Ten takeaways from Boston’s preseason opener

1. The Celtics are again. Life is sweet.

We survived. Regardless of this being the shortest offseason doable with a Finals victory, Summer season League and Olympic appearances, this Celtics hiatus nonetheless felt far too lengthy. The champs have returned although, and all is correct on this planet once more.

It wasn’t their most interesting efficiency by any means. There was your normal preseason sloppiness mixed with one thing that resembled a bricklaying competitors. Regardless, I loved each second of it.

2. Kornet is the starter, however Tillman introduced some juice.

With Kristaps Porzingis sidelined, and Al Horford taking the time without work, it was Luke Kornet that bought the nod because the beginning middle. He joined Jrue Vacation, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum within the opening lineup.

This configuration is what we must always count on to see on Horford’s relaxation nights, however in typical preseason trend, they bought off to a bumpy begin. Nice flashes of ball motion weren’t capitalized on because the Celtics starters shot a mixed 3/13 from 3 within the 1st quarter.

Xavier Tillman checked in for Kornet with round six minutes left in Q1. X didn’t precisely spark the offense, however his protection and total presence was steadying. He picked up a number of deflections and made Jokic work a bit tougher, which is about all you’ll be able to ask.

The massive query mark for Tillman this season is the place he matches into the scheme offensively. Whether or not it’s as a screener or a flooring spacer, the Celtics might want to discover methods to maximise his capacity. What if the bounce shot is actual although? That might change issues drastically. I’ll take it simple on the preseason overreactions, however pulling down two nook 3’s is sufficient to give us hope.

3. Jaylen Brown’s underwater exercises are paying off.

With underneath two minutes left within the 1st quarter, Brown’s freakish athleticism was placed on show.

In full pursuit of the ball, he explodes off of the bottom and aggressively stamps the layup try off of the backboard. Moments later he connects with Tillman on a lower and detonates on the rim.

Jaylen has at all times had the instruments to be a world-class defender, however final 12 months’s playoff run was the beginning of an actual elevation to that degree. If he’s in a position to construct off that with the numbers to again it up, an All-Defensive Group nomination is on the desk.

If these two performs are any indication, the Jaylen Brown revenge tour must be enjoyable.

4. Mazzulla performs his guys for the complete 1st quarter.

Whether or not it was an try to knock the mud off or not, Joe Mazzulla went together with his star quartet for the size of the first quarter. It’s not at all times simple to foretell what minutes will appear to be in video games that don’t depend for something, however Joe doubtless doesn’t consider them that manner. He makes use of each doable second as a lesson, or a chance to attempt one thing.

The common season comes up fast, so there’s a number of worth in getting your group sport reps and conditioning when you’ll be able to. Doing so in opposition to a expertise like Jokic is extraordinarily helpful too.

You run the danger of pointless accidents in video games that don’t depend towards the standings, and there have been a number of events the place gamers got here up trying hobbled that happily didn’t end in something substantial. Accidents will at all times be an element although, and permitting your starters to take a number of bumps at sport velocity is one other strategy to assist their conditioning.

5. Payton Pritchard has no low season.

Pritchard was phenomenal, and one of many few gamers that shot the ball successfully. He seemed like he was in mid-season kind and didn’t have any of the rust that plagued almost everybody else in that gymnasium.

That appears to be who Payton is at this level. He can come off the bench within the NBA Finals to drill a buzzer beater, or knock down six 3’s in his first sport of the brand new season. He epitomizes the concept of staying prepared.

6. Queta couldn’t discover his footing.

For as prepared as Pritchard seemed for this sport, Neemias Queta fell on the alternative finish of the spectrum. His minutes weren’t very impactful, and he had a troublesome time executing in a number of totally different areas.

Offensively, he had a few poor choices leading to turnovers when requested to be a playmaker. There additionally wasn’t his regular quantity of hustle/motor performs, highlighted by simply three whole rebounds with zero on the offensive glass.

