everyone wrong again.