In the blink of an eye, Celtics basketball is back! Sure, it’s preseason games, and they are being played halfway around the world, but who’s complaining?
Boston sports fans finally have something to watch that’s not Jacoby Brissett getting thrown to the ground, Rhamondre Stevenson coughing up the football, or wide receivers flailing their arms in frustration as the offense stalls out again, setting up the defense for sloppy tackling—yeah, the Patriots are a mess.
Coming off the shortest offseason in the NBA, the defending champions landed in Abu Dhabi earlier this week after a 13-hour flight. Now, eight hours ahead and nearly 7,000 miles away from the city where the Celtics brought home Banner 18, they kick off their campaign for Banner 19 against the Denver Nuggets with a pair of preseason games at the Etihad Arena on Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island.
Sure, preseason basketball doesn’t mean much. Starters will play limited minutes, and the team has only been practicing together for a little over a week, so it won’t always be crisp. However, if you haven’t noticed, head coach Joe Mazzulla never backs down from competition, and on the heel of an intense start to training camp, he will certainly expect his guys to treat these games seriously. For some players, it’s also a chance to potentially carve out minutes or even make an NBA roster.
There are definitely lessons to be learned from the preseason. Just look back at last season—Payton Pritchard made it clear early on that he was ready to take on a bigger role after essentially falling out of the rotation the season before, and it translated to both the regular and postseason.
So, with that said, here are some things to watch throughout the preseason:
Can Jayson Tatum find his stroke from deep?
Jayson Tatum can shoot. Over his career (both regular season and postseason), he’s knocked down 1,559 of his 4,215 three-point attempts, averaging 36.9%—just above last season’s league average of 36.6%. Last season, he posted his best three-point shooting percentage in three years during the regular season.
However, the 6-foot-8 wing struggled from deep in the postseason, knocking down just 39-of-138 (28.3%), a career-low. His worst shooting performance came in the Finals against Dallas, where he went 10-of-38 (26.3%) from beyond the arc. However, it’s hard to criticize too much when he still led the team in points (25.0), rebounds (9.7), and assists (6.3) per game and capped it off with a championship.
Still, it’s worth keeping an eye on, as the shooting woes followed him to the Olympics, where he missed all 11 of his three-point attempts (including exhibitions) during the 2024 Summer Games.
It’s something Tatum has been working on both in practice and with his trainer, Drew Hanlen.
Tatum will find his rhythm—it’s only a matter of when. It would be great to see him dial it in during the preseason and start the new season with confidence in every aspect of his game.
How do the rookies fit?
If you haven’t heard already – the Celtics have a rare level of continuity.
They’re bringing back 15 of the 17 players (including two-ways) from last season’s championship run, including all nine players who logged the most minutes.
Oshae Brissett and Svi Mykhailiuk are the only departures, and they combined for just 1,043 regular-season minutes. The lone new addition to the standard roster is first-round pick Baylor Scheierman, while second-round pick Anton Watson is on a two-way.
With that said, there isn’t a ton of room for opportunity in the Celtics rotation, but there will still be some prospects to watch, starting with the rookies.
The intrigue around the rookies is obvious—every year, they get attention. Scheierman, Brad Stevens’ first-ever first-round pick as President of Basketball Operations, can do a bit of everything. He’s the only men’s player in Division I history with at least 2,000 points (2,233), 1,000 rebounds (1,256), 500 assists (580), and 300 three-pointers (356).
We got a glimpse of his skills during Summer League, and he’s added 10-15 pounds since then.
“That was a directive from them,” the 24-year-old said on the bulk. “It was something that we sat down and talked about-- things they wanted me to improve on, and that was something they thought was important for me, moving up to this level, and they’re very pleased with how I’ve progressed in that area.”
For Scheierman to earn minutes, he’ll need to show he can be effective defensively and on the boards. His shooting prowess is evident—the lefty knocked down a three-pointer in 48 consecutive games at Creighton and hit five or more in seven games last season. Throughout his collegiate career, Scheierman shot 39.0% from beyond the arc. But he’ll need to show he can be trusted on defense, knows the system, and can contribute as a rebounder to carve out minutes.
As for Watson, he’s proven to be an extremely versatile defender. The 23-year-old ranks second all-time in steals (215) in Gonzaga program history, trailing only John Stockton, and recorded 66 steals last season—fourth-most in a single season in school history—impressive numbers for a forward. At 6-foot-8 and 225 pounds, he can guard positions 1 through 5, with the size to match up against bigs and the agility to defend guards.
Watson is likely to spend most of his time in Maine, so preseason might be the best chance for fans to get a look at the Gonzaga product.
Speaking of young players, don’t forget about Jaden Springer (22) and Jordan Walsh (20) – the two youngest players on the Celtics’ standard roster. Though both saw limited action last season, the Celtics have faith in their development, and they will have a chance to show their improvement throughout the preseason and potentially bid for regular season minutes.
Clarity on the Kristaps Porzingis plan?
With Kristaps Porzingis sidelined, Al Horford will step into the starting lineup. Behind him, Luke Kornet, Xavier Tillman, and Neemias Queta make up the collection of bigs. While Kornet and Tillman likely have the edge over Queta, all three have proven reliable and will see playing time in Porzingis’ absence.
Who plays on any given night will likely depend on matchups, just like last season with Kornet and Tillman. However, the preseason will give Mazzulla the chance to experiment with different lineups and find some potential combinations. Perhaps he'll even give us a sneak peek at some wrinkles we could see during the regular season.
Lonnie Walker IV’s bid for the final roster spot
Walker will probably be the player fans have their eyes on most.
When the Celtics landed Walker on an Exhibit-10 deal in late August, it came as a surprise to many. A former first-round pick (18th overall) by the San Antonio Spurs in 2018, Walker has established himself as a capable scorer and reliable reserve in the league. However, at this point, he needs the Celtics more than they need him, and he knows he must earn that final roster spot.
“I’ve got to work my tail off. Every single day, I need to put it all out on the court. First one in the gym, hopefully, the last one out,” Walker said. “I’ve got to earn it. Obviously, there are a lot of different aspects that might carry onto it, but being on an E-10, it’s not guaranteed. I’m not coming here with the mindset of, ‘OK, I’m on an E-10, and afterward, I’m going to get the guaranteed contract.’”
If he’s going to stick around, he’s going to have to prove he is more than just a scorer. He will have to prove he is a capable defender and rebounder and can buy into what the Celtics are. Judging from his media availability last week, he’s fully committed to doing whatever it takes to stick with the organization and contribute to the team’s success -- yet he still faces an uphill battle given the financial situation.
The Celtics would absorb roughly a $10 million luxury tax hit if they sign Walker for the full season, so he will need to prove he is worth the additional payment.
Related
