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

[Parliament10]

If Shulga is the 3rd PG then that's equivalent to having no 3rd PG.
We need someone with more experience.

Pritchard, White, Simons and JB can all bring the ball up the floor..

That's sufficient..especially during a bridge year.

Unfortunately, this is no bridge year.

I know you believe Tatum is not coming back, but Tatum is coming back.
He made that clear.

Tatum will be back by the End of the Season.
So, this is a Bridge back to the Playoffs.

[redslastlaugh]

Great win!

I didnt check the box after the game, but from memory I think we had multiple strong cuts tonight
Jordan Walsh cutting the baseline for the dunk was really nice
Thought the bigs - Queta, XMan, Garza, Boucher -- were good tonight

If I'm Baylor, I'm concerned. Team has to pick up or decline his next yr option before end of month.

But, great win, and it's on to Opening Night, Lets Go!

[Bill Lumbergh]

X gave it to 'em. Right in the eye.

[Riverwalk2021]

White is not built to be a #1 option but it shows how well rounded of a player he is. One of the best two way players in the game.

Not a fan of Simmons. He's a losing player. Yeah he can shoot but pretty much sucks at everything else.

Great game for Queta. Loved what I saw.

[Parliament10]

Watch on YouTube

[Hal14]

Pritchard, White, Simons and JB can all bring the ball up the floor..

That's sufficient..especially during a bridge year.

Unfortunately, this is no bridge year.

I know you believe Tatum is not coming back, but Tatum is coming back.
He made that clear.

Tatum will be back by the End of the Season.
So, this is a Bridge back to the Playoffs.

That has not been announced yet. Brad has said there is no timeline for his return.

That's also besides the point so I don't want things to get derailed here.

Main point I was making is that we have plenty of ball handlers.

Not to mention that even if you are so sure Tatum is going to come back, he would give us another ball handler..which means even less need for us to acquire another one.

[ConstableGeneva]

I heard Tillman did some good things?

[Hal14]

If Shulga is the 3rd PG then that's equivalent to having no 3rd PG.
We need someone with more experience.

Pritchard, White, Simons and JB can all bring the ball up the floor..

That's sufficient..especially during a bridge year.

Simons was targeted after Pritch and White left the Game.
Nope, we need a Bona-fide Player that can bring the ball up, under pressure.

I'm not worried about a 2 minute stretch in a preseason game. Toronto was simply pressing full court, double teaming whoever had the ball to try and force turnovers..that's what teams do when they're down by 9 points late in the game and trying to make a comeback. For the most part, Simons handled that pressure fine, like the possession where he brought the ball up the floor, weaved in and out of defenders, drew a foul and hit the FT's. And the other possession where he passed to the open man (Hugo) who passed to Tillman for a successful press break.

Simons has played plenty of PG in his career. Often times he started at PG in portland, even after they drafted a PG (Scoot Henderson) with the 3rd pick in the draft.

Simons, White and Pritchard are all combo guards. Brown and Tatum (when healthy) can bring the ball up the floor as well.

[Gant]

Good win over the decent and hard playing Raptors, without Hauser, only a few minutes from Brown, tough shooting from Pritchard, and a low percentage from 3.

Queta played very well. Poetl is a really solid center, and Q nullified him, maybe even outplayed him by a bit. Queta's movement was sharp. When he does that he's a quality big man. He really hit the boards tonight.

Hugo has likely inched ahead of Scheierman and Walsh, but those guys' opportunities will be fluid. Pleasant surprise Minott is ahead of all of them and is in the rotation.

Nice to see the mobility and clutch play from X.

White showed why the Celtics laughed at Toronto's offer for him this summer.

Boucher didn't shoot well, but played well, and is a critical pick up for this roster.

The starting five probably will change game to game, but tonight's five seems close to the basic template.

[Gant]

There it is. Queta is the starter.

Bobby Krivitsky‬

Joe Mazzulla on challenging Neemias Queta because of how much he believes in him:

"We're gonna be hard on Neemi, and I'm really looking forward to coaching him throughout the year. I told him, 'This is what you've worked your whole life for, being the starting center for the Celtics.

Mazzulla on Queta continued: "..You've got to develop the mindset this is what it takes to deliver every night...I think he has that.

[ConstableGeneva]

I just watched the highlights, thanks for posting.

Didn't Tillman win a game for us with that floater two seasons ago? I think it was a road game in Sacramento where some of our regulars weren't available.

[GoCeltics123]

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[playa-hater]

My thoughts after catching up in no order.

1- Queta. His ceiling is simply just way higher than anyone on this roster at center. Tonight he showed it.

