Thursday’s preseason opener was the Celtics sicko equivalent of a gambling addict having gone six months without betting, and then hitting a six-leg parlay that they bet $0.50 on.
Low stakes. Unbelievably high dopamine levels.
After spending the longest offseason in 10 years sitting around and talking ourselves into this refreshed roster, we’re all the way back in and drinking the green Kool-Aid.
Not only did the Celtics beat the “Cavs” (the first team ever that I completely despise for reasons unrelated
to their uniforms — those guys were a bunch of losers in the Eastern Conference Finals) but they beat them while sitting eight rotation players. Cleveland, by the way, played everyone but James Harden.
Even by the time the Cavaliers pulled their starters in the second half, the Celtics had outscored them by nine and it didn’t feel flukey. The story wasn’t red hot shooting from the Cs or the opposite from the Cavaliers. In fact, Boston made just 41.4% of their attempts from the field, while Cleveland sank 47.8%.
So, how did the Celtics win a game where they shot relatively inefficiently without key personel?
It was work.
Boston just did what they do. They controlled the possession battle, dominated the glass, and outshot the Cavs 99-92 by the end of the night. That number doesn’t even tell the entire story because Cleveland shot just 16 free throws to Boston’s 35.
Possession maxing is real and it’s spectacular.
The beautiful thing about it is that that aspect of the game will always be in the Celtics’ control. No matter who’s out there or how well they’re shooting, they can always be careful with the basketball and fight for extra possessions on the boards.
Their 56-39 rebounding advantage came without any of Jayson Tatum, Neemias Queta, and Mitchell Robinson even dressing. It’s pretty insane when you think about it, especially against a frontline of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley.
When the full roster is available, or at least some of the big dogs, we could all be in for a supercharged version of the preseason opener. The Celtics have figured out their identity, and they still have another 11 days before they open the season.
Oh, and all of the wings that everyone’s been talking about battling for bench minutes all looked pretty solid. Baylor Scheierman was the best of the bunch. He took on a facilitating role against Cleveland’s regulars and did it comfortably. Scheierman put the ball on the floor, navigated the defense, and made shots off the dribble — a skill that could be key in the next step of his development.
He finished the night with 15 points, five rebounds, and three assists, while knocking down four threes.
Both Hugo Gonzalez and Jordan Walsh had their moments, too.
It’s beginning to feel like Boston’s bench platoon is going to handle business in stride this season, regardless of which member’s number is called.
The depth is as real as the possession maxing, and just as spectacular.
Speaking of, Devin Carter completely stole the show off the bench, and he’s not even on the team! The former Providence Friar shattered whatever expectations the fanbase had for him and showcased his ability to get the rim, annoy opposing ballhandlers, and provide a spark.
His first action was a coast-to-coast push in transition, which he capped off with a loud dunk with Peyton Watson trailing closely in pursuit.
It literally got a loud “OH” out of me from my couch.
After having spent months without Celtics basketball it’s impossible not to overreact here. But it doesn’t feel like an overreaction.
The takeaways are still real. Boston’s system clearly works. They clearly have the personel to afford resting stars here and there. Brad Stevens might’ve sniped another demon from the Sacramento Kings scrap heap.
It’s almost too bad that there’s not more time between games to ride the high.
