It’s over. The offseason is behind us. This time subsequent week, the Boston Celtics shall be on tempo for both 82, 41, or 0 wins after their first two video games in opposition to the Philadelphia 76ers and the New York Knicks. The Celtics have extra uncertainty surrounding their roster than in any of the earlier eight seasons, which made a sometimes mundane preseason somewhat extra thrilling. Whereas we solely acquired to see the Celtics matchup in opposition to one group that performed their starters, we had been nonetheless in a position to glean a good quantity about this 12 months’s group. Let’s hand out some grades for the way Celtics gamers fared within the 2025 NBA Preseason.
Please word that these grades are relative to expectations. Jaylen Brown was the higher participant than Josh Minott; nonetheless, Josh Minott might obtain the next grade primarily based on his expectations coming into the season.
Let’s kick issues off with the roster stalwarts.
Coming into the ultimate preseason sport, my greatest takeaway on Jaylen Brown was that he appeared wholesome. The model of Jaylen Brown that we noticed within the Knicks sequence could as properly have been a special human from the participant we noticed within the preseason. It was nice to see the explosive Jaylen Brown again on the ground. Sadly, his standing for the beginning of the common season is now in jeopardy as a consequence of a hamstring damage. Within the minutes that we did see Jaylen Brown, I noticed what I anticipated: a participant who was clearly the very best participant on the court docket. Primed for one more All-NBA calibre season.
It doesn’t appear to matter what position Derrick White performs. No matter position he’s requested to play, he stars in that position. We knew we might see an up-scaled Derrick White coming into the season, however with Jaylen Brown leaving the ultimate preseason sport, we noticed Derrick do his greatest Jayson Tatum impression. Main the group in utilization, cleansing the glass, and dominating on the defensive finish. White poured in 33 factors, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 blocks, on 61.2% true capturing. The restrict to Derrick White’s powers seems to be limitless.
I stay up for seeing Derrick grace the All-Star sport along with his presence this season.
I’ve spent the offseason believing {that a} Jalen Brunson-Lite leap is feasible for Payton Pritchard. I noticed nothing within the preseason to dissuade me from believing that it’s nonetheless potential. The a part of Pritchard’s sport I believed was able to taking important strides was his playmaking. Within the lone sport in opposition to NBA starters, Pritchard dropped 10 assists with zero turnovers. Pritchard has turned himself into a superb basketball participant. Let’s see the place it takes us.
In his two preseason video games, Anfernee Simons did what earned him his four-year, $100 million contract. He scored the ball effectively. That was the expectation. I’m docking Simons for his underwhelming playmaking and decision-making. I don’t wish to overreact to preseason; nonetheless, coming into the season, I used to be hopeful that Simons might spend a bit of time initiating the offense, creating pictures for others. Simons struggled to persistently break down the protection, which restricted his potential to search out shooters and cutters. He additionally struggled with ball strain, resulting in live-ball turnovers, of which he had six within the preseason finale. I’m not docking Simons for his sub-par protection, as that was to be anticipated…however Simons’ protection was as marketed.
Brad Stevens could have carried out it once more. Josh Minott appears to be like like an actual hit. A six-foot-nine versatile wing whose motor doesn’t flip off. Some gamers discover themselves in the precise place on the proper time. It’s a ability, and Josh Minott has it. Whether or not it’s a weakside rotation to offer some secondary rim safety, flying in for an offensive rebound, or slicing baseline for a simple slam, Minott impacted profitable in each method all through the preseason. The cherry on prime was his drives to the rim. Utilizing both hand, Minott displayed a capability to blow up to the rim and end over and round would-be rim protectors. I’m glad there’s a group possibility on the second 12 months of Josh Minott’s contract, as I wish to see him play with a completely wholesome Jayson Tatum.
