Damion Lee inks deal with Boston Celtics

The good news just keeps rolling in this week.

The Boston Celtics have signed Jalen Jones and Damion Lee to contracts for the 2016-17 season. Jones was signed to a one year deal for this upcoming season. Lee was signed for two seasons through the 2017-18 season. Terms are not yet available, but it is likely both received a partial guarantee for 2016-17, as is the club's past practice. While it is unlikely that either Jones or Lee makes the team out of camp, the Celtics will have their D-League rights. A guaranteed amount can entice players to head to Maine versus pursuing larger deals overseas.

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Lee is a very good scorer, hitting for a high average since his freshman season. Overall, he averaged over 16 PPG in college to go along with just under 5 RPG and just under 2 APG. His best attributes offensively are the range he has on his jumper and his size for his position. As 6'6'', he has no problem seeing over smaller defenders and he gets good lift on his jumper. His range extends well past the NBA arc, which isn't always common with college shooters. He's good coming off screens or off spot ups, but he struggles a bit to create his own looks off the dribble. With NBA caliber teammates and better spacing, he should get cleaner looks which could lead to an uptick in his shooting percentage.

Defensively, Lee is competitive and began to blossom under Rick Pitino's defensive oriented system. He moves his feet well and is active. Like a lot of young players, he'll occasionally get lost on defense and lose track of his man. He also has a slight frame, so he can struggle to navigate through screens while chasing his man. He'll need to add bulk to compete at the NBA level with bigger players. Unlike Jones, who is similar in height, Lee is more likely to play down to the shooting guard position, as he doesn't have the strength to play up at the power forward spot.

Congrats to Damion, who deserves this shot as much as any former Louisville player I can remember.