No starters, no downside. Of their fourth preseason recreation of, the Celtics wrapped up their two-game homestand and stayed good in October with a 115-111 win over the Raptors.
In an anticipated transfer on the again finish of a back-to-back, head coach Joe Mazzulla sat the preseason starters (Jrue Vacation, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Luke Kornet) and once more, Al Horford who will play in Toronto on Tuesday. Nevertheless, Mazzulla expressed the significance of continuity, no matter who’s on the ground.
“The message is identical no matter who’s enjoying. We’re going to compete at a excessive stage. We’re going to execute. We’re going to stay to the issues and execute our system offensively and defensively and ensure we play with effort,” Mazzulla stated earlier than tip-off. “The message is all the time the identical no matter who’s in, who’s out, and I feel that’s a motive why we have now the continuity that we do, due to that normal.”
Within the common starters’ stead, Payton Pritchard, Lonnie Walker IV, Sam Hauser, Jordan Walsh, and Neemias Queta acquired the nod.
It’s simple to assume that Mazzulla Ball is simply capturing a ton of threes. And certain, Joe’s strategy is rooted within the math, however it’s primarily about discovering the most effective shot and with a roster chockful of shooters, the most effective shot is usually a three-pointer. So, even minus their top-6 and Kristaps Porzingis, they let it fly.
Pritchard led the way in which, making 5-of-11 from behind the arc and ending with 19 factors and 9 assists. The remainder of the crew was simply 13-of-42; Hauser had an off day making simply certainly one of his seven threes.
Mazzulla Ball can be about discovering what you’re actually good at and making the most of (hopefully) that NBA-level ability.
Should you’re Walsh and Queta, your function is as an vitality shifter and attacking area. Queta completed with 15 rebounds with six coming off the offensive glass. Walsh continued his development of improved three-point capturing — he’s now 6-of-16 within the preseason — and likewise attacked closeouts and the slot with robust, affected person drives. He completed with a formidable 16 and 10 double double.
For a singular scorer like Walker, his match is just a little curious. Nonetheless enjoying on an Exhibit 10 deal and on the lookout for a regular deal, he had his finest recreation as a Celtic with 20 factors on 4-of-9 from behind the arc. He can actually rating off the bench; it’ll simply be a matter of whether or not or not the entrance workplace opts for some roster flexibility reasonably than a microwave within the second unit.
And you need to defend.
By way of three preseason video games, Boston boasted a 98.0 defensive ranking by means of three video games and held Toronto to 37 factors at halftime. Some foul hassle within the second half and a scarcity of massive males (Xavier Tillman didn’t play both) allowed the Raptors to crawl again into the sport ultimately.
The Celtics will wrap up their preseason slate with a recreation towards these identical Raptors in Toronto on Tuesday. They’ll then have per week off earlier than Ring Night time on October twenty second internet hosting the brand new look New York Knicks.
