Celtics 2025-26, Season Thread

[Hal14]

Joe seems to prioritize seniority and Harper has history with the team from previous seasons in Maine.

The Moore dunk was pretty awesome and he was a 1st round pick in the JD Davison draft, so just 3 years ago, but it's a red flag that he hasn't stuck with a team yet.

Shulga didn't make shots in summer league but he played pretty well otherwise, only 3 turnovers over the entire 5 games if I recall. Joe highly values guards that dont turn it over. Why is Harper ahead of Shulga for minutes? Maybe Shulga has underimpressed against NBA level athletes in camp or maybe Joe is just favoring the senior player in Harper?

In any case, I would be very surprised if Brad cuts Shulga at this moment. If six months from now, Shulga sucks on the floor or off, then yea sure, but even Anton Watson got 6 months or so for a legit try out.

I thought Harper has done alright..especially that smooth step back 3 he hit.

It certainly doesn't bode well for Shulga, if Joe trusts Harper to be in the game dribbling more than he does Shulga.

While part of me agrees that Shulga is probably safe because he was a draft pick:

a) he was the 57th pick..that's barely a draft pick.

b) He's had 5 summer league games + 3 preseason games and he's done basically nothing.

Harper and Moore have simply played more and impressed more in preseason..so it wouldn't shock me if Shulga gets cut..

As for Moore, that 1 dunk was *the* play that stands out the most from the entire preseason. Also, from what I recall, he's been solid on defense, and also had a bucket in 1 of the games where he had a nice little drive to the basket and finished near the rim. Also, he's a former 1st round pick. He's about the same size as Shulga (around 6'4"/6'5") but is much stronger and more athletic than him. He's known as a pesky defender (at Duke and so far in his NBA stops)..

Agreed that Luis is probably sweating right now. If Shulga's 2-way spot is safe, that means Moore, Harper and even Bridges and Brown are all gunning to take that spot away. Let the best man win!

Watson was also drafted 3 spots higher than Shulga.

And Watson was better in Summer League than Shulga, he was better in preseason than Shulga.

And Watson didn't have a bunch of exhibit 10 guys getting more playing time and playing better than him in preseason.

Moore was drafted 3 years ago and hasn't stuck anywhere yet but that's also true to some extent about Minott and Garza. Minott was in that same draft with Moore and JD. But Moore was drafted much higher than both of them. Sure, Minott didn't get waived by 2 teams, but that's why Moore is fighting for a 2-way spot while Minott is on a 2-year standard contract.

Garza was drafted the year before in 2021 and still hasn't done much, while playing for 2 different teams but we also gave him a 2 year contract.

Kornet bounced around, didn't do much on any team he was on, was undrafted but our staff saw something in him and signed him. Similar deal with when we acquired Moe Wagner, Theis, Javonte Green, etc.

Rockets gave JD a 2-way even though he was here for 3 years on a 2-way, then we didn't want him anymore. Moore would be a similar type of signing..low risk, high reward type of 2-way..but at least he was drafted like 30 spots higher than JD.

Again, I can see it from both sides. Maybe we keep Shulga because he was a draft pick which is an investment so let's keep him and try to develop him a bit before cutting him. But I also can see the other side of the coin where the later in the draft the pick is, the shorter the leash is (typically) so a 57th pick, that's basically an undrafted free agent, the leash can be pretty short, especially if they did nothing across 5 SL games and 3 preseason games.

Not only that, but there's a bunch of exhibit 10 guys who are getting more playing time and playing better than him. If that trend continues in tonight's final preseason game, it wouldn't surprise me if he's cut. Otherwise, if there's no way Shulga is getting cut, if they view him that highly, why has he played less in the preseason than all 4 exhibit 10 guys? (Harper, Brown, Bridges, Moore).

[redslastlaugh]

Watson was also drafted 3 spots higher than Shulga.

And Watson was better in Summer League than Shulga, he was better in preseason than Shulga.

And Watson didn't have a bunch of exhibit 10 guys getting more playing time and playing better than him in preseason.

You're talking a 54th pick versus a 57th pick, i mean, come on. I thought relative to his class, Shulga was a much better prospect than Watson.

Moore was drafted 3 years ago and hasn't stuck anywhere yet but that's also true to some extent about Minott and Garza. Minott was in that same draft with Moore and JD. But Moore was drafted much higher than both of them. Sure, Minott didn't get waived by 2 teams, but that's why Moore is fighting for a 2-way spot while Minott is on a 2-year standard contract.

