No starters, no drawback. Of their fourth preseason sport of, the Celtics wrapped up their two-game homestand and stayed excellent 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 importance of continuity, no matter who’s on the ground.
“The message is similar no matter who’s enjoying. We’re going to compete at a excessive degree. 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 at all times the identical no matter who’s in, who’s out, and I believe that’s a motive why we now have the continuity that we do, due to that commonplace.”
Within the common starters’ stead, Payton Pritchard, Lonnie Walker IV, Sam Hauser, Jordan Walsh, and Neemias Queta received the nod.
It’s straightforward to assume that Mazzulla Ball is simply taking pictures a ton of threes. And positive, Joe’s strategy is rooted within the math, nevertheless it’s primarily about discovering the very best shot and with a roster chockful of shooters, the very best shot is usually a three-pointer. So, even minus their top-6 and Kristaps Porzingis, they let it fly.
Pritchard led the best way, making 5-of-11 from behind the arc and ending with 19 factors and 9 assists. The remainder of the group was simply 13-of-42; Hauser had an off day making simply one in all 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.
When you’re Walsh and Queta, your position is as an power shifter and attacking area. Queta completed with 15 rebounds with six coming off the offensive glass. Walsh continued his pattern of improved three-point taking pictures — he’s now 6-of-16 within the preseason — and likewise attacked closeouts and the slot with sturdy, affected person drives. He completed with a formidable 16 and 10 double double.
For a singular scorer like Walker, his match is slightly curious. Nonetheless enjoying on an Exhibit 10 deal and in search of a normal deal, he had his greatest sport 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 fairly than a microwave within the second unit.
And it’s a must to defend.
By means of three preseason video games, Boston boasted a 98.0 defensive ranking via three video games and held Toronto to 37 factors at halftime. Some foul bother within the second half and a scarcity of huge 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 sport in opposition to these similar Raptors in Toronto on Tuesday. They’ll then have every week off earlier than Ring Night time on October twenty second internet hosting the brand new look New York Knicks.
