BOSTON -- The Celtics don’t appear short on creators. Jayson Tatum can bend a defense.
Payton Pritchard can make the ball dance. Paul George can heat up in a hurry, and Derrick White keeps the offense moving with a hand far better than he gets credit for.
And yet last season, with Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Pritchard and White all in the mix, Boston still had games where the scoring simply vanished when it mattered most. The group stalled in the postseason, and the offense dried up.
This year, the answer might be coming from a different place.
Maybe even two different places.
Neemias Queta and Mitchell Robinson have a chance to be the kinds of bigs who make Boston’s offense hum, and the early preseason signs have been encouraging. It’s still just a couple of exhibition games, and neither the Philadelphia 76ers nor the Charlotte Hornets had all of their starters on the floor. Still, the way both big men have already connected with Boston’s ball-handlers has stood out.
Very stood out.
Robinson described that growing connection after Wednesday night’s game.
"It's been great. Getting to learn their tendencies and what they like to do.
So with that, that helps a lot," Robinson said post-game on Wednesday night. "Then talking to him.
See what he likes, and he sees what I like, and stuff like that. So, just a lot of communication."
That kind of fit is what the Celtics have been missing at times. Queta broke through last season and looked like a starting-caliber center, while Robinson was one of the league’s best backup bigs. Even so, neither player had a huge offensive burden.
Queta’s biggest impact came on the defensive end, and he was still settling into steady minutes. Boston also didn’t always find him cleanly on the roll.
Robinson, meanwhile, built his reputation with the New York Knicks as a rebound-chasing force and finished efficiently in pick-and-roll situations, but New York didn’t lean on him that way often.
If the early preseason chemistry carries over, Boston may have found a fresh way to unclog the offense.
In Other News...
Bill Simmons Just Poured Cold Water On Sixers Hype
Philadelphias splashy roster makeover has turned plenty of heads this fall, with LeBron James and Jaylen Brown now alongside Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe. On paper, it is the kind of star-packed group that can fuel big expectations before a single meaningful game is played, especially when the names involved carry the kind of cachet that can shift the conversation around the East.
Bill Simmons, though, was quick to pump the brakes on the hype, pointing to the different stages of those players careers as a reason for caution. Philadelphia has opened the preseason 1-2, including losses to the Nets and the Celtics, and Simmons skepticism leaves the bigger question hanging over the roster: whether all that talent actually fits well enough to look like a real postseason force. [Read more 🡒]
Paul George Already Looks Like A Different Fit Next To Tatum
One preseason game was enough to give the Celtics a new conversation about how Jayson Tatum and Paul George might work together. Early returns suggested a cleaner, more natural fit on the wing, with George sliding into a complementary role that could ease the offensive load around Tatum and give Boston another high-level option who can create without crowding the same spaces.
Georges comfort alongside another star is part of why the matchup feels so intriguing. He has spent time in that kind of setup before, and the Celtics are already seeing how that background can translate into a different look next to Tatum, one that could sharpen the teams balance if the chemistry keeps building once the games count. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics Starting Lineup Battle May Not Be As Open As Expected
Joe Mazzulla may have created the outline of his opening night lineup sooner than expected. The Celtics have used the same starting five in consecutive games, with Jayson Tatum, Derrick White, Paul George, Mitchell Robinson and Jordan Walsh on the floor together, a grouping that suggests the coach is already leaning toward certain fits rather than treating every spot as a wide-open competition.
The biggest clues are in the middle and at the fifth starter spot, where Robinson and Walsh appear to be gaining traction over other options. Walsh, in particular, offers the kind of defensive edge and scheme versatility that can mesh with Bostons preferred style, which helps explain why he seems to be moving ahead of Payton Pritchard in that race while Robinson trends over Neemias Queta at center. [Read more 🡒]