Boston Celtics: 3 takeaways from the preseason opener

The Boston Celtics showed off how deep their roster is in the preseason opener against the Charlotte Hornets.

The Boston Celtics kicked off their first preseason game with a bang. They beat the Charlotte Hornets 94-82 in a game that Boston controlled most of the way. The Celtics held Charlotte to just 19 points in the first quarter, taking a three-point lead. The Celtics outscored the Hornets in every quarter, holding them to 24 points or less in each period.

Both teams needed to shake off a little of the summer rust as they adjust to their new personnel. Charlotte’s biggest acquisition of the offseason was Dwight Howard. The eight-time All-Star grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked three shots, but he struggled everywhere else.

Howard shot just 2-of-6 from the floor, turned the ball over six times, and he missed five of his eight free throws, with one of those attempts missing the whole rim. Howard’s career has seemingly declined in every year, and Charlotte might be his last chance to repair his tattered reputation.

Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward, Boston’s most notable acquisitions, had solid performances in their debuts. Hayward had just five points and five rebounds in 16 minutes, but Boston outscored Charlotte by 11 points while he was on the floor.

Kyrie Irving stuffed the stat sheet with nine points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals in 19 minutes of play. Perhaps the highlight of the night was a give-and-go between Irving and Al Horford that ended with an Irving dunk over the outstretched arms of Nicolas Batum.

There was a lot to take away from Boston’s first game, but we’ll begin by taking a look at the Celtics’ rotation.