Garza was drafted the year before in 2021 and still hasn't done much, while playing for 2 different teams but we also gave him a 2 year contract.

Kornet bounced around, didn't do much on any team he was on, was undrafted but our staff saw something in him and signed him. Similar deal with when we acquired Moe Wagner, Theis, Javonte Green, etc.

Rockets gave JD a 2-way even though he was here for 3 years on a 2-way, then we didn't want him anymore. Moore would be a similar type of signing..low risk, high reward type of 2-way..but at least he was drafted like 30 spots higher than JD.

Again, I can see it from both sides. Maybe we keep Shulga because he was a draft pick which is an investment so let's keep him and try to develop him a bit before cutting him. But I also can see the other side of the coin where the later in the draft the pick is, the shorter the leash is (typically) so a 57th pick, that's basically an undrafted free agent, the leash can be pretty short, especially if they did nothing across 5 SL games and 3 preseason games.

Not only that, but there's a bunch of exhibit 10 guys who are getting more playing time and playing better than him. If that trend continues in tonight's final preseason game, it wouldn't surprise me if he's cut. Otherwise, if there's no way Shulga is getting cut, if they view him that highly, why has he played less in the preseason than all 4 exhibit 10 guys? (Harper, Brown, Bridges, Moore).

But draft position doesnt matter after the draft has already happened, years ago. Killian Hays being taken 7th doesnt give him any cache over Tyrese Maxey (21) or Desmond Bane (30) ... obviously.

You can look at it the other way too: Brad had the chance to draft Bridges, Harper, Luis in their particular draft years and Brad didn't take them. Conversely, Brad had the chance to take Shulga versus all the other guys on the board and we selected Max Shulga.

I also think the Celtics draft record in finding talent matters to the assistant GMs. Dave Lewin (or whoever) will someday have other job opportunities and will want to show a record of success as a talent evaluator. And so somebody inside the team, in some small way, has a vested interest in Max Shulga since they took him.

Positionally, Shulga is a combo guard who can play point. None of the other guys really are, Harper a little bit but Shulga's strength so far is his ast:tov and game management. I'm thinking with the three 2-ways, one big, one wing, one ball handler. That gives Shulga the edge.

And frankly, I don't think Shulga has looked bad and none of the other group has looked especially impressive. So I think they give the tie breaker to the guy they drafted, and thats the Shulg-Dog, lol

[canman1971]

Pretty funny thing by Joe at practice:

At the end of his press conference Tuesday, Mazzulla had something to say about the media pick-up game.
Usually, we play against each other. It’s an opportunity to experience what Celtics players experience almost every day, running up and down the floor at the Auerbach Center and getting a few shots up with championship banners hanging over our heads.
But this was not a normal Tuesday at work. Mazzulla had a different matchup in mind.
“I don’t want to break it to you,” the Celtics coach said. “But you’re not playing against each other. You’re playing against the coaches.”
Mazzulla looked around at us and walked off with a straight face. Not even a hint of a smirk. That should have told me that he was serious, but it seemed laughable that he would even think to do something like this.

But we were no match for the speed and length of the coaches. They swarmed us and jumped out to a 22-0 lead. It was like watching a pee-wee team that couldn’t get the ball over halfcourt. They made steal after steal, leading to easy looks down low and from three. Mazzulla was leading the charge, hounding our guards and being vocal about how he wanted this game to be a shutout.

It almost happened. The coaches beat us, 57-4, and our two baskets came through a mix of hustle and luck. Forbes contributor Bobby Krivitsky scored on a layup, and I scored on a putback off a missed 3-pointer. That was all the offense we could muster.

The funniest moment of the day was when we gathered at halfcourt after the game. I heard a voice from above the court yelling, “Does anyone want to do media?”

It was Jaylen Brown giving us a taste of our own medicine. He and Tatum stuck around to watch. We’ve all asked Brown tough questions after losses; he gleefully took the opportunity to show us what it felt like.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/10/15/sports/joe-mazzulla-celtics-media-game/

[jmr07019]

Imagine Joe telling Cassell to put the full court press on Noa lmfao

[djFan71]

Joe seems to prioritize seniority and Harper has history with the team from previous seasons in Maine.

The Moore dunk was pretty awesome and he was a 1st round pick in the JD Davison draft, so just 3 years ago, but it's a red flag that he hasn't stuck with a team yet.

