10 things we learned at Celtics media day

CANTON -- The most optimistic day of the year for any NBA franchise tends to be media day, but it was felt even more than usual today in Canton as the Celtics go together officially for the first time. With the shadow of Kyrie Irving out of the picture, everyone has a clean slate coming in, as Brad Stevens has a healthy roster to mix and match with for the next three weeks ahead of the regular season. Danny Ainge was a DNP for the day due to illness but we heard from every single player and the head coach over three-plus hours on Monday — and there is still plenty to take away from the avalanche of interviews. Here are 10 things you need to know from Celtics media day:

1. The Celtics have a lot to figure out at the center position over the next three weeks: There is no question that Enes Kanter is going to be the starting center for the Boston Celtics on opening night against the Philadelphia 76ers. Who plays after him will be anyone’s guess at this point, as there is set to be a tough competition between Daniel Theis, Robert Williams and Vincent Poirier during training camp in the next few weeks. While each of Boston’s four centers bring a unique set of strengths, how those fit in with Boston’s wings and guards will be crucial. “We’ve got a lot of question to be answered at that spot over the next few weeks, months and this season,” Stevens admitted on Monday. However, it sounds like the team will lean heavily on Kanter in the early going and give him every opportunity to earn big minutes after he signed this summer at a discount price.

“I think obviously (Enes) brings a lot to the table that can make us better. His ability to rebound is unique, so we want him around the basket as much as possible, and at the same time, I think he’s a guy who will be able to play in some of our hand-off and pick-and-pop actions…I think we’re going to throw him the ball in the post at times, he’s going to roll to the rim, he’s going to seal, and he’s going to rebound. He’s a capable guy stretching the floor but we’re going to let him soar with those other strengths first and foremost, and utilize that as only we need in a time where we want to drag the big out away from the basket. I think ultimately we’re going to ask him to do a lot."

2. Kemba Walker is setting a tone with accountability already: The All-Star point guard could have gone anywhere in the world when he returned from the FIBA World Cup in China two weeks before the start of training camp. However, the 29-year-old elected to spend that time getting acclimated in his new surroundings, a development that was very welcome within the organization according to a team source. He reinforced that type of dedication to his new home during media day on Monday.

“Just some veteran leadership, some enthusiasm, some positive energy,” Walker said on what he plans on bringing to the team. “And that's what I'm here for. I'm just trying to be myself. I think I'm pretty easy to get along with so I think that transition, guys, being able to like me, stuff like that will make the transition easier. So I'm looking forward to being a part of this organization and giving it 100 percent on each and every possession and play.”

Walker has his warts as a player but effort has not been one of them over the course of his eight-year career in Charlotte. That’s an area that the team will no longer have to worry about from an optics standpoint with Irving out the door. Walker didn’t want to touch that comparison at all but was eager

“I’m sure there will be expectations of the organization, I wouldn’t say much about Kyrie -- I think just because of the organization,” he said. “We have a really good team. So there should be expectations and I'm very excited about that, that’s something that I haven't had much throughout my career. So I'm looking forward to trying my best to meet the challenge.”

3. Jayson Tatum wants to take smarter shots this season: One of the secondary disappointments for this Celtics squad last season involved the offensive game of Tatum. While his production remained on par with his rookie season, a shift in shot selection to the midrange seemed to prevent his offensive game from reaching another level on a disjointed Celtics squad.

The 21-year-old forward seems focused on changing that this year from a philosophy standpoint.

“Focus on getting to the basket much more,” Tatum said of his offseason focus. “Shoot more 3’s. 3’s and layups. And free throws. If you want to be a great scorer in this league, you have to get to the line. Free throws is super important. Getting to the basket and that opens up the rest of the game. 3’s are worth more than 2’s.”

It’s a simple concept, but Tatum was still one of the worst offenders on the C’s roster when it came to efficiency on most nights. He would turn down open 3s for open 2s and simply slowed the down the offense at times in the half-court. Look for less of that this season.

