The Celtics kept rolling through preseason with another win over Charlotte, and the story again started at the top. Jayson Tatum set the tone in the opening quarter, playing all 12 minutes and helping Boston build an eight-point cushion before Derrick White took over in the second and stretched the margin to 17.
Tatum finished with 19 points on 8-17 shooting, including 3-8 from deep, plus eight rebounds. White added 17 points, Neemias Queta scored 16, and Payton Pritchard handed out 11 assists.
Boston used the same starting five for the second straight game: Jayson Tatum, Paul George, Mitchell Robinson, Jordan Walsh, and Derrick White. It’s a lineup that makes sense on paper, especially with its defensive edge, and Walsh’s corner three becomes the swing skill if this group is ever going to really function.
Even so, it still feels unlikely to be the opening-night five. Mazzulla didn’t use last year’s opening-night starters at all in preseason, so there’s reason to think he may be following the same script again.
That group, though, could absolutely be a closing unit with a lead to protect.
One of the more interesting wrinkles was Mazzulla’s decision to pair Queta and Robinson together for about five minutes in the second quarter, then again to start the fourth. That stretch lined up with White’s scoring burst and helped Boston clamp down defensively while the Hornets struggled to get anything going. The matchup-specific nature of it matters, but there may be a lane for that look if the right opponent presents itself.
Queta, in particular, looked liberated by the bigger lineup. He usually gets his offense around the rim off dump-offs and lobs, but this setup gave him room to do more.
He used a nice upfake, drove, spun, and drew a foul. Then he turned the corner on a lefty drive from the wing and hammered down a poster dunk.
FIRST NEEMIAS QUETA POSTER OF THE SEASON 🚨 pic.twitter.com/u1oCHhbTxl
He also let fly with three three-pointers, really four if you count the one that was wiped out because his toe was on the line. Whether that kind of freedom lasts into the regular season is another question, but he clearly seemed to treat the double-big look as a chance to show more of his game.
Robinson’s workload told its own story. He came out midway through the third after 14 minutes with his hands on his hips and looking spent, though he returned to begin the fourth and logged 17 minutes overall. That only makes Queta more valuable, and it also strengthens the case for Robinson to start if the idea is to manage minutes carefully and let the fresher big handle the heavier lift later.
Boston’s Tatum-Robinson connection also keeps getting better. They missed on a couple of alley-oop attempts in their first game together against Philadelphia, but against Charlotte they connected twice early and then hooked up again in the third quarter.
For a pairing that has barely been seen in live game action, that’s a quick step forward. They’ve spent weeks together in scrimmages, so the chemistry was always going to arrive eventually.
Tatum looked every bit like himself, attacking the basket with confidence and finishing strong. The injury story that hangs over him is there, but his play is making it easier to move past it.
White had his own strong stretch in the second quarter, scoring 13 points and showing he can still seize control of a game when the opening comes. The shot wasn’t always falling, but the passing was sharp.
Pritchard keeps standing out as a passer, too. He has been stacking up assists this preseason, and there’s a real case he can push well beyond his career-high 5.2 per game.
Seven or eight a night would not be out of the question based on what he’s shown. That’s another reason he should stay in the sixth-man role: this is the kind of distribution you want from a lead guard, especially when Tatum and White are out.
And it’s also why Queta makes so much sense next to him. Their chemistry has been clear, and Boston’s second unit looks ready to benefit from it.
In Other News...
Celtics Have A Familiar New England Guard In The Roster Mix
The Celtics are still sorting through a few roster choices as the regular season approaches, and the two-way spots remain part of that equation. One name that has surfaced in that mix is Devin Carter, the former Sacramento Kings lottery pick who has become a familiar type of target for Boston, a guard with pedigree, upside and enough uncertainty to make the decision interesting.
Carters NBA path has had its bumps, but there have also been signs lately that he can help a team in the right role. For Boston, the appeal is clear enough: adding another backcourt option with talent and long-term value attached. The question now is whether that interest turns into one of the clubs two-way contracts, or whether the Celtics keep weighing other possibilities before filling out the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics Suddenly Have A Rotation Problem Fans Will Love
The Celtics looked every bit like a team with more weapons than minutes to go around in their preseason rout of Philadelphia. Boston rolled to a lopsided win behind strong showings from Jayson Tatum and Payton Pritchard, while the opening glimpse of Paul George in green added another layer to an already crowded roster picture. The overall effort was as encouraging as the final margin suggested, with Boston controlling the glass and showing the kind of balance that can make lineup choices tricky in a hurry.
For Joe Mazzulla, the early test is less about winning in October than sorting through all the offensive options before the regular season arrives. The upcoming preseason games should give him a chance to mix and match combinations, see which groups defend well together and figure out how to get the most out of a deep rotation that suddenly looks like it could create more headaches than comfort. [Read more 🡒]
Brad Stevens Just Made Bostons New Direction Impossible To Ignore
Bostons roster makeover has moved quickly since the Jaylen Brown trade to Philadelphia, and the shape of the new look is starting to come into focus. The Celtics have already locked in more of their next core, agreeing to a two-year extension with Payton Pritchard and also securing extensions with Jordan Walsh and Neemias Queta, while Devin Carter joined on a two-way deal as the team continued to retool around the flexibility created by moving Brown.
Brad Stevens has not stopped there, either. Boston has also been active in free agency and the draft, adding Mitchell Robinson and Mike Conley while bringing in Chris Cenac Jr. and Dillon Mitchell, a mix that signals a clear pivot toward depth, experience and a different kind of roster balance. Even with the details still settling in, the direction is hard to miss, and the Celtics are making it obvious they intend to use this reset to redraw the teams identity. [Read more 🡒]