Sometimes, NBA preseason basketball can really feel like a little bit of a snoozefest. For groups with a set-in-stone beginning lineup and rotation, these exhibition video games are a technique to shake off the rust and get the roster warmed up earlier than Opening Evening arrives.
Nonetheless, for the Celtics, their preseason had its highest stage of intrigue in years.
Boston’s offseason — pushed primarily by the necessity to ease the pressure of its hefty payroll — pressured the group to half methods with Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Vacation, and Al Horford, three premier items of its championship core. In flip, Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens scoured the open market and July’s 2025 NBA Draft for reasonably priced methods to replenish the staff’s depth. It was in contrast to any offseason Stevens had been tasked to guide, or any the group has confronted below the Jayson Tatum-Jaylen Brown period, however it was crucial nonetheless.
In got here a bunch of newcomers, or as Stevens dubbed them throughout Celtics Media Day, the “unproven” crew, every getting a useful alternative to carve out a task for head coach Joe Mazzulla. All through the preseason, everybody from new faces to these returning with a higher diploma of accountability to shoulder this go-around, strived to make a powerful impression throughout the four-game stretch — and a number of other, in actual fact, did simply that.
Listed here are 5 who have been most spectacular throughout Boston’s 3-1 preseason run:
5. Josh MinottAmong those that battled for a rotation spot, Minott submitted presumably essentially the most convincing case.
The 22-year-old, who inked a two-year, $5.5 million cope with Boston this previous offseason, showcased his contagious sparkplug power on the ground. Minott’s athleticism, which options an explosive bounce and a powerful probability of main the staff in jaw-dropping highlights this season, was an prompt consideration grabber. His skill to assault the paint, threaten defenders on the rim, and ship an impression on the defensive facet of the ground didn’t go unnoticed by Minott’s 4 preseason showings.
Recognizing Minott’s potential, the staff has continued to push the younger ahead towards reaching a brand new ceiling in his first season with the Celtics.
“(Mazzulla) is simply attempting to push me to my restrict,” Minott stated throughout Monday’s staff observe. “Simply attempting to get me to play more durable. Even once I assume I’m enjoying arduous, he’s all the time attempting to get me previous that time.”
Minott added: “I perceive that it’s a whole lot of new folks and he’s attempting to simply instill that Celtics mentality for these of us which can be new.”
Preseason stats: 11.5 factors, 5.8 rebounds, 1.3 steals, 1.0 blocks (24.9 minutes)
4. Hugo GonzalezWhen the Celtics used their lone first-round choose (twenty eighth total) on Gonzalez, Stevens described the 19-year-old as a hard-working defender with a knack for reducing to the basket. The outline was imprecise, mundane, and, if something, undersold Gonzalez’s true potential.
Teammates, together with Jordan Walsh and Baylor Scheierman, rapidly took discover of Gonzalez’s defensive depth throughout coaching camp, which carried over into the preseason. The Spain native unleashed the fierce, aggressive edge he honed throughout his stint with Actual Madrid within the Liga ACB, instantly changing into a disruptive presence on that finish of the ground. Chase-down blocks, steals, and seemingly countless power grew to become his trademark, turning the 6-foot-6 ahead right into a must-watch preseason standout.
“I believe that’s the largest factor from his sport that we’ve taken is his defensive instincts,” Mazzulla stated after Wednesday night time’s preseason finale versus the Raptors. “Particularly when he’s off the ball, he’s finished an ideal job of simply studying the sport — his skill to rotate, deflections. So I’ve been more than happy together with his defensive instincts, and he simply has to proceed to get higher at these.”
Now the (very untimely) dialog has shifted to, “Did Stevens fleece the top of the primary spherical?”
There are apparent areas in want of enchancment, most notably Gonzalez’s 3-point shot, however the spark is current and introduces itself every night time. That alone is promising.
Preseason stats: 5.5 factors, 2.8 rebounds, 0.3 steals, 1.0 blocks (16.3 minutes)
3. Payton PritchardLast season, Pritchard took the largest leap of his profession, and it netted the undersized guard the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Yr Award when it was all stated and finished.
Pritchard’s contributions off the bench have been second to none. However this season, no matter whether or not Pritchard stays a member of the reserve unit or is upgraded to a full-time beginning position, the accountability load will improve. The Celtics are going to wish Pritchard’s environment friendly 3-point set off able to go on Opening Evening and past for Mazzulla Ball to be sustainable amid Tatum’s absence.
The work ethic Pritchard put forth final offseason paid its dividends for Boston, and the identical could be stated heading into 2025-26.
Pritchard’s ball-handling and talent to work with the second unit, stacked with newcomers, pose constructive indicators transferring ahead. The 27-year-old was aggressive attending to the basket, making up for an uncharacteristic 23.8% capturing clip from three, and crammed the position of a flooring basic seamlessly to assist get guys like Luka Garza and ex-Oregon teammate Chris Boucher going.
Preseason stats: 14.3 factors, 4.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.7 steals (26.9 minutes)
2. Chris Boucher Boston took a flyer on Boucher after the two-time NBA champion slipped out of the rotation final season with the Raptors, and to date it’s proved to be a more-than-worthy funding.
Boucher’s earlier eight seasons of expertise not solely present a plethora of knowledge, however they’ve additionally molded the 32-year-old’s management qualities. When Gonzalez discovered himself in a mid-game scruffle with Grizzlies heart PJ Corridor within the preseason opener, Boucher rushed to defend his rookie — one thing he claims he discovered below the management of former Toronto teammates Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka.
Cracking a spot within the beginning lineup isn’t Boucher’s major incentive as he will get acclimated in a Celtics uniform for the primary time, even with a crucial want for frontcourt depth. As a substitute, Boucher is extra involved with doing his half in serving to preserve a tradition that enables for the locker room’s youthful gamers to develop and flourish in ways in which’ll profit them down the road.
“I’m solely specializing in serving to this staff in no matter place that I’m in,” Boucher stated throughout Tuesday’s observe. “Simply do what I can to be disruptive or be capable of velocity up the sport or no matter we want through the video games. So I believe that clearly we’ve got a whole lot of gamers who can play a whole lot of totally different positions and all of us gotta be capable of fill out the position that Joe places us in.”
Preseason stats: 10.3 factors, 6.0 rebounds, 1.0 steals, 0.8 blocks (18.2 minutes)
1. Anfernee SimonsThe spotlight of Boston’s offseason was as a lot a spotlight within the preseason as Simons left a powerful first impression on the franchise and its followers.
Simons didn’t take very lengthy to seek out consolation in embracing the Mazzulla-ball philosophy as soon as the 26-year-old debuted at TD Backyard towards the Cavaliers. He linked on 6-of-9 threes, a number of of which have been closely contested and had Simons launching from unbalanced angles. It was as if Simons had been getting ready himself to play below Mazzulla for years, and the introductory efficiency left the eight-year veteran feeling particularly optimistic about Yr 1 in Boston.
“(TD Backyard has) all the time been an area that I seemed ahead to enjoying in, and I all the time thought it was a great capturing gymnasium for me,” Simons stated after Boston’s preseason win over Cleveland. “So I really feel prefer it’s the identical factor — nice capturing gymnasium, for positive.”
With out Tatum, the Celtics will want a dependable high-volume scorer who can hit threes effectively. Simons supplied a preview of that skill, seamlessly doing each whereas coming off the bench and integrating with a brand new group of teammates.
Preseason stats: 17.7 factors, 40% from three (27.6 minutes)
