The Boston Celtics will raise their championship banner during an opening-night ceremony in less than a week. Still, before the regular season arrives, it’s worth reviewing the preseason. Here are the most important takeaways from Boston’s five exhibition games.
Scheierman has a long way to go
Baylor Scheierman left college with the reputation of a long-distance marksman. He is not solely a shooter, as Sam Hauser has noted, but will likely need to hit at least a respectable percentage from the 3-point arc to carve out any sort of role in the NBA. After a rough preseason, Scheierman needs significant work.
He made 3 of 17 3-point attempts (17.6 percent) over the Celtics’ five games. Several of the misses weren’t even close. And it wasn’t like he supplemented the poor shooting by scoring elsewhere. He shot 1-of-7 inside the arc and didn’t earn any free-throw attempts until late in the preseason finale. Given the small sample of a single preseason, the struggles aren’t worth panicking over, but they are an indication that Scheierman might not be as ready as the Celtics hoped. Despite his status as the first, first-round pick of Brad Stevens’ front-office tenure, it might be time to slow down on thinking Scheierman will compete for early minutes. Based on the preseason rotation, he looks to be behind several teammates in the race for playing time at the end of Boston’s bench.
So far, so good on Tatum’s jump shot
Jayson Tatum’s jumper went missing during the playoffs. It stayed hidden during his time with Team USA at the Olympics. He considered his outside shot enough of an issue to undergo mechanical tweaks late in the offseason.
Tatum drilled 14 of 36 3-point attempts (38.9 percent) during the preseason, making at least three 3-pointers in each of his four appearances. How promising was his consistency? Tatum drilled at least three 3-pointers only five times over Boston’s 19 playoff games last season while handling a full diet of playing time. He did it in each game of the preseason despite handling a smaller portion of minutes.
It’s too early to celebrate the return of Tatum’s 3-point stroke. Considering he made 37.6 percent from downtown last regular season, it wasn’t missing for long anyway. Still, it must have been nice for the Celtics to see the All-Star knock down jumpers consistently throughout the preseason. He once looked ready to become the rare big wing capable of knocking down 3-pointers consistently off the bounce. Maybe he can still do that.
4 wins in the preseason 💪 pic.twitter.com/hK3foFngSR
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) October 16, 2024
Walsh has a chance to earn minutes
Jordan Walsh admittedly did not approach summer league the right way. His struggles, then, might have provided all the motivation he needed.
After a promising preseason, Walsh appears to be a front-runner for the opening created by Oshae Brissett’s departure. That wouldn’t provide the biggest role for Walsh but would represent a major step forward in his career after he played just 83 minutes as a rookie. He did a little of everything throughout the preseason while averaging 9 points and four rebounds per game. Tellingly, only five players averaged more minutes: Tatum, Derrick White, Al Horford, Jaylen Brown and Payton Pritchard. The Celtics gave Walsh plenty of opportunities. Based on Joe Mazzulla’s commentary, the young wing earned his chances.
Mazzulla said he was “really proud” of Walsh’s growth and that Walsh has started to carve out a role for himself. He ranked second on the team in offensive rebounds with eight total. He guarded with tenacity. He handled the ball in transition and used his solid court vision to find open teammates. He drove and finished well at the rim while also hitting a respectable 36.8 percent on 3-point attempts. The Celtics wanted Walsh to complement the other guys in the rotation. During the preseason, he did it in every way.
The Pritchard-Hauser combo is coming for more respect
When the entire roster is available, Pritchard and Hauser are the Celtics’ seventh and eighth men. Behind the team’s fearsome top six, they don’t always receive an abundance of credit. They deserve more.
Boston smoked opponents by 16.7 points per 100 possessions with Pritchard and Hauser on the court last season. Even if the two sharpshooters almost always played next to at least one of the usual starters, juicing the numbers a bit, that’s an eye-catching net rating for lineups involving a bench duo. The Celtics controlled games with Pritchard and Hauser in the lineup.
