1. boston celtics Many rotation regulars Charlotte HornetsAl Horford, Jayson Tatum and Marcus Smart were out of the starting group and Malcolm Brogdon was given the night off. Mfiondu Kabengele may also be absent, cementing his status as a Two-Way player.
Still, despite the absence, the Celtics controlled the game early into the third quarter. Boston has a lot of productive players. There are plenty of guys who can step in and play a role when others are out, and that depth will be important during the regular season, especially after his long playoff run. Additionally, with some veterans and some players returning from injuries, Joe Mazura could be working on rest days. That’s where the depth appears.
2. So far, Derrick White has started in all three preseason games. Without sticking to anything, it seems quite possible that White will be part of the starting group on Opening Night. White has also made 5 of his 12 3-point shots during the preseason, showing the jumper’s form is improving.
White also brings a very versatile scoring game. This nifty ups and downs started things in Boston.
The Celtics want to pick up the pace this year. That was the preseason emphasis. This suits White’s game very well, as he is very good at attacking the rim like this in an open floor.
3. Again, sticking to nothing, Noah Vonley seems to have a very strong case for a roster spot to start the season in Boston. We need it and Vonley has been performing well throughout training camp. He started against the Hornets and made the most of it.
First off, it’s great to see Sam Hauser play off-screen as a passer. Next, Vonleh successfully places his left shoulder on his Mason Plumlee to make room for his hook in the jump.
Again, White picks up the pace here. Vonleh fills the lane and displays great skill and coolness as he dribbles and spins to score a left-handed finish in front of goal.
Vonley had 14 points and 13 rebounds. He made the strongest case for a roster spot among the camp invitees.
4. Jaylen Brown played (to keep his rhythm according to Joe Mazzulla) and scored 19 points easily. His three-pointer has never looked better. This is a nice screen and rescreen of his Brown by Noah Vonleh and Brown finishes with his 4 points on his play.
5. Grant Williams shows confidence building in preseason off-the-dribbling games. If he draws a slow-footed big, like Mason Plumlee here, Williams can attack that mismatch. This is suitable for drawing and-1.
Boston lost a big shot capable of attacking a mismatch when Danilo Gallinari tore his ACL. If Williams can carry this sort of play into the regular season, Boston might have another way of attacking defensive transitions.
6. Blake Griffin made his Celtics debut. He seemed a little rusty early on, but that’s to be expected. It will take Griffin some time to get his timing right with his new team. But he was physically strong, moving the ball and making great screens on the board.
This shot will be there for Griffin. Boston’s scoring weapon would open things up for him. Griffin just beats them:
7. Sam Hauser started and did what he’s done all preseason. He made a three. Hauser also holds his own defensively. He’s not a great defender, but Boston usually plays three to his four good defenders, so Hauser is fine. He just has to work hard and be active.
Less worry about the offensive end. So far, Hauser has done most of the work as his shooter spot-up. This is a good example of smart timing to tip out the rebound before moving into corner 3. Hauser also does a great job of catching and square triples quickly.
8. Potential end-of-bench roster battles toronto raptorsThe players vying for a roster spot struggled hard as Boston took a big lead and lost.
This time around, many of those players were better. Jake Layman performed and delivered early. Record scratching isn’t great (amateurs need confidence to draw shots without hesitation), but amateurs need to hit jumpers to get shots on the roster spot:
9. Justin Jackson was a mess against Toronto. It was his perfect 180 against Jackson’s Charlotte. Jackson achieved his 4-of-8 from the deep, which also included his three consecutive possessions knocking down a triple. This was the last of the bunch as Jackson stepped into the shot with confidence:
(As an aside, this is one of Peyton Pritchard’s seven assists. He did a great job on offense this preseason, not as an off-ball shooter.)
For everyone vying for a spot on the roster, they need to defend. Plays like this for Jackson show that he’s willing to take on the defensive side of the court.
10. The Celtics have a week off between the third, fourth and final preseason games. It’s invaluable practice time for Joe Mazura. Ideally, Luke Cornette is back and Blake Griffin gets a lot of rep on his new team as well.
It’s also the last chance to show the camp’s players that they deserve more consideration. Eyes and noses, if you like.
Don’t be surprised if Boston makes a roster change before Friday’s preseason finale. Teams don’t always carry the full 20 players to the final exhibition, and the Celtics are also traveling to Montreal to face the Raptors. That they have to cross borders is an added complication to deal with. We may see some cuts this week.
