The Celtics and Grizzlies begin Boston’s preseason slate in Memphis tonight at 8 p.m. With the roster healthy save for Jayson Tatum, who will be in attendance after traveling with the team, Wednesday should provide a peak into early rotations, stylistic changes the team previewed throughout training camp and how numerous new faces fit into the team.
“Executing our system, know what we’re doing on offense, know what we’re doing on defense, compete at a high level and be in position to win,” Joe Mazzulla said. “So we have to execute the offensive identity, defensive identity, take advantage of situations and have a good process of putting us in position to win. It’s just play our team, make sure everybody on the team plays, make sure the guys know their jobs, know what they’re supposed to do, so the priority is get guys to play, evaluate where we’re at and where we need to get better.”
Here’s what else to watch for in Celtics-Grizzlies…
- Who starts won’t mean much but will become the first revelation from the night. The Celtics teased a Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser, Jaylen Brown and Neemias Queta scrimmage lineup in a social media post, but have mixed-and-matched lineups throughout training camp according to ensuing posts and players who have spoken after practices. Preseason openers have featured surprise Celtics starters throughout recent seasons, including Juancho Hernangomez starting over Al Horford to begin 2021-22, Al Horford playing over Jrue Holiday in the first 2023-24 preseason game and even Horford sitting while Luke Kornet started in Abu Dhabi one year ago. Surprise starters could include a second big like Xavier Tillman Sr. or Chris Boucher, a defensive wing like Josh Minott or Jordan Walsh, or Anfernee Simons playing next to White instead of Pritchard.
- The Pritchard-Simons roles are worth watching, but Mazzulla stressed at media day that they’re not connected as players and did not want them compared throughout the season.
- Neemias Queta should make his debut at center despite Brad Stevens indicating on media day that they haven’t decided on anything at center yet. Stevens gave Queta a good chance, and Mazzulla enters this year high on the big man who he’s coached tough through two seasons already. Still, he’ll need to earn the spot over Tillman and Luka Garza. Boucher told CelticsBlog that he’s played forward, rather than center, throughout camp. Memphis is missing Ja Morant, Brandon Clarke, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Zach Edey with injuries, so Jock Landale and Santi Aldama will play inside across smaller Memphis rotations than usual.
- Simons has worked on his defense since July with Celtics assistant Ross McMains and will make his Celtics debut. McMains praised Simons’ strides on that end, his alertness to shift between the many different defensive coverages the Celtics play in and the role he’ll play in the high-paced Celtics attack on offense. Simons should have the freedom to play-make, shoot many threes and become a fixture for Boston immediately.
- The style changes on display tonight speak for themselves with how often the Celtics have mentioned them throughout camp. Beyond the track-meet speed they’ll play at, Boston’s players and coaches also discussed increased defensive aggressiveness and getting into sets closer to half court and more quickly. The Celtics also have more cutting personnel this year, making that worth watching into their first visible game action.
- Newcomers Simons, Boucher, Garza, Minott and rookie Hugo Gonzalez headline the new faces that’ll be on display. Second-rounders Amari Williams and Max Shulga should also get a look, while RJ Luis Jr., who missed summer league with Utah, will play in his first NBA action alongside Ron Harper Jr., Wendell Moore Jr., Kendall Brown and Jalen Bridges, who could push him for a two-way.
- Was Walsh actually making up that ‘hockey subs’ idea of having four or five players push as hard as they can before being replaced? Mazzulla said it’s not happening.
- How will the play-making dynamic take shape with Tatum out? Will the Celtics need to play more traditional defense, or will their switching and matchup switching continue from last year along with years of having a roaming help defender cause havoc? And just how involved are Tillman and Baylor Scheierman after sparse appearances throughout last regular season? All are other lingering questions as the preseason begins.
