The stay-ready group is essential.
Boston’s bench is typically not ranked among the deepest in the league, but they are as impactful as any other unit. There have been some new additions to the group this season, but they continue to be a well-oiled machine. You see very little drop-off in execution between the Celtics starters and their bench.
Toronto didn’t have their full lineup for this game, but they certainly had more starters available then Boston, and still found themselves down 21 points at the end of the first quarter. All season long the Celtics starters built up big leads, and the bench maintained them. This time, the reserves built up an early lead and never let it go.
2. Lonnie Walker IV is making his case.
Walker is in a position that he likely never expected to find himself in. He has been a consistent rotation piece in every stop he’s made in the league, until now. He has to fight to make this team, and he’s doing just that.
After an impressive game against the 76ers, Walker followed it up with an even better performance against the Raptors. His shotmaking will always be his #1 selling point, and he was filling it up from all over the court.
He’s a creative and athletic driver that could be very successful playing alongside any of the Celtics starters, who excel at getting teams in rotation.
Even though it’s in his bag, the Celtics won’t ask him to create a ton of self-created looks off the dribble if he makes the team. When he has to make a play off the bounce though, he’s more than capable.
Lonnie has been unselfish, but not shy. Both of those qualities are important for success in this system, and his desire to prove he’s worthy makes me think it’d be a mistake to let him go.
3. Jordan Walsh sped up his timeline
There aren’t enough words to explain how encouraging Walsh’s preseason has been. It was very clear that there was a player there, it was not as obvious how soon he’d be ready to contribute.
Walsh’s 3PT shot has been the most eye-opening aspect of his preseason ascension. Against the Raptors though, his pace and feel really stood out.
He looks comfortable driving closeouts, and his jumper being a legitimate threat makes his ball fakes even more impactful. Walsh displays great patience off the dribble, and you can almost see the game slowing down for him.
Walsh has long, athletic strides that allow him to glide by his defender. He gets a step here and beats the rim protector with a strong lefty finish.
This young man isn’t even old enough to legally buy a drink, but he is improving rapidly and could realistically play himself into a role this season.
4. Lead guard Pritchard is fun
Every single time Payton Pritchard has the opportunity to run the offense, he is extremely productive. He was nothing short of sensational in this game.
The best thing about Payton is that you could match him up against any guard in the league, and he would believe 100% that he is on their level or better. If you watch him play in games like this without the leash on, you’ll probably start to believe it, too.
He finished the game with 19 points and nine assists and was unbothered by anything the Raptors threw at him.
As a facilitator, he runs a very good half court offense. He piles up assists without hunting for them at all, instead taking advantage of his own gravity to open up passing lanes.
With Jrue Holiday getting older, and the stars needing rest occasionally, Boston would be wise to give Pritchard a chance to run the show whenever they can afford it.
5. Neemias Queta shines as the starter.
With Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, Luke Kornet and Xavier Tillman resting, Queta started at center. He was all over the place in this one, filling up the stat sheet with ease.
My biggest hope for Neemy was for him to become a more disciplined defender. He has great length that can make him more of a rim deterrent if he simply keeps his hands high and forces players to finish around or through him. Possessions like this show that he’s already growing in that department.
As an energy guy, Queta earns his money scoring extra possessions for the Celtics.
He is very quick off the floor and often coordinated enough to control tips to himself to keep the play alive.
The passing is a work in progress, but something that Queta and the coaching staff are building into his responsibilities. He picked up five assists, and they weren’t flashy but they were a look into how he can be useful in dribble handoff scenarios
Queta is a fantastic player to have on any occasion, but with players resting at his position, it’s clear how helpful it is to have another quality option to soak up big minutes.
6. Jaden Springer’s role
Springer started preseason looking like one of the favorites to get the first crack at joining the Celtics rotation in place of Oshae Brissett. After returning from Abu Dhabi though, that has looked less likely.
Mazzulla could be attempting to see other options from a place of comfort with what Springer can provide. That’s a more optimistic view than what it has looked like though. After sitting for the entirety of the 76ers game, Springer played for just seven minutes in the first three quarters against the Raptors, before grabbing a few more in the 4th.
He is a talented young defensive guard, but with Walsh and Walker giving the team good minutes, his pathway to becoming a rotation piece is shrinking with each moment he sits on the bench.
7. The Maine Celtics
The Raptors managed to chop the Celtics lead down with a lopsided 2nd half. As the game went on, and Mazzulla leaned on the deepest reserves he could find, the execution from earlier in the game was nowhere to be found.
With the Maine Celtics in charge, they looked disjointed and didn’t have any rhythm. It’s been a long time since you could say that about a team wearing the Celtics green.
JD Davison had a few solid moments, but couldn’t get the offense organized. While his game definitely looks improved heading into his third season, if he wants to stick in with the Celtics or another team, they will want to see more refinement as an initiator.
Rookie Anton Watson was in a similar boat with an up and down performance highlighted by a couple of flashes in the 4th quarter, including a tough layup and a blow-by dunk.
I think collectively we can cut these guys some slack, considering Mazzulla was probably excited about the fact that they got crunch time experience.
8. Drew Peterson is interesting.
Admittedly, I didn’t catch a ton of Maine Celtics games this season. In his limited run with the Celtics, it was unclear what type of player he could become. His preseason performance has shown a more diverse offensive game than I was aware he had.
With an extended run, Peterson put together his best game as a Celtic finishing with 23 points shooting 6/9 from the field. With the lead starting to slip away, it was Drew that helped make sure Boston had just enough to finish on top.
He won’t be a regular for this team, but Brad Stevens offering him a two-way contract is enough to convince me to keep tabs on his development.
9. Avoiding bad habits
Despite the sloppy 4th quarter, this game was another example of how serious this team is in their approach. From top to bottom, the organization has made it clear that they aren’t skipping any steps. The preseason is typically used to tune up your game, but the Celtics haven’t just been going through the motions. This win brought them to 4-0, and they’ve been running through teams for the most part.
The lineups and minutes may tell you otherwise, but they are treating these games as real opportunities to play their game and send a message to the league.
10. Mazzulla is creating a lasting culture
When Mazzulla first took over as head coach, he was working with someone else’s coaching staff and had very little time to build his own scheme. Coming off of a championship, he’s been able to develop from their stable foundation, rather than building it up from scratch
As a result, the team becomes more self-sufficient and capable of easily integrating new players while still executing their system, like we saw in this game. This is a key piece of what helps turn a champion into a dynasty. Teams like the Spurs and Warriors had roster turnover, but each addition fell in line and helped extend their title runs.
Boston was fortunate to bring back most of their championship roster, but they’re seeing a few returners attempt to step into a larger role, and that requires them to play the right way.