Shulga didn't make shots in summer league but he played pretty well otherwise, only 3 turnovers over the entire 5 games if I recall. Joe highly values guards that dont turn it over. Why is Harper ahead of Shulga for minutes? Maybe Shulga has underimpressed against NBA level athletes in camp or maybe Joe is just favoring the senior player in Harper?

In any case, I would be very surprised if Brad cuts Shulga at this moment. If six months from now, Shulga sucks on the floor or off, then yea sure, but even Anton Watson got 6 months or so for a legit try out.

I thought Harper has done alright..especially that smooth step back 3 he hit.

It certainly doesn't bode well for Shulga, if Joe trusts Harper to be in the game dribbling more than he does Shulga.

While part of me agrees that Shulga is probably safe because he was a draft pick:

a) he was the 57th pick..that's barely a draft pick.

b) He's had 5 summer league games + 3 preseason games and he's done basically nothing.

Harper and Moore have simply played more and impressed more in preseason..so it wouldn't shock me if Shulga gets cut..

As for Moore, that 1 dunk was *the* play that stands out the most from the entire preseason. Also, from what I recall, he's been solid on defense, and also had a bucket in 1 of the games where he had a nice little drive to the basket and finished near the rim. Also, he's a former 1st round pick. He's about the same size as Shulga (around 6'4"/6'5") but is much stronger and more athletic than him. He's known as a pesky defender (at Duke and so far in his NBA stops)..

Agreed that Luis is probably sweating right now. If Shulga's 2-way spot is safe, that means Moore, Harper and even Bridges and Brown are all gunning to take that spot away. Let the best man win!

Watson was also drafted 3 spots higher than Shulga.

And Watson was better in Summer League than Shulga, he was better in preseason than Shulga.

And Watson didn't have a bunch of exhibit 10 guys getting more playing time and playing better than him in preseason.

Moore was drafted 3 years ago and hasn't stuck anywhere yet but that's also true to some extent about Minott and Garza. Minott was in that same draft with Moore and JD. But Moore was drafted much higher than both of them. Sure, Minott didn't get waived by 2 teams, but that's why Moore is fighting for a 2-way spot while Minott is on a 2-year standard contract.

Garza was drafted the year before in 2021 and still hasn't done much, while playing for 2 different teams but we also gave him a 2 year contract.

Kornet bounced around, didn't do much on any team he was on, was undrafted but our staff saw something in him and signed him. Similar deal with when we acquired Moe Wagner, Theis, Javonte Green, etc.

Rockets gave JD a 2-way even though he was here for 3 years on a 2-way, then we didn't want him anymore. Moore would be a similar type of signing..low risk, high reward type of 2-way..but at least he was drafted like 30 spots higher than JD.

Again, I can see it from both sides. Maybe we keep Shulga because he was a draft pick which is an investment so let's keep him and try to develop him a bit before cutting him. But I also can see the other side of the coin where the later in the draft the pick is, the shorter the leash is (typically) so a 57th pick, that's basically an undrafted free agent, the leash can be pretty short, especially if they did nothing across 5 SL games and 3 preseason games.

Not only that, but there's a bunch of exhibit 10 guys who are getting more playing time and playing better than him. If that trend continues in tonight's final preseason game, it wouldn't surprise me if he's cut. Otherwise, if there's no way Shulga is getting cut, if they view him that highly, why has he played less in the preseason than all 4 exhibit 10 guys? (Harper, Brown, Bridges, Moore).

For the bold, isn't that also true of Amari? (I disagree with the playing better part, so ignore that in relation to Amari as well).

I'm just guessing, but it seems like Shulga and Amari are already decided to be going to Maine, whereas RJ (up til today) wasn't and they wanted an open competition on the wing 2-way. As of a little bit ago, we know RJ didn't come out on top. So down to the remaining guys to battle it out. Feels like Moore or Harper are leading as of now, just based on play in the games.

[Parliament10]

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[brackdan70]

Joe is a pretty **** amazing guy.

[Curmudgeon]

On another issue, they are downplaying Brown's hamstring now, but I wouldn't be surprised if he misses the first month of the season. It did not look like a trivial "tweak" to me.

[itrsteve]

This isn’t a sympathy digging post but I figured I would share with my C’s brethren.

So twice a year my team at work does an offsite, typically one in NE or NY then the second in the Carolinas (where I live).

This October it was the north’s turn, my boss called me 3 weeks ago making sure I could make it and he said “good, since we know you’re the resident Celtics fan we’re going to get a box” (for the Cavs game on the 29th). He went through all the internal approvals and all that to pay for it although not a basketball guy but knew I would be stoked. Such a cool gesture to go through the hassle at all.