They pulled off the same trick throughout the preseason. Sunday, the Celtics sat their entire first unit against a Toronto Raptors squad that played some starters, including All-Star Scottie Barnes and proven center Jakob Poeltl. Pritchard had 19 points, six assists and five rebounds over the first two quarters. Though Hauser didn’t shoot well, the Celtics opened a 69-37 halftime lead partly because the Raptors knew they couldn’t leave his side.
Throughout the preseason, Boston handily won Pritchard’s and Hauser’s playing time. The Celtics’ style shifts a bit with those guys in the lineup. They never stop moving. They let it fly from all over the court. They constantly hunt for deep 3-point attempts in transition. Their quick decisions enhance the offensive flow. Even in preseason games, they care about defense. Their offense usually stands out more. It did throughout the preseason. Pritchard averaged 16 points and six assists per game. He and Hauser combined to splash home six 3-pointers per game.
The Celtics outscored their opponents by 68 points over Pritchard’s 111 preseason minutes. Most of his playing time came alongside Hauser, though Pritchard started Tuesday in place of Jrue Holiday when Hauser received a night off. Some of that fat plus-minus margin came against reserves, like when the Philadelphia 76ers rested their key players in Boston, but Pritchard and Hauser are bench players too. They’re still plenty valuable. Pritchard, who has become an assist-to-turnover ratio legend, dished a team-high 30 assists over the five games while committing only four turnovers. That’s good stuff.
The Celtics could take things slowly with Horford
Though Kristaps Porziņģis (foot) is expected to miss significant time, the Celtics should avoid putting too much on Al Horford’s shoulders throughout the regular season. The team should pace the 38-year-old as much as possible to ensure he’s ready for the playoffs, when he will be needed.
The approach to the preseason suggested Boston could handle Horford with the utmost caution. Though Mazzulla stressed Horford wasn’t dealing with an injury, the big man sat out the first four preseason games before appearing in the final contest. If the Celtics didn’t trust their other frontcourt options, Mazzulla could be compelled to play Horford a lot (and maybe even too much) during Porziņģis’ absence. But Luke Kornet, coming off a solid season, was productive again throughout the preseason. Xavier Tillman, after offseason knee surgery, looked more mobile and even knocked down several outside shots. A consistent 3-point stroke for him would be helpful, but the Celtics can always expect him to defend at a high level regardless. They should be in a good place to keep things rolling even if they limit Horford’s playing time. And they should, given his age and importance.
The team also paced Holiday, 34, throughout the preseason. After following a long playoff run by competing for Team USA, he played significantly fewer minutes than the other non-Horford starters. It will be interesting to see how Mazzulla approaches minutes for the older veterans during the regular season. The early evidence suggests the Celtics will be mindful of their need for additional rest.
Walker didn’t give the Celtics an easy decision
The Celtics have millions of reasons not to keep Lonnie Walker on their final roster. Including the luxury tax payment they would trigger by holding on to him as a 15th man, he would cost the team eight figures. That’s a lot to pay for someone near the end of the bench. The Celtics could waive him and hope he lands on their G League affiliate.
Walker didn’t make that decision easy. He produced at a high level when given chances in the preseason. He said all the right things about how seriously he’s taking the opportunity in Boston and how willing he is to change. At 25, the 2018 first-round pick still has upside for some team to develop. He showed his potential during limited playing time throughout the preseason. Even if the performance wasn’t enough for him to stick in Boston, it could lead to another NBA opportunity.
Celtics looked like the same old team in all the right ways
The Celtics easily led the league in 3-point attempts last season. They did the same in the preseason while launching 52.6 attempts per game despite getting only 24 combined minutes from their two stretch big men, Porziņģis and Horford.
The Celtics started prioritizing offensive rebounding last season. They entered Wednesday night’s games ranked sixth in offensive rebound rate.
They led the league with a 12.1 percent turnover rate last season. They finished the preseason with the same rate.
After returning so many players, the Celtics should be ahead of schedule. Though they didn’t play up to their usual standard while dropping the preseason finale to Toronto, they typically looked sharp while going 4-1 with a plus-16.6 net rating. It’s a new season, but not much has changed.
(Photo: Fadel Senna / AFP via Getty Images)
