Boston Celtics: Takeaways From First Preseason Game
By Ben Woodward
Tuesday night marked the beginning of the 2014-15 campaign for the Boston Celtics, and there is a lot to be learned about Brad Stevens’ new-look crew that was able to come away with a convincing 98-78 win against the Philadelphia 76ers.
With the Philadelphia 76ers in town for each club’s first preseason contest, Stevens rolled out the first of what should be numerous combinations of starters over the next few weeks as the team gels to form an identity.
Prior to the game, the Celtics head coach made that clear.
"“As I told our players, by no means is this [starting lineup] set in stone and it will probably change throughout the preseason.”"
Looking at the Celtics preseason roster, it’s easy to understand what Stevens will try to accomplish before the tip-off of the regular season. There are guys that can play multiple roles, providing a certain “evenness” as Brad Stevens put it. Now it’s just a matter of carving out who plays what position.
Or is that not necessarily a priority?
Stevens expanded on his thoughts for the rotation.
"“You have to figure out what works best,” he said. “We don’t have to have true positions by the way people would define them. What we have to do is we have to win those positions.”"
Sure it’s a fairly simple concept, but as the Celtics move forward with Stevens at the helm, Boston fans will love how cerebral this guy is. At 37 years old in his second year of coaching at the NBA level, Brad Stevens reminds you of a young Gregg Popovich.
Nobody freak out, I’m not comparing them yet. It goes without saying that Stevens has decades ahead until he can be mentioned in the same tier as Pop, but his basketball IQ and the way he carries himself on the sideline is reminiscent to say the least.
As far as Tuesday’s preseason game goes, the Boston Celtics impressed me. Sure, it was just the 76ers. And yes, they trotted out two undrafted players as their starting shooting guard (Hollis Thompson) and center (Henry Sims). But whenever a team can find itself clicking on both ends of the court in their very first game together, it deserves mention.
Stevens’ first crack at a starting five seemed to make the most sense out of any combination he could have gone with:
Marcus Smart – PG
Avery Bradley – SG
Evan Turner – SF
Jared Sullinger – PF
Kelly Olynyk – C
That squad may not be contending for an Eastern Conference title this year, but you could also do a lot worse than those five. Tuesday night, they proved that.
In front of 14,000 in attendance at the TD Garden, the new-look Boston Celtics put on a defensive performance that Brad Stevens must be happy with.
Combining for 12 total steals, with all but three players registering at least one theft, the C’s held the Sixers to just 30 points in the second half, and 78 points for the game.
Boston had six players score in double-figures, led by double-doubles from newcomer Evan Turner (15 points, 10 rebounds, six assists) and Jared Sullinger (10 points, 13 rebounds). Brandon Bass, coming off the bench behind Sullinger, contributed in a big way (15 points, nine rebounds) in just 20 minutes on the floor.
As for the rookies, Stevens made sure to get a good long look at both Marcus Smart and James Young. Smart got the nod to start at point guard in place of the injured Rajon Rondo, healing from his trampoline party shower accident.
Smart couldn’t find a groove offensively (0-for-8 shooting) but he helped in other ways. Any coach will tell you that six assists, three steals and a block is a good way to balance out a poor shooting night.
James Young reached double-digits in his first game as a pro, logging 10 points in 20 minutes on the court, doing his job on defense as well.
The C’s were able to fend off the aggressive offensive play of Philadelphia’s Tony Wroten, who led all scorers with 19 points by relentlessly getting to the free throw line and converting 7-of-9, something the rest of his team may get an earful about. As a team, Philly shot an embarrassing 11-of-26 from the stripe.
As for the Celtics, they’ll most likely hear about shooting percentage in practice this week. As a team, they shot just 34 percent against Philadelphia, who managed 40 percent in their losing effort.
Next for the C’s, a slightly more worthy opponent, the New York Knicks. I expect to see Stevens emphasising better shot selection from guys who get the opportunities. Sullinger, Bradley and Olynyk shot a combined 11-for-37. They’ll need more from the clear-cut starters.
In this upcoming contest with the Knicks, we could see Stevens shift Olynyk back to the bench and give Tyler Zeller a shot at the five. Not that he already lost the confidence of the coaching staff, but I would expect to see a different guard combination as well after Smart’s lack of offensive production against a weak 76ers defense.
Make no mistake about it, the Boston Celtics are in rebuilding mode. As this preseason unfolds further, we’ll be able to get a better grasp on just what kind of rebuilding team they are.