Playing on the second night of a preseason back-to-back, the Celtics sat Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, Al Horford, Luke Kornet, and Xavier Tillman on Sunday night against the Toronto Raptors.
Still, Joe Mazzulla’s message didn’t change.
“The message is the same regardless of who is playing,” Mazzulla said pregame. “We’ve gotta compete at a high level. We have to execute. We gotta stick to the things and execute our system offensively and defensively. And make sure we play with effort. The message is always the same, regardless of who is in and who is out. And I think that’s a reason why we have the continuity that we do because of that standard.”
Boston did just that.
It’s no secret that the Celtics are one of, if not the deepest, teams in the NBA. Boston’s bench posted a league-best +6.2 net rating last season—double the second-best team (Timberwolves, 3.1)—and nearly the entire unit is back.
On Sunday night, that depth was on full display, with the Celtics beating the Raptors 115-111, a game they trailed for just 22 seconds.
The final score doesn’t reflect how close the game really was. Boston led by as many as 34 points at one point and had a 32-point advantage at halftime behind a barrage of threes.
Here are five players who shined in Boston’s penultimate preseason game.
Payton Pritchard
On a night when the Celtics rested many of their regulars, there was no doubt Payton Pritchard would be on the court. The 26-year-old, one of just 17 players to appear in all 82 games last season, never misses an opportunity to play.
Pritchard set the tone for Boston, finishing with 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting (66.7%), four rebounds, and five assists in the first quarter alone, helping build the Celtics a 21-point lead that Toronto never recovered from.
“Injuries happen, and opportunities can arise. And I take advantage of times like this so when a moment like that does come – not saying I hope it does – but if it does I hope to not take a step back, our team doesn’t take a step back,” Pritchard said after the game. “Some of us can carry the torch with that. Obviously, we’re a very deep team, and that’s what makes us very good. So I think all of us need to take advantage of these situations just because this is how you keep growing your game and showing the world that a lot of us are capable of taking that next step and doing that. But also accepting the role that our team needs and doing the best with that to help us.”
Pritchard thrives in these situations when the regulars are out, and Sunday night was no different.
Coming off a resurgent season where he averaged career-highs in minutes (22.3), points (9.6), rebounds (3.2), and assists (3.4), Boston’s sparkplug appears confident and ready to build on last year’s success.
Jordan Walsh
Walsh has made the most of his preseason opportunity, delivering a strong and pleasantly surprising performance.
The 20-year-old got the start for the Celtics on Sunday, finishing the night with a 16-point, 10-rebound double-double. He also had an assist and a steal.
“Just having an understanding of what his job is. Defend at a high level, defend multiple positions, rebound, and make reads on the offensive end. He’s doing a great job,” Mazzulla said on Walsh’s development. “I’m really proud of his growth. Him, the player development team, the work they put in with him, he works hard at it. He’s starting to carve out a role and just is showing a really good attitude towards it. So it’s been fun to watch him grow.”
It’s been a complete 180 from a rough Summer League performance for Walsh. The Arkansas product looks confident and comfortable, is playing under control and within the game, knocking down shots, and contributing defensively.
Walsh, who could be one of the big winners of training camp, continues to progress nicely and is certainly a candidate for late rotation minutes, similar to the role Oshae Brissett played a season ago.
Lonnie Walker IV
For the second consecutive game, Walker looked like a player deserving of a roster spot.
After posting nine points on 4-of-7 shooting (57.1%), four rebounds, seven assists, two steals, and a block in 24 minutes on Saturday night, Walker finished with 20 points on 8-of-15 shooting (53.3%), an assist, and provided solid defense on Sunday night.
Having appeared in just 11 minutes during the first two preseason games in Abu Dhabi and misfiring on all six of his shot attempts, Walker has looked much more comfortable in the offense since returning stateside.
Over the last two games, he has totaled 29 points, second only to Payton Pritchard for the most on the team, shooting 12-of-22 (54.5%) from the field and 5-of-13 (38.5%) from deep, along with four rebounds, eight assists, two steals, and a block.
As expected when he was signed, Walker looks like a player who could make the roster and compete for minutes. The problem is, with no clear role for him to play when the Celtics are fully healthy, would it be worth the roughly $10 million in salary and tax penalties it would take to keep him?
Still, Walker’s set himself up nicely to land a contract with another team or, at the very least, be a top player in Maine.
Neemias Queta
With Al Horford, Luke Kornet, and Xavier Tillman resting, Neemias Queta was thrust into the starting lineup.
Queta slotted in quite nicely, finishing the game with 12 points, a game-high 15 rebounds (six offensive), five assists, and a block in just 21 minutes.
“Neemy’s defensive awareness and execution has grown, and his offensive effectiveness — his screening and spacing,” Mazzulla said postgame. “He’s another guy that takes his role seriously, and it’s fun to watch him.”
The Celtics will lean on Queta to contribute this season. While there’s still room for development, the seven-foot big man showed how effective he can be on both ends of the floor.
Drew Peterson
Peterson has had a solid preseason, and that continued into Sunday night. The 6-foot-9 wing scored 23 points on 6-of-9 shooting (66.7%) from the field, 3-of-5 (60%) from beyond the arc, and was a perfect 6-of-6 at the free-throw line. He also contributed three rebounds, three assists, and a steal.
The 24-year-old is shooting 12-of-20 (60.0%) from the field this preseason, the second-highest mark on the team, just behind Luke Kornet (66.7%). His 54.5% three-point percentage is also second, trailing only Xavier Tillman (75.0%).
Peterson, who played in 34 games (all starts) and averaged 16.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 1.1 steals in 35.4 minutes per game in Maine last season, will spend another season in the G-League this season. However, he has shown he has the talent to potentially compete for a roster spot down the line.
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