Maine Celtics guard JD Davison finds a wide-open shot against Osceola in Portland on Sunday. Derek Davis/Portland Press Herald

Last week, JD Davison took a lot of phone calls and text messages from family and friends back home in Alabama, all eager to share with him news about the rare snowstorm they endured.

“They say, ‘This must be how you feel every day.’ They’re out there enjoying themselves. No work, no school,” Davison said after a recent Maine Celtics practice. “I tell them, ‘You don’t want to be up here, man. It’s below (zero) out here.’”

Davison, a 6-foot-1 guard whom the Boston Celtics selected in the second round of the 2022 NBA Draft, is in his third season wowing fans at the Portland Expo. A case can be made that he’s the best player in the G League, the NBA’s developmental league.

He’s among the league leaders in scoring and assists, which is a testament to how much the ball is in his hands and how much responsibility he has, said Tyler Lashbrook, the Maine Celtics’ first-year head coach. On Tuesday, Davison was selected to take part in the Rising Stars tournament in San Francisco on Feb. 14, part of the NBA’s All-Star Weekend.

So what is Davison still doing here when other players have used Maine as a brief layover on their way to the NBA?

Well, he’s playing a lot of basketball, getting better and loving every minute of it. He’s still only 22 years old. He has time.

“I’m definitely not frustrated at all. This is my process. It’s just being where my feet are and having fun with it,” said Davison, who played a season at the University of Alabama. “Just trusting my work, getting work in the gym. Just trying to get to where I want to be.”

Where he wants to be is Boston, helping the Celtics chase banner No. 19. Davison, who’s playing on a two-way contract that allows Boston to keep him in Maine where he can develop, entered this week third in the G League in scoring (26.5 points per game) and fourth in assists (8.3 apg). His efficiency rating, which quantifies a player’s complete game, is third in the league at 28.2.

Maine Celtics guard JD Davison shoots over Ethan Thompson of the Osceola Magic. Derek Davis/Portland Press Herald

“He just loves to play basketball. I didn’t even want him to go live today in practice, but he said, ‘No, I had two days off. I’m going live,’” Lashbrook said. “I don’t sense frustration. I sense excitement and understanding he’s getting better every day.”

His ascent will force the organization to make a tough choice this offseason.

Players are no longer eligible for a two-way contract after three seasons with their original team, so Boston will need to give Davison an NBA deal or cut him loose. Davison knows it’s on him to play well enough that the choice is obvious. To do that, he embraces the minutes on the Expo court.

“I just have fun with the fans, because they love the Maine Celtics. Just seeing how supportive they are. Whether it’s snow, rain, they’re here,” said Davison, who’s played 25 games with the Boston Celtics, including five this season. “I’m signing autographs, giving away shoes, whatever I have to do to try to make everybody smile.”

Davison last played for Boston on Dec. 12 against Detroit. He scored three points in 6 minutes, 32 seconds of action. He also spent time with Boston during its run to the NBA title last spring.

Davison was one of a few young players called up to Boston to practice and be with the team throughout the playoffs. On a two-way contract, he was ineligible to play in the playoffs, but the experience was still invaluable.

“It was definitely the best experience I’ve had in my life, I would say. Winning the championship, winning it with the Boston Celtics, one of the best franchises in the world, the experience was crazy just being around that,” he said.

The stats are proof of Davison’s development. In his first season (2022-23) with Maine, Davison played in 26 games, starting one, and averaged 12.5 points per game. Last season, he started all 28 games he played, averaging 20.8 points per contest. Lashbrook, who previously was a developmental coach with Boston before becoming the Maine coach, calls Davison one of the smartest players he’s coached. Davison has an innate understanding of what defenses do to try to stop him and his team, and how to counter it, Lashbrook said.

“He has a high understanding of plays and sets, and how, and more importantly why, you do stuff. He understands and manages situations at a pretty high level,” Lashbrook said. “His paint jumper’s sort of taken off this year. He’s always been good at reading the game and understanding where his teammates are and solving coverages.”

Maine Celtics guard JD Davison watches the board during pregame introductions on Sunday. Derek Davis/Portland Press Herald

In practices, Lashbrook said he spends more time testing Davison’s knowledge than he does teaching him.

“It’s not necessarily every situation, but when you’re coaching him outside of the game, he knows the answer before you give it to him. That’s not every player,” Lashbrook said. “Some players, you’re trying to get them to find the right answer or teach them what the right answer is. For him, it’s more, they’re checks because he does know.”

As well as Davison has played this season in Maine, there is plenty of improvement needed.

“I think he has real moments of high-level defensive execution and technique. At the next level, he’s going to have to do it at 100% rate, which will happen as he gets more minutes at the next level,” Lashbrook said. “Even star-level players in the NBA don’t make the right defensive plays every single time.

“I think a thing we’ve talked about with him a lot is growing his voice. I truly do believe he’s one of the smartest players I’ve been around. I think other people should know, because as a leader, he needs to be more vocal. He’s done that.”