Preseason, Multi-Game Thread, 2025-26 – Record: 3-1

[return2glory]

Nice win.

Hauser, Simons, Minott and White played really well.

Simons was great on offense and pretty good on defense too. He moved his feet, stayed in front of his man and had active hands. Minott also played well on both ends of the floor and had those two highlight dunks. There is a reason why I called him our best athlete a month ago. He displayed that tonight.

Good games also by Pritchard, Boucher and Garza.

Minott has played well in all 3 games. So has Garza.

Nice coaching job by Joe and the coaching staff.

[bucknersrevenge]

Gotta love the NBA, man.

24 yr old guy, has been on 2 NBA teams, got waived by both of them. Has done very little so far in his NBA career. On an exhibit 10 deal with us..a long shot to make the team.

But he makes a play that sends the whole arena into a frenzy..and the smile on his face after - priceless.

Pretty cool.

It's fun to follow these fringe guys and root for them.

Loving this very necessary transition to the "youth and athleticism movement" we're seeing here. Guys flying around being scrappy, playing uptempo, putting guys in bodybags. It's no longer just the 3 and running away from the rim just to get another 3 look. I love that our bigs don't immediately look to kick out anymore off the O-rebound.

[Shak_Celts]

Luke Travers has a whole mullet playing the game of basketball. That's xrazy.

That’s what I said in the first half!! Like in the day of 2025! I like it!

[bfchs123]

Given this was our first game with everyone playing it felt like this was an interesting peek into where folks stand with Joe

- Brown, White, Hauser, Pritchard, Simons are the mainstays obviously
- Boucher is probably in that top group too but only played 10min, maybe because he's played all the games so far?
- Minott and Garza seems like they are solidifying their spots too
- Very surprised Queta didn't get more run-time, I wonder if match-ups or if Garza has moved ahead of him
- Tillman is so clunky and slow but we'll also need him for guarding certain bigger guys around the league so think he carves out his role situationally
- Hugo seems like he is in the mix for 5-10 min a game at the back end of a 10ish man rotation
- Baylor just does not look any better and should probably be in the G-League
- Everyone else is G-League or worse

[Fierce1]

Simons 21 points in 25 minutes and a very efficient 6-12 from the field.

Could be the next 6th Man of the Year for the Celtics.

[MaxwellSmart]

Minott = Goodbye Walsh.

[MaxwellSmart]

Yep, Garza is the king of almost and1s!

I was thinking the team should nickname him "And 2"

[Fierce1]

Minott = Goodbye Walsh.

Mynot definitely better than Walsh.

But it may not be goodbye for Walsh as the Cs need 14 players and Walsh's contract is very cheap.

[meatball sub]

Man just think about how crazy Simons will be as a 4th option on the court:

White
Simons
JB
Tatum
Boucher

[Parliament10]

Watch on YouTube

[Fierce1]

Man just think about how crazy Simons will be as a 4th option on the court:

White
Simons
JB
Tatum
Boucher

Simons is the 3rd option in that lineup.

[DusterBuster]

Simons 21 points in 25 minutes and a very efficient 6-12 from the field.

Could be the next 6th Man of the Year for the Celtics.

Simons always should have been a 6th man, not a starter.

[Memokerobi]

Just watching Minott, Boucher, Hugo play makes it clear how we desperately needed more athleticism on the floor

[Fencer reregistered]

I am committed to find something I like about Baylor Schierman this game.

How did that work out for you?

[redslastlaugh]

October 31 is the deadline for the C's to pick up Baylor's 3rd year option (for 2026-27) and I thought we were for sure gonna pick it up. That the decision would be a formality and nothing more.

His 3rd year salary is only a $2.75 million cap hit so we probably are still gonna pick it up, but after summer league and 3 preseason games, I am starting to wonder if we should?

I am committed to find something I like about Baylor Schierman this game.

How did that work out for you?

[Fierce1]

Problem with Baylor is he's just not strong enough for the NBA.

We all have physical limitations.

Baylor's physical attributes is best suited for the international game.

Don't get me wrong, physical play is different from being physically strong.

It's similar to what happened to Tatum.
When JT started bulking up, his shooting % went down.

Baylor also bulked up when he entered the NBA.
Compare how he looks in college to how he looks in his first year in the NBA and you will see he got bigger in the NBA.

Maybe the additional muscle is the reason why Baylor's shooting is not good.

But it's still worth keeping Baylor one more year.

Who knows, maybe something clicks and Baylor suddenly becomes very good.

[Fierce1]

So far, it's looking like Mynot is going to be a contributor and Hugo is going to be a legit NBA player.

If Mynot continues to play well in the regular season, imagine a lineup of White, JB, Mynot, JT, and Boucher heading into the playoffs.

That lineup would be elite in perimeter defense.

[Curmudgeon]

Yes, Simons was better. He's the functional equivalent of a 6-3 Sam Hauser on offense, except that Hauser shoots off the catch, while Simons shoots off the dribble. But the ball goes in in either case. Defensively Simons held his own against Cleveland's third string players.

[ParticleMan]

assessment through three preseason games:

Stock up:
- Boucher: Starter-caliber, plays fast and aggressive, obvious guy to hold tatum's spot.
- Minott: Solid rotation player, decent skills, incredible motor, good fundamentals.
- Gonzalez: Great feel for the game at his age, impacts the floor on both ends.
- Garza: I was expecting a towel waver but his activity and screens makes him a playable backup.

Stock flat:
- Pritch, Simons, Hauser: Doin' what they do, good to see them in regular season form.
- Williams, Shulga: Maine-bound long-term projects, as expected.

Stock down:
- JB: Need to see more creation, better ball control, better decisions. Same old is not good enough.
- Queta: Still inconsistent, still fouling too much. Another guys who needs to step up but hasn't looked any better.
- Tillman: Great guy to root for but he got nothing left, unless he suddenly starts nailing 3's at 40%.
- Walsh: Poor man's version of Minott/Boucher/Hugo, not clear he has a role on this team. End of the bench.
- Scheierman: Easily the biggest disappointment. Golden opportunity to own a rotation slot and instead has screwed the pooch.

Starters: JB, White, Boucher, PP, Queta
Rotation: Hauser, Simons, Minott, Gonzalez, Garza
Deep bench: Tillman, Baylor, Walsh, 2-ways.

[Fierce1]

Yes, Simons was better. He's the functional equivalent of a 6-3 Sam Hauser on offense, except that Hauser shoots off the catch, while Simons shoots off the dribble. But the ball goes in in either case. Defensively Simons held his own against Cleveland's third string players.

There's just no way you can say he's an equivalent to Hauser.

Simons is more than just a shooter on offense.
Don't forget Simons is a former slam dunk champion.
That means Simons is an above the rim player

Sam is just a specialist, a pure 3pt shooter.
He even struggles dunking the ball.

Simons is also a scorer, averaged 20+ ppg in 2023 and 2024.

Sam has yet to average 10 ppg in his NBA career.

So it's apples and oranges.