BOSTON — The Celtics’ key gamers, Brad Stevens and Joe Mazzulla, spoke on Tuesday at media day, tipping off Boston’s coaching camp one week earlier than many of the league.
They started answering a number of the key questions that’ll decide whether or not or not the group repeats as champions:
1. How will they maintain with out Kristaps Porzingis?
Porzingis spoke about his ankle responding effectively as he ramped as much as mild contact over the previous week, a great signal after telling ESPN he predicts he’ll return someday in December from surgical procedure in June. Brad Stevens didn’t wish to put a timeline on his restoration however famous that Porzingis’ development has shocked their employees.
There’s an opportunity, Porzingis mentioned within the ESPN article, that continued progress may get him again on the ground earlier. Backup facilities Xavier Tillman Sr. (knee) and Luke Kornet (wrist) additionally underwent surgical procedure and returned to the ground earlier this month. Horford talked about his ramp-up course of being ongoing, maybe opening up a chance for Neemias Queta early within the schedule.
“When you consider Celtics basketball, we shouldn’t miss a beat,” Joe Mazzulla mentioned. “I feel that’s a power of our group ever since I’ve been right here. No matter who’s in, who’s out, we really feel like we now have a chance to win. All of us must be getting higher and have an understanding that whoever’s in, we’re competing to win and we now have an opportunity to win.”
2. Will there be a championship hangover or bump for Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum?
Brown and Tatum each expressed pleasure about returning to coaching camp early, each on account of Boston’s prolonged playoff run and the Abu Dhabi journey subsequent week — the place the Celtics will play two video games towards the Denver Nuggets.
Brown recalled enhancing in every single place alongside summer time journey, whereas Tatum and coach Drew Hanlen started addressing his bounce shot final week. Mazzulla and Stevens each emphasised mentality, as they did in summer time interviews, particularly sustaining the sacrifice from final 12 months, staying collectively as a group regardless of exterior noise and having the ability to adapt to a brand new atmosphere.
Mazzulla careworn not anticipating this 12 months to go a sure approach and understanding that, internally or externally, conditions would possibly emerge that pressure the Celtics to turn out to be a brand new group. Brown and Tatum each addressed their Olympic snubs, Brown largely brushing his off whereas Tatum admitted that his was robust. Tatum’s method and shot are two of the largest early season developments to look at given what Mazzulla and Stevens have emphasised.
“Did I would like any further motivation going into this season? No, I’m not gonna give anyone specifically credit score that they’re motivating me,” Tatum mentioned. “It was a novel circumstance, one thing that I haven’t skilled to this point in my enjoying profession, however I’m a believer that the whole lot occurs for a motive. I used to be coming off a championship, the very best of the highs, cowl of 2K, new contract and that occurred. No matter the reason being, I haven’t figured it out but, however I’m a believer that the whole lot does occur for a motive.”
3. Who emerges as the largest risk to Boston?
The Celtics, throughout the board, declined to deal with the strikes made by rivals, whereas Mazzulla mentioned you may’t assume groups made strikes with the intent of difficult Boston. Stevens got here closest to alluding to the development of the convention, stressing that the highway to repeating will likely be robust from the primary sport. He turned the main target inward, although, whereas evaluating the adulation they’ve acquired to what his Butler group skilled after they practically defeated Duke within the nationwide championship. The Knicks, 76ers, Bucks and Thunder all made important additions, together with Mikal Bridges, Paul George and Alex Caruso.
4. Can Jaden Springer, Baylor Scheierman, Neemias Queta and the youth contribute?
Letting Oshae Brissett and Svi Mykhailiuk go, together with Porzingis’ harm, opened minutes for the Celtics’ youthful solid of gamers. Springer, Scheierman and Queta, together with second spherical two-way choose Anton Watson, had sturdy Summer time League performances and will match into the rotation when a veteran in entrance of them will get harm or takes an evening off. Springer is getting into the ultimate 12 months of his rookie contract after arriving in a commerce from Philadelphia on the Feb. 6 commerce deadline. He has shined defensively however shot poorly late final 12 months earlier than displaying some strides within the opening sport in Vegas.
Scheierman shot beneath expectations throughout the Summer time League slate, however made up for it with passing and taking pictures. Queta broke out within the second of two video games whereas experimenting with defensive coverages that swimsuit him finest. Watson hit pictures and defended effectively in an ancillary position. Scheierman impressed Horford and Hauser in early Auerbach Middle exercises.
“All the brand new additions we’ve had have been nice,” Hauser mentioned. “(Scheierman) is an efficient shooter, however he’s much more than a shooter. He’s obtained a extremely good really feel for the sport. He’s fairly artful … he’s a extremely good participant and he’s obtained a great really feel for issues and I feel he has a great future on this league.”
