The Celtics’ preseason opener offered a clear look at what Boston wants to be after the Jaylen Brown trade. The game didn’t count, but the shape of the roster did, and the message came through loud and clear in a victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Boston’s biggest edge came on the offensive glass. That work on the boards helped cover for a poor shooting night from the field and kept the Celtics in control.
But the rebounding wasn’t the only thing that jumped out. The wing group also made a strong early statement.
Baylor Scheierman, Hugo Gonzalez, and Jordan Walsh all turned in impressive performances, each finishing with 15 or 16 points while also bringing smart decisions, three-point shooting, and strong defense. What made it even more encouraging for Boston was that they did it in different ways. Their games aren’t carbon copies, yet they fit together cleanly and helped keep Cleveland at arm’s length.
That kind of showing can create questions down the line for Sam Hauser, but the larger point is what mattered here: Boston got exactly the type of production it needs from that trio. If the Celtics are going to make up for Brown’s departure, it won’t be by finding one player who does everything Brown did. It will come from a collection of wings who can each supply part of that load.
And that’s the key distinction. Scheierman, Gonzalez, and Walsh are not Brown as individual talents, and very few players in the league are.
Boston never seemed to think it could simply replace his talent. What it appears to believe is that it can replace enough of his impact.
That means versatility matters. The Celtics can’t recreate the scoring gravity Brown brought at his peak in Boston, but players who can shoot, defend, and make the right reads can help fill the gaps he leaves behind.
Brown’s value in Boston was real, both on the floor and as a leader, and the point here isn’t to diminish that. It’s to note that the Celtics clearly viewed him as movable because the structure around him could absorb the loss.
There’s also a reason Boston can feel better about that idea now. These same wings helped the Celtics handle stretches without Jayson Tatum last year. Now they’re being asked to do something similar, only this time the assignment is to cover for Brown.
Based on what they showed in this preseason win, Boston has reason to believe that group can help hold the line.
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Paul George Just Sent Celtics Fans A Clear Jayson Tatum Message
For years, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum were tied together as Bostons co-stars, a pairing that worked at a high level but always carried a built-in competitive edge. Now Paul George, acquired in the deal that sent Brown elsewhere, is signaling a different tone around the Celtics new lineup, one that could reshape how the offense and leadership dynamic look around Tatum.
George has made it clear he is not trying to step into the old co-star mold. Instead, he is aiming to complement Tatum, which is the kind of setup Boston fans have been curious about since the deal was completed, especially with the expectation that Tatum still remains the center of the teams championship push. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics Young Wings Are Pushing Each Other For Real Rotation Minutes
Baylor Scheierman and Hugo Gonzalez have quickly turned into one of those rookie pairings that can help a young roster rise faster than expected. The Celtics recent first-round picks have formed a close friendship, and that connection seems to be helping both wings sharpen their games as they compete for real rotation minutes. Scheierman has already flashed a feel for the moment in preseason, while Gonzalez has shown enough scoring touch and efficiency to keep pushing his case.
Joe Mazzulla still has clear developmental checkpoints in mind for both players, which is hardly surprising this early in the process. Gonzalez is being asked to grow more assertive as a shooter and to do a better job attacking defenders who close out at him, while Scheierman is working to expand his playmaking and picking up details from veteran Mike Conley. For Boston, the encouraging part is not just that both players are improving, but that each seems to be nudging the other along in the same direction. [Read more 🡒]
Joe Mazzulla Is Building A Celtics Edge Teams May Hate
Rebounding has become more than a talking point for Boston heading into the new season. Joe Mazzulla has pushed it as a central part of the Celtics identity, and the front office added Mitchell Robinson in the offseason to reinforce that plan. In preseason, the focus showed up quickly in the way Boston controlled the glass, turning second-chance opportunities into a clear edge.
The early returns have been hard to ignore for opponents, even in exhibition play. Bostons work on the boards has already looked like a deliberate effort to wear teams down possession by possession, and that kind of physical edge is exactly what Mazzulla seems intent on making a regular feature. The bigger question now is whether that same intensity can carry over once the games count and teams start game-planning for it. [Read more 🡒]