2- Minott - I am treating him like a young lottery pick. He is giving me some D White vibes. Not the style of player, but someone Brad acquired that will be much better than when they were first brought in. One ill-advised 3 pointer but is looking rather decent with his corner 3s. Everything is already solid looking.

3- Boucher - Sneaky good pickup and can start and I won't complain. Although I would rather Minott on potential alone. But fine either way.

4 - D White I hope makes the All star game, but shooting 17 3s is too much.

5 - PP - no way he ever goes 0-8 from 3 ever again. Want him to start for no other reason that he deserves to.

6 - Simons. - I still like him *IF* he is NOT the PRIMARY ball handler. streaky shooter and decisions need to improve. But needs to be off the ball to excel IMO.
7- Hugo. Loved his shooting and his spin move tonight. Let him stay in the rotation EVERY game. His energy alone is a spark off the bench.

8 - Baylor Scheierman. Any hope I had for him is now gone. And not just for his continued horrendous shooting but rather, how does a player, battling for his very NBA life, take so many Nonchalant shots and act like he is an Alpha all while accomplishing nothing to date??

9- Jordan Walsh. - Minott is becoming what I had hope J Walsh would be. Another drafted player (Baylor the other) that just can't shoot is quite disheartening.

10 Luka Gaza. - Plays hard but is so damn physically limited. Especially on defense. Every time I see him, I get reminded on how we could have had Filipkowski and/or now Ryan Kalk ( who had another strong preseason game and led his team with a Net + 26)

11 - X Man. Happy for his game winner. will he or Gaza get the nod behind Queta??

12 - The Raptors. They do play defense hard, but IMO, they were allowed to hand check and bump the Celtics all night long. I guess If the refs let it go, then what can you do??

[redslastlaugh]

Definitely versus Sacto but might have been in Boston?

Tillman w/ two game winners now, inc preseason. I love Tillman's game, hope he has a healthy season

I just watched the highlights, thanks for posting.

Didn't Tillman win a game for us with that floater two seasons ago? I think it was a road game in Sacramento where some of our regulars weren't available.

[ConstableGeneva]

Definitely versus Sacto but might have been in Boston?

Tillman w/ two game winners now, inc preseason. I love Tillman's game, hope he has a healthy season

I just watched the highlights, thanks for posting.

Didn't Tillman win a game for us with that floater two seasons ago? I think it was a road game in Sacramento where some of our regulars weren't available.

You're right. It was in Boston. Got it mixed up with a different game winner by another oft-injured Celtics player, Gordon Hayward. That was in Sacramento.

[bfchs123]

New final power rankings (movement vs. where I have had them at the start of preseason even though this is the first time making this)

1. Brown -- | Hope he is ok
2. White -- | Critical ball handler and future all-star. Also 4 blocks...as a guard!
3. Pritchard -- | Very rough shooting night but great passing and also a critical ball handler
4. Simons -- | Cannot be a primary ball handler and got ripped apart by deep bench Toronto scrubs. Still we need offense and 3P and he is good at that
5. Boucher +1 | Didn't shoot well but has had a great motor this whole preseason resulting in a lot of boards and some blocks
6. Queta +1 | He looked great tonight and has a high ceiling; not a better player per se than Hauser for example but his role is more valuable given lack of bigs. 4 blocks!
7. Hauser -2 | Starting to wonder if Minott will be taking some of his minutes given defensive versatility
8. Minott +3 | Really like this kid and think he'll carve out a nice role this year
9. Hugo +4 |Honestly thought there was no way this kid sniffed NBA minutes but he has impressed me. Definitely can see him carving out 5-10 high energy minutes a night
10. Garza -2| Showed more promise at the beginning of preseason. Important because we have no bigs but he has a lot of weaknesses
11. Tillman -2 | Still kind of think he is completely washed but he did do nice things tonight and Walsh and Rico are on the team so he can't be last.
12. Walsh -- | Only not last because Rico exists
13. Scheierman -3 | Really disappointed, he had so many chances in summer league, preseason, etc. to build on last season and seems like he has taken a major step back

[return2glory]

Nice win. Strange game.

White was great.

Queta had a really good 1st half and hardly played in the 2nd.

Bad shooting games by Pritchard and Simons. Pritchard was really good at passing the ball and getting dimes.

Garza, Boucher, Hugo and Minott were solid.

Tillman was great in the last 5 minutes of the game.

Hope Brown is able to play in the 1st game of the season.

I wasn't a big fan of the White, Pritchard and Simons lineups Joe used in the game at times.

[jfs1000d]

Haven't watched preseason. Where is the team really at?


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[Hal14]

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[Hal14]

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