Defensively, he struggled initially to remain down when guarding and even wound up chasing a block that led to his personal man scoring. Ultimately he did handle to settle in on that finish selecting up a block on Julian Strawther and defending nicely on a number of drives.

It didn’t do him any favors that his first minutes have been taking part in alongside one other large in Tillman. Mazzulla had his causes to attempt that combo, however there was a bit an excessive amount of overlap of their roles. Queta is greatest suited taking part in because the solo large, or alongside a Horford-level spacer, which Tillman just isn’t (but?).

7. Nikola Jokic is superior.

I do know, this one is a sizzling take. Critically although, the best way Jokic operates it’s as if he’s dictating the tempo of everybody else on the ground.

He manages to concurrently be one of the crucial swish and forceful gamers within the league and it’s merely not honest. He can play proper by the chest of an undersized participant, or beat taller matchups with finesse.

You possibly can’t ask for something extra from Luke Kornet right here, Jokic simply occurs to have the ability to casually transition from a lefty hook right into a righty fadeaway in a single clean movement.

Some could also be extra prepared to confess it than others, however there was a collective sense of reduction from Celtics followers when a sequence vs. Denver was now not a risk. The Celtics very doubtless would have received nonetheless, as a result of they’re that good, however Jokic is somebody that the Celtics don’t have a solution for.

8. Hauser taking pictures follow.

If there’s ever a participant who’s poor preseason taking pictures must be disregarded, it’s Sam Hauser. Hauser didn’t have it at present, however that didn’t cease him from searching for it. He was searching 3’s from everywhere in the arc.

A part of what makes Sam such a particular shooter is that this subsequent shot mentality the place he can shrug off a miss and fireplace the following one up with much more confidence. He completed the sport simply 2/8 from 3PT vary, however his two makes have been each troublesome pictures on the transfer.

One factor about Sam is that his share is at all times going to even out. He might begin the season 0/50 and I’m nonetheless fairly sure he’d discover his manner again to 40%.

9. The Jordan Walsh Sport.

If you’re a Jordan Walsh fan, or perhaps a skeptic, that is precisely what you wish to see. Jordan had a tough Summer season League to say the least. Issues have been simply not clicking for him in that atmosphere, and it felt like he was attempting to fill a task that he’d by no means should within the NBA.

Walsh on this first sport was honed in on the traits that can give him an opportunity to ultimately crack this rotation. He knocked down two 3’s, picked up three blocks and dished out 4 assists. Jordan doesn’t should be an off the dribble isolation scorer to succeed when merely being a connector will do.

The truth that he popped on each ends is thrilling. Defensive versatility and potential are the highest promoting factors for him so it was good to see him reside as much as that in opposition to reputable NBA expertise.

For somebody that isn’t essentially identified for his playmaking, he was seeing the ground nicely, too. He was trying defenders off earlier than slinging it to the open man and making twisting kick-outs on drives.

Walsh put the exclamation level on his night time with a loud putback dunk that appeared to say, “don’t neglect about me.”

10. The place was Walker?

It’s no secret that Lonnie Walker IV goes to should earn his place on this group, however at present, he didn’t have a lot of an opportunity. Walker didn’t take his warmups off till there have been 4 minutes left within the sport.

Perhaps this could’ve been anticipated as a result of he’s not on a assured contract, however the place he’s in feels extra distinctive. He’s made it clear he’s prepared to do no matter it takes to assist this group, nevertheless it’s exhausting to indicate a lot of that in 4 minutes of sport time.

It’s additionally doable that giving him much less minutes in sport one results in a bigger alternative through the subsequent sport. If that’s the case, it’d be useful to see him alongside a starter or two to get a greater concept of what he might present. That may very well be one thing that Mazzulla already has a really feel for, and he’s utilizing this time as a substitute to get a deeper take a look at a number of of the youthful guys.

With Walker’s expertise, and the way extremely his new teammates have spoken of him, I’m nonetheless hopeful he can earn his spot. I can’t deny that his place within the pecking order throughout this sport made me a bit extra uncertain although.