The Celtics are undefeated as of this morning in the preseason and have been an absolute joy to watch. I’ve been scrolling through Celtics Twitter, and I’ve seen many people say this will be the most fun mediocre Celtics team of their lifetime. I can get behind one part, the enjoyability; this team has the makings of a contender. Let’s recap the two preseason games and highlight some players who may not get the spotlight as much when the season progresses.
October 8th, 124-113 W over Cleveland
The immediate and obvious player that needs to be highlighted is Luka Garza. I fear, with the acquisition of Mitchell Robinson, I won’t get to write about Garza much this year. He surpassed expectations last year as a backup center and had legitimate stretch five upside at some points. “Garzilla” as the NBC crew likes to call him had 22/10/2 in a game without a laundry list of Celtics. It was exhilarating watching players who are lucky to get 4 or 5 shots a game put-up double-digit attempts, or in the case of Garza, 10 three-point attempts.
Another crew deserving of recognition is the young wings, namely Walsh and Scheierman. They both played like mad men on the defensive side then led the offense. Baylor has breakout written all over him. His confidence on court is contagious. By playing looser and more fun, he’s able to not only create awesome highlights but create a better flow for the team. Hugo is taking major steps even from the end of the playoffs if you watched FIBA this summer.
Devin Carter WILL Make The 15-Man Roster
99 problems, but Devin Carter ain’t one.
Seeing 99 on a guard is extremely unsettling, combined with one high sock and one low. That is also how he plays; odd, physical and defensive. He’s a perfect fit on this roster if the three can develop, which the Celtics staff have a history of doing. The Providence standout had 17 points and plenty of highlight dunks and elite rebounding for a guard. I loved him on the Kings and goes to show the dysfunction in their organization that he was salary dumped after never truly getting playtime.
Chris Cenac Looks Stellar in Debut
Cenac was an interesting prospect out of Houston; too skinny to be a center, but not physical enough to be a power forward. The tweeners are difficult to slot onto a team but he looked great against the Cavaliers. His four blocks looked like that of a veteran; patient and calculated around the rim is hard to come by from a rookie. He was 3-13 and missed all his 3s, but I loved him as a prospect and feel especially confident in him progressing at the next level.
October 10th, 144-106 W Over Philadelphia
The majority of the Celtics played against Philly who was down LeBron, Jaylen Brown and Joel Embiid in an utter destruction of the Sixers. Payton Pritchard led the Cs in scoring with 25 and shot an efficient 5-8 from 3. The Celtics made 22 threes and were 45.8%. Scheierman had plenty of highlight plays and Rondo-esque passes that have fans excited for more point Baylor. As mentioned above, his smooth, carefree playstyle not only creates a fun game but also opens up incredible looks for the bigs. He had eight assists and will be a staple of the bench unit.
Tatum looked healthy and fluid which is a good sign to see. The media has questioned if his Achilles tear will prevent him from returning to a top 5 player level, but I believe in him, his recovery process, and his undying devotion to the mamba mentality. He had 19 shots and looked active defensively.
Paul George looked smooth in his debut in green. He’s going to be successful in his role as the second option if he truly buys into it. His ego could get in the way of more shots, but he can be an elite 3-D guy. It’s tough to stomach the trade but fans will eventually grow to enjoy PG’s game.
It’s important to note how bought in everyone looks. I love seeing everyone celebrate on the bench and celebrate with each other going into a timeout. It’s a vital aspect of any playoff team that morale needs to be high. It’s the difference between successful and pitiful franchises and the reason why a guy like Devin Carter can go from being a DNP to a highlight player.
Also, hot take, I kind of respect Jaylen Brown for watching the game in the locker room. Yeah, its odd but save the big return for the regular season. That game is going to be nothing short of electric.
We should all be grateful to be Celtics fans this season as it will be one to remember.
The Celtics face the Hornets on Wednesday, the 14th at 7:30 EST.
