The Celtics got a first-night reminder that a strong defense only takes you so far, and that the lineup may already need a tweak after one game.
Boston opened the season with a 121-113 loss to the Detroit Pistons, letting a big third-quarter lead slip away after Detroit ripped off a 23-0 run in the fourth. In a frustrating finish for the Celtics, two reserves stood out as bright spots: Baylor Scheierman and Sam Hauser.
Hauser produced 11 points, going 4-for-7 from the field and 3-for-5 from three, while adding four rebounds in 18 minutes. Scheierman wasn’t far behind, scoring eight points on 3-for-4 shooting and 2-for-2 from deep, while also grabbing four rebounds and recording one steal.
Both came off the bench, while Boston started Jordan Walsh alongside Derrick White, Paul George, Jayson Tatum, and Mitchell Robinson. But after what this group showed in the opener, there’s a clear case for one of those two shooters to move into the first five.
The biggest thing standing out about the current starting group is how much defensive talent is packed into it. Every starter brings plus defense, but there’s a catch: Walsh is still growing as an offensive player, and Robinson doesn’t stretch the floor.
That’s where Hauser or Scheierman enters the conversation. Sliding either one into the starting lineup for Walsh would give the Celtics a better offensive balance without taking away the strength of the group on the other end. With the rest of the starters already strong defenders, adding another proven shooter could matter more than keeping the lineup as is.
If Boston makes that change, Hauser feels like the cleaner fit. His biggest weapon is his shooting, and he can punish teams both as a spot-up option and while moving off the ball. With Tatum and George handling most of the creation, Hauser’s job would be simple: space the floor and make defenses pay.
Scheierman offers something a little different. He’s also a shooter, but he’s more comfortable with the ball in his hands than Hauser. He can put it on the floor and help connect possessions for Boston, even if he’s not the kind of creator who can consistently win isolation matchups.
Walsh, meanwhile, looks like the natural odd man out in the starting group. Even with the struggles in the opener, he led the team in rebounds, but the offense could use more spacing around Tatum and George. That’s why moving Walsh back to a bench role and opening a spot for either Hauser or Scheierman makes sense after one game.
In Other News...
Celtics Already Have A Payton Pritchard Problem They Promised To Fix
After the offseason trade of Jaylen Brown and a contract extension for Payton Pritchard, the Celtics entered the season with a clear expectation that his role would grow. Instead, the opener offered a familiar look. Pritchard came off the bench and was on the floor for 27 minutes, but his place in the offense never really changed in a way that suggested a new level of responsibility.
He still managed to score 17 points, tied for second on the team, but the way he got there looked more like last season than the next step Boston seemed to be promising. With limited involvement in the half-court and only one assist to show for the night, the question is already less about whether Pritchard can produce and more about how the Celtics plan to use him moving forward. [Read more 🡒]
Kendrick Perkins Just Turned Up The Pressure On The Celtics
Boston looked sharp in its first game against Detroit, a reminder that even with offseason changes, the Celtics still project as one of the leagues upper-tier teams. But the early-season vibe around this group has been complicated by the usual Boston standard: good regular-season play is expected, and the conversation always drifts quickly to whether the roster is truly built for June.
Kendrick Perkins added to that pressure with a blunt assessment of where the Celtics stand right now. The former Boston center drew a hard line between being good and being a real title threat, pointing to the roster as part of the concern and putting the spotlight squarely on Jayson Tatum in the process. For a team that has spent years being measured against championship expectations, it is the kind of outside criticism that lingers until the Celtics prove otherwise. [Read more 🡒]
Pistons Beat Boston Even After The Celtics Got A Star's Best Shot
Paul Georges debut gave the Celtics plenty to feel good about early, but not nearly enough to finish the job. Bostons newest star arrived with a burst, and Derrick White and Payton Pritchard added 17 points apiece, yet the Celtics still fell 121-113 to the Pistons in a game Detroit controlled with balanced scoring and a clear edge on the glass.
For Boston, the box score was a reminder that one big night from a new arrival does not automatically solve everything. The Celtics needed more from their usual top options to match Detroits depth and rebounding, and for stretches they simply could not keep pace as the Pistons kept finding answers. It was a loud debut for George, but also the kind of loss that leaves the bigger questions hanging just beneath the surface. [Read more 🡒]