TORONTO — For big stretches on Friday night time, the Boston Celtics regarded utterly unrecognizable on the Scotiabank Area flooring.
As a substitute of acquainted franchise figures like Jayson Tatum and Al Horford, new additions like Anfernee Simons and Chris Boucher ran the present. In actual fact, the one returners from final yr’s roster who laced up on Friday night time for preseason motion in opposition to the Toronto Raptors have been reigning Sixth Man of the 12 months Payton Pritchard and final yr’s rookie, Baylor Scheierman. Even the group’s three two-way spots are crammed by fully new gamers.
In flip, the Celtics blew a 27-point lead en path to their first preseason loss.
However, it’s exhausting to evaluate an excessive amount of from an evening wherein Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Sam Hauser, and Jordan Walsh have been all sidelined, particularly when it was 5 coaching camp and two-way gamers — Max Shulga, Amari Williams, Wendell Moore, RJ Luis, and Jalen Bridges — who closed out the sport. Nonetheless, in totality, we discovered fairly a bit from the Celtics’ two-game preseason highway journey.
Right here’s what stood out most:
1. The Celtics are going to be considerably higher when Jaylen Brown and Derrick White play than after they don’t. Duh, proper?
Brown, the group’s lone All-Star, will carry a heavy load on each ends, as will White, who has lengthy flirted with an All-Star look and served as one of many Celtics’ most impactful gamers. And, when each gamers are on the ground, as long as there are items round them thriving of their respective roles, the Celtics are going to be okay. Each regarded wonderful of their preseason debuts; Brown exploded for 21 factors in 20 minutes, whereas White racked up 16 factors, 10 assists, 2 blocks, and a steal in 27 minutes of motion.
However the non Brown/White minutes in preseason motion additionally served as a reminder that the duo will inevitably miss a while — and there will likely be a steep dropoff after they’re sidelined. The Celtics regarded like a special group with these two sidelined in opposition to the Raptors, and staying afloat if these two miss time may very well be a problem.
2. Hugo Gonzalez may really get some run in Boston. It’s been years since a Celtics rookie has spent substantial time in Boston, however Gonzalez, regardless of his relative inexperience, might break that mildew. He appears far more snug than he did in Summer season League and has contributed a considerable quantity in his two preseason appearances. Within the opener in opposition to the Grizzlies, Gonzalez tallied 8 factors, 3 blocks, and three rebounds.
In Friday’s showdown, the 19-year-old scored grabbed 5 boards in 18 minutes, together with 2 on the offensive glass. Joe Mazzulla was particularly communicative with the rookie on the sidelines and expressed that he’s totally loved teaching him.
“He is aware of methods to play,” Mazzulla mentioned of Gonzalez. “He’s good. He holds himself to a excessive commonplace. I get pleasure from teaching him as a result of he listens, he needs to get higher, he learns, and he pushes himself.”
3. Chris Boucher is an absolute game-changer. In his homecoming in Toronto, Boucher put collectively an elite efficiency, tallying 19 factors on 7-10 capturing, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, a steal, and a block. In his 23 minutes, he was a team-best +22 on the ground. Boucher was a low-stakes offseason signing — he joined Boston on a one-year, $3.3 million contract after 7 years with the Raptors — however might deliver each high-level two basketball and an plain veteran poise to the Celtics. Notably, Boucher was fast to defend Gonzalez when he acquired right into a small scuffle in opposition to the Grizzlies.
“To me, it’s extra like, Hugo is my rookie, and I don’t know who you’re,” Boucher mentioned later of his mindset in the course of the scuffle. “However I do know you’re not sporting a inexperienced jersey.”
Mazzulla has been impressed with what Boucher has delivered to the desk: “He cares about successful, he cares about folks, he takes pleasure in his work ethic. There’s few guys who take no performs off — whether or not it’s at shootaround, or a sport, and that man is one in every of them. It’s spectacular, 32 years previous, to have the vitality that he does on and off the courtroom.”
4. Josh Minott might completely match into what the Celtics are attempting to perform this season. Minott, who’s on a two-year, minimal take care of the Celtics, tallied 8 factors, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and three steals in Memphis, and adopted that up with one other robust outing in Toronto. On Friday, he tallied 13 factors on 6-10 capturing, 6 rebounds, a steal, and a block.
Minott, who hails from the Minnesota Timberwolves, didn’t get a lot of an on-court alternative within the first three years of his NBA profession. However, he’s energized in a brand-new atmosphere and has loved having the inexperienced gentle to crash the glass.
“I like the atmosphere,” Minott mentioned after his Celtics debut. “Nice employees, nice group of fellows. I couldn’t ask for something higher, prime to backside.”
5. Jayson Tatum is extremely round. The Celtics famous person remains to be anticipated to overlook most, if not all, of the upcoming NBA season. However, regardless of the lengthy timeline, he joined the Celtics for his or her preseason roadtrip and sat on the bench cheering on his teammates. Tatum has not dominated out a return this season, and by all accounts, has been progressing extraordinarily properly.
On Thursday, Tatum shared a video of himself dunking on social media. Mazzulla declined to weigh in on the importance of that milestone or his star’s potential restoration timeline, however did provide: “The factor that’s vital to me is he’s right here with us consistently — at movie classes, at apply — and he’s getting higher in that regard as properly.”
