TORONTO — For large stretches on Friday night, the Boston Celtics looked completely unrecognizable on the Scotiabank Arena floors.
Instead of familiar franchise figures like Jayson Tatum and Al Horford, new additions like Anfernee Simons and Chris Boucher ran the show. In fact, the only returners from last year’s roster who laced up on Friday night for preseason action against the Toronto Raptors were reigning Sixth Man of the Year Payton Pritchard and last year’s rookie, Baylor Scheierman. Even the team’s
three two-way spots are filled by entirely new players.
In turn, the Celtics blew a 27-point lead en route to their first preseason loss.
But, it’s hard to judge too much from a night in which Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Sam Hauser, and Jordan Walsh were all sidelined, especially when it was five training camp and two-way players — Max Shulga, Amari Williams, Wendell Moore, RJ Luis, and Jalen Bridges — who closed out the game. Still, in totality, we learned quite a bit from the Celtics’ two-game preseason road trip.
Here’s what stood out most:
1. The Celtics are going to be substantially better when Jaylen Brown and Derrick White play than when they don’t. Duh, right?
Brown, the team’s lone All-Star, will carry a heavy load on both ends, as will White, who has long flirted with an All-Star appearance and served as one of the Celtics’ most impactful players. And, when both players are on the floor, so long as there are pieces around them thriving in their respective roles, the Celtics are going to be okay. Both looked excellent in their preseason debuts; Brown exploded for 21 points in 20 minutes, while White racked up 16 points, 10 assists, 2 blocks, and a steal in 27 minutes of action.
But the non Brown/White minutes in preseason action also served as a reminder that the duo will inevitably miss some time — and there will be a steep dropoff when they’re sidelined. The Celtics looked like a different team with those two sidelined against the Raptors, and staying afloat if those two miss time could be a challenge.
2. Hugo Gonzalez might actually get some run in Boston. It’s been years since a Celtics rookie has spent substantial time in Boston, but Gonzalez, despite his relative inexperience, could break that mold. He looks much more comfortable than he did in Summer League and has contributed a substantial amount in his two preseason appearances. In the opener against the Grizzlies, Gonzalez tallied 8 points, 3 blocks, and 3 rebounds.
In Friday’s showdown, the 19-year-old scored grabbed 5 boards in 18 minutes, including 2 on the offensive glass. Joe Mazzulla was especially communicative with the rookie on the sidelines and expressed that he’s thoroughly enjoyed coaching him.
“He knows how to play,” Mazzulla said of Gonzalez. “He’s smart. He holds himself to a high standard. I enjoy coaching him because he listens, he wants to get better, he learns, and he pushes himself.”
3. Chris Boucher is an absolute game-changer. In his homecoming in Toronto, Boucher put together an elite performance, tallying 19 points on 7-10 shooting, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, a steal, and a block. In his 23 minutes, he was a team-best +22 on the floor. Boucher was a low-stakes offseason signing — he joined Boston on a one-year, $3.3 million contract after 7 years with the Raptors — but could bring both high-level two basketball and an undeniable veteran poise to the Celtics. Notably, Boucher was quick to defend Gonzalez when he got into a small scuffle against the Grizzlies.
“To me, it’s more like, Hugo is my rookie, and I don’t know who you are,” Boucher said later of his mindset during the scuffle. “But I know you’re not wearing a green jersey.”
Mazzulla has been impressed with what Boucher has brought to the table: “He cares about winning, he cares about people, he takes pride in his work ethic. There’s few guys who take no plays off — whether it’s at shootaround, or a game, and that guy is one of them. It’s impressive, 32 years old, to have the energy that he does on and off the court.”
4. Josh Minott could perfectly fit into what the Celtics are trying to accomplish this season. Minott, who is on a two-year, minimum deal with the Celtics, tallied 8 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals in Memphis, and followed that up with another strong outing in Toronto. On Friday, he tallied 13 points on 6-10 shooting, 6 rebounds, a steal, and a block.
Minott, who hails from the Minnesota Timberwolves, did not get much of an on-court opportunity in the first three years of his NBA career. But, he’s energized in a brand-new environment and has enjoyed having the green light to crash the glass.
“I love the environment,” Minott said after his Celtics debut. “Great staff, great group of guys. I couldn’t ask for anything better, top to bottom.”
5. Jayson Tatum is incredibly around. The Celtics superstar is still expected to miss most, if not all, of the upcoming NBA season. But, despite the long timeline, he joined the Celtics for their preseason roadtrip and sat on the bench cheering on his teammates. Tatum has not ruled out a return this season, and by all accounts, has been progressing extremely well.
On Thursday, Tatum shared a video of himself dunking on social media. Mazzulla declined to weigh in on the significance of that milestone or his star’s potential recovery timeline, but did offer: “The thing that’s important to me is he’s here with us constantly — at film sessions, at practice — and he’s getting better in that regard as well.”