Unexpectedly, he went to the hospital this weekend not feeling well and passed away by Wednesday at only 50 years old. Completely out of the blue. Our existence is far too fragile.

Get your blood checked and go C’s

Sorry for your loss, sounds like a good guy.

Appreciate it, yeah he ruled and always loved to go big with stuff like this. But also rather symbolic we get one last gift from him.

Now we just need the C's to win. I was hoping CLE was going to rollout something that resembled a starting roster in the pre-season game as a preview but nope

[brackdan70]

On another issue, they are downplaying Brown's hamstring now, but I wouldn't be surprised if he misses the first month of the season. It did not look like a trivial "tweak" to me.

Yeah. They likely and should play it safe. It a week before the season starts so we will see. I’d expect he might miss at least a few games.

[Hal14]

Depth chart:

1 JB
2 white
3 Pritchard/Simons
5 Hauser
6 Queta / Boucher
8 Minott
9 Hugo
10 Garza / Tillman

I feel like at this point these 11 guys should get pretty much all of the non-garbage time mins.

Seems like Joe is gonna play a deeper rotation this year. So I think on a nightly basis we could see all 11 of these guys in there..or at least 10 of them with perhaps 1 of those bottom 3 guys getting a DNP here and there..

Also, I think white and JB and maybe Hauser (back), Tillman (knee) and Queta (knee) will get occasional rest days..so then the other 9 or 10 guys all play..with Baylor and Walsh fighting for scrap mins..

[jmr07019]

Depth chart:

1 JB
2 white
3 Pritchard/Simons
5 Hauser
6 Queta / Boucher
8 Minott
9 Hugo
10 Garza / Tillman

I feel like at this point these 11 guys should get pretty much all of the non-garbage time mins.

Only thing I would add is it seems they are still going to give Sheierman a chance. I don't think he's out of the rotation, yet. We'll see how long that lasts. Joe isn't the patient type.

[Hal14]

Depth chart:

1 JB
2 white
3 Pritchard/Simons
5 Hauser
6 Queta / Boucher
8 Minott
9 Hugo
10 Garza / Tillman

I feel like at this point these 11 guys should get pretty much all of the non-garbage time mins.

Only thing I would add is it seems they are still going to give Sheierman a chance. I don't think he's out of the rotation, yet. We'll see how long that lasts. Joe isn't the patient type.

Yeah, what I posted is partly what I think the depth chart really is, partly what I think it should be. Which is why Baylor isn't there..if we're trying to win I think those other 11 guys should get the lion's share of the mins..at least to start the season out.

Watching the games and looking at the stats, Baylor and Walsh are a notch below those other 11 guys right now imo.

[playa-hater]

Final roster predictions? any surprises? cuts/trades etc?

[Parliament10]

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[Curmudgeon]

I would like to see Walsh cut and replaced with Elfrid Payton. But that's just a wish not a prediction. And having failed to trade Simons I think they need to seriously consider trading Hauser. They don't need two three-point specialists taking away minutes from Minott and Hugo, both of whom are more important for the future.

[playa-hater]

I would like to see Walsh cut and replaced with Elfrid Payton. But that's just a wish not a prediction. And having failed to trade Simons I think they need to seriously consider trading Hauser. They don't need two three-point specialists taking away minutes from Minott and Hugo, both of whom are more important for the future.

I think if it wasn't for finances. I would one hundred percent agree. What i'm guessing E Payton and the minimum would make it too difficult to do?

[bfchs123]

On another issue, they are downplaying Brown's hamstring now, but I wouldn't be surprised if he misses the first month of the season. It did not look like a trivial "tweak" to me.

Yeah. They likely and should play it safe. It a week before the season starts so we will see. I’d expect he might miss at least a few games.

Hamstrings are unfortunately notoriously bothersome and generally take longer than you think. I know some of us are Patriots fans, Christian Gonzalez hurt his hamstring in training camp and we were told he would be ready by opening day. 3 weeks of preseason and 4 weeks of regular season it took for him to finally return.

[Hal14]

I would like to see Walsh cut and replaced with Elfrid Payton. But that's just a wish not a prediction.

A 31 year old journeyman small guard who's bounced around on like 5 different NBA teams, the last one being a bad Pelicans team that no longer wants him. And recent had a 2 year stretch where he was out of the league completely.

No thanks.

[Parliament10]

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