I gained’t fail anybody for preseason basketball. Nonetheless, now we have come crashing down from the excessive of the handful of video games that Baylor Scheierman performed properly in on the finish of the 2024-2025 common season. Scheierman turned in an underwhelming Summer time Leauge, and adopted that up with an underwhelming preseason. There are backup wing minutes to be seized. Josh Minott, three years youthful, and Hugo Gonzalez, 5 years youthful, seem to have seized these minutes from Scheierman. Baylor’s three-point shot continues to evade him, however what persistently stands out to me is his poor shot choice. It usually appears to be like like Baylor is searching the spotlight when he must make the precise learn and easy play. The nail within the coffin, although? 1:29 to go within the remaining preseason sport, the Celtics are up 106-94, the ball is kicked to Jamal Shead on the prime of the important thing, and Baylor Scheierman does one of many laziest contests I’ve ever seen. He couldn’t even muster a Kornet Contest. Shead buries the three. This kick-started a late surge for the Raptors. The identification of this Boston Celtics group has been pitched to us as the toughest, fastest-playing group within the league. You’ve gotten 31-year-old NBA Champion Derrick White enjoying the final preseason sport prefer it’s a Sport 7, and Baylor has a lazy closeout that’s the catalyst for a close to collapse. It’s arduous to make a case for him to get minutes forward of Minott or Hugo Gonzalez at this level.
Coming into the season, I anticipated Hugo Gonzalez to spend the vast majority of his rookie season with the Maine Celtics. Gonzalez has comfortably moved forward of Scheierman, and he’s battling Jordan Walsh for a spot within the rotation. The 19-year-old from Spain flashed a mixture of defensive depth and offensive IQ within the preseason that ought to earn him some back-end rotation minutes. I like that Hugo is nice for a minimum of one hovering offensive rebound tip-in per sport, which may be accompanied by a wild chase-down block later within the quarter. I don’t know how one can justify benching the 19-year-old that has tantalising upside, in favour of the 25-year-old Scheierman, who remains to be looking for stability possession to possession.
I’m impressed with Neemias Queta. Whereas I nonetheless consider Queta shall be overtasked as a beginning heart this season, the Celtics will be ok with Queta as a rotational huge on a contender on the finish of the season. The factor that jumped out to me in preseason was Queta’s exercise and effectiveness as a screener. I’ve vivid recollections from final season of myself screaming for Queta to get out and in of his screens quicker. By way of the preseason, and particularly within the preseason finale, it felt as if issues clicked for Queta. Sprinting down the court docket each possession, searching each on and off-ball screens to both spring a teammate free or to create a simple roll for himself. Queta studying to harness his dimension and athleticism can be a large boon to a Celtics group looking for competent heart play.
This may occasionally appear low for Chris Boucher. However I’ve been a Chris Boucher man for years, and the Boucher skillset was on full show this preseason. The mixture of dimension, size, and explosiveness, blended with capturing and shot blocking, makes me surprise why Boucher was accessible for the veteran’s minimal. Boucher didn’t present any obvious weaknesses which have led him to battle for rotation minutes. It gained’t take lengthy for Boucher to be heralded as one of many steals of the offseason.
This grade relies purely on Xavier Tillman wanting wholesome. After final season, it was honest to surprise if Tillman’s physique had betrayed him and that his days within the NBA had been numbered. Then Tillman threw down a one-handed alley-oop. Sport 3 of the NBA Finals was not a fever dream. Xavier Tillman locking down Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving in isolation within the NBA Finals occurred. Xavier Tillman going toe-to-toe with Anthony Davis within the 2023 NBA Playoffs occurred. If Tillman can keep this newfound invoice of well being, he can discover a foothold within the NBA as a rotational huge man.
As anticipated, it was a blended bag within the preseason for Luka Garza. Garza is just like the finances huge man model of Anfernee Simons. Garza is clearly a talented offensive participant. He has implausible timing and persistence when he has the ball across the basket. As evidenced by his 6.7 free throw makes an attempt per sport within the preseason. An absurd quantity contemplating Garza solely performed 16.3 minutes per sport. On the opposite finish of the court docket, we had been reminded why Luka Garza was accessible for the veteran’s minimal. The gradual toes, the restricted vertical pop stopping him from defending the rim, we noticed all of it. Just like Simons, the sub-par protection was on Garza’s scouting report, so to me, he met expectations this preseason.
In case anybody forgot. It wasn’t an accident that Sam Hauser was the seventh man on a championship group. Sam Hauser rolls off the bed and shoots 40% or higher from the three-point line. Not solely did Hauser exhibit his normal three-point capturing brilliance, however he additionally exhibited some secondary playmaking and, excitingly, some downhill attacking prowess. Hauser’s grade ought to arguably be decrease as a result of the expectation is that he’s superior. For me, the off-the-dribble moments earned him an A.
General, I used to be pleasantly stunned by what I noticed from the Celtics within the preseason. Joe Mazzulla has buy-in from the group. The Celtics are constructing an identification of a group that punches above its weight every evening by enjoying quick, arduous, and capturing a boatload of three pointers.