5. Will they miss Oshae Brissett?
Brissett stays an unrestricted free agent as roster spots dwindle across the league. Whereas he’s careworn {that a} return to Boston isn’t out of the query, and will turn out to be doable following cuts, it’s arduous to think about the Celtics utilizing their fifteenth roster spot on him at this level. It’s a disappointing outcome for each side after Brissett helped the entrance court docket maintain by way of the common season, crammed in effectively throughout the Indiana collection and will’ve factored into smaller lineups this season with Porzingis out. The Celtics will proceed trying to find a taking pictures 4 with measurement after Brissett struggled to seek out his three in 2024, although he quietly had one of many stronger offensive rebounding seasons (10.9%) in latest franchise historical past.
6. Will age affect Al Horford, Jrue Vacation this season?
Horford performed 2,315 minutes final 12 months, even because the group efficiently scaled again his regular-season workload, and now enters his seventeenth season at 38 years outdated. He’s turn out to be a luxurious for Boston throughout a number of seasons by having the ability to play beginning caliber middle minutes whereas Porzingis and, beforehand, Robert Williams III struggled to remain wholesome.
Jrue Vacation and Brown realized throughout the postseason run how giant of a burden they positioned on the veteran. Horford mentioned on Tuesday that he hasn’t thought-about retirement. There’s much less strain on Vacation, who additionally rested often final season, however some query of when he’ll sluggish in any approach following one other extraordinary taking pictures and All-Defensive marketing campaign. Vacation turned 34 in June.
“Preparation begins in the summertime time, within the offseason,” Horford mentioned. “Clearly a shorter summer time, completely different, however placing within the work … as soon as Kristaps went out final 12 months, all of us knew we needed to step up somewhat extra and we’ll must play in numerous methods, and there will likely be alternatives for various guys to come back in and contribute.”
7. Can Sam Hauser and Payton Pritchard repeat their standout 2023-24?
Hauser and Pritchard turned regular-season bench staples by taking pictures 42.4% and 38.5% from three, respectively. Into the playoffs, each proved sturdy sufficient defenders to maintain their roles into the Finals, the place Hauser, specifically, thrived having the ability to stand in entrance of Luka Dončić on protection whereas hitting 11 threes on the opposite finish. Their productiveness, together with Kornet’s, allowed what appeared like a comparatively skinny group getting into final 12 months to thrive. Boston often received video games with a number of starters out, Brown joking at media that the Celtics can let Pritchard and Hauser run the present towards the Pistons this 12 months and nonetheless win.
Jaylen says Boston often play by way of gamers like Payton Pritchard & Sam Hauser vs groups like Detroit
“We gonna play by way of Payton, let him go for 30. Play by way of Sam, let him shoot 10 threes tonight. We gonna nonetheless win the sport”
(@ohnohedidnt24)
pic.twitter.com/ZaYavT5njq
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 24, 2024
8. Will Lonnie Walker IV make the group?
Walker IV signed an Exhibit 10 contract and can compete for the fifteenth roster spot with the chance that he may find yourself in Maine as a substitute. Walker careworn that have to show himself whereas speaking to NBC Sports activities Boston on Tuesday, whereas Derrick White, who performed with Walker IV for 4 seasons in San Antonio, famous that he’s introduced good vitality to the gymnasium and may do some particular issues on the court docket. Nonetheless, signing Walker earlier than the season begins would carry a roughly $10 million tax hit, and Boston usually leaves that roster spot open.
“Any time you usher in individuals to camp, clearly all of the offers are somewhat completely different,” Stevens mentioned. “Consider and see how the whole lot performs itself out, the way it matches collectively and the way it all goes. He’s a man who was very excited to be right here. I feel his relationship with Derrick he’s labored out so much with Jrue in earlier summers. There was an eagerness to be round these guys and to strive a brand new scenario. Clearly he’s obtained lots of expertise, he’s performed lots of good issues within the NBA. We’ll see the way it matches and performs itself out.”
9. How will Joe Mazzulla method this season?
Mazzulla’s first press convention of the 12 months mirrored the depth and drive he pushed his group to attain all through final season. That’s a great signal for the group sustaining its focus and consistency throughout the common season. There’ll be nights the place minutes ought to cut back for the veterans and experimentation may show useful later. Final 12 months’s Celtics balanced all that effectively. Doing so this 12 months will show to be a higher problem.
“So many occasions, individuals are targeted on making an attempt to win,” Mazzulla mentioned. “I feel it’s simply as essential as retaining your self from dropping … it’s not at all times about profitable, it’s about ensuring you’ve an perceive of what dropping appears like and falling into explicit habits that would result in dropping in some unspecified time in the future. It’s having a balanced method towards success and failure … all through the season, the atmosphere will inform us what we have to regulate to and what we have to preserve.”
10. Luke Kornet or Xavier Tillman Sr.?
Kornet is anticipated to be Boston’s common backup middle with Porzingis out to start the 12 months. Tillman Sr. will key the nights the place Horford rests, leaving each him and Porzingis on the bench whereas the latter recovers. Whereas Kornet excelled on the Celtics’ defensive system and made good choices offensively, Tillman Sr. struggled bodily and largely shot nook threes (28.6% 3PT) on offense in an inconsistent position. An offseason knee scope and robust Finals efficiency confirmed promise, with Tillman Sr.’s switching protection an elite talent that provides Boston a substitute for Kornet’s drop-heavy position.