“I think we just have to emphasize trying to get the best shot every time down the floor, play a little bit faster and just try to get great looks for everybody, no matter who it is," Tatum said. "Trying to get the best shot every time down the floor and we’ll be successful.”

There is still plenty of firepower for this offense despite the new personnel ,but the key to success will be harnessing it in the right way. Tatum seems to be on a path towards that if he follows his work.

4. Jaylen Brown is not stressing about his contract extension possibilities: Incredibly, the 22-year-old is the second longest-tenured member of the Celtics as he enters his fourth season. That puts him in position to potentially agree to a contract extension this fall. However, the swingman is not going to let the unlikely prospect of a deal be a distraction.

“To be honest, I haven’t put too much thought into it,” Brown said of the possibility of a deal. “I’m not losing any sleep over it. I think stuff like that will end up working itself out in the end or however. So I’m just focused on this season and playing basketball. I think that’s my number one emphasis, and let the chips fall where they may.”

The former No. 3 overall pick is set to take on a bigger role this season after being relegated to bench duty 20 games into last season. With Marcus Morris departing at power forward, the stage is set for the C’s to use Brown more as a small-ball 4, something that Brown got a taste of during the World Cup.

“Well I was actually playing center. I was playing all over,” Brown said. “So it was a good experience. I’ll probably be playing a little more of that this year consistently and I think playing for USA, getting that experience with Pop is definitely going to help this year.”

5. Vincent Poirier wants to do the dirty work for his new team: The French center arrived in Boston last week after helping out his homeland post a third-place finish in the World Cup along with a win over the Americans in the quarterfinals. After backing up Rudy Gobert during that month-long stretch, Poirier did his best to lean on the Jazz center for tips as he makes his transition to the NBA.

"France, we played against the best teams in the world and playing with Rudy, he helped me a lot,” Poirier said. “He told me a lot about the NBA game and defense and the transition since it's a big step to go to the NBA.  I asked him a lot about the game and everything so I won't be surprised.”

With Aron Baynes traded away to Phoenix, Poirier appears set to try to take over some of his jobs in the paint as long as he can fend off the competition at the center spot. Poirier spoke about what he hoped he can bring the team and appears likely to win over the Boston fans early with his commitment to doing the dirty work.

“I’m a team player,” he said. “I like to play for the team. I like to set good screens for sure. I like to do the dirty job and get some rebounds, block shots, run the court, set good screens for everybody. That's my contributions to this team.”

Seeing that Poirier just started playing basketball at the age of 17, the 25-year-old has come a very long way in just eight years. If he continues that growth, he could be a go-to player for Stevens from a defensive standpoint against elite bigs.

6. The entire roster is eager for a fresh start in the Kemba era: This was a constant theme during the day as four separate players brought upon the phrase when talking about the upcoming season.

Tatum: “I’m super excited. It’s like a fresh start. The new season came around quick and it’s a new team. New year, new guys. Everybody is excited for tomorrow so we can start practice.”

Gordon Hayward: “A lot of people just handed us the trip to the Finals and walk our way to the Eastern Conference Finals, and obviously that didn't happen. Certainly there’s a lot more to basketball than kind of looking who is on the team. Some of the intangible things we didn’t do as good of a job last year but you kind of said it: individually each one of us probably had a lot to think about this summer, and a lot to learn from both from what we can all do better and certainly I used that as motivation for myself to be a lot better player in this offseason as I got my work in. But I think we’re all looking forward to this season, sort of a fresh start feel. You sort of have that every season, but we have a lot of new faces and a lot of younger guys so we’re all looking forward to it.”

Smart: “Yeah, it is a fresh start. We've all seen Jaylen Brown's hair, right? I think that kind of lets you know how fresh of a start it really is. But no, definitely. Everybody feels good to be back here together and for everybody, we love playing basketball and basketball is something that puts us at ease. It is a fresh start for us. We've got new faces, we've got different mindsets and we're ready. With Kemba — me, Jayson and Jaylen had the opportunity to play with him and kind of get to know him a little more in-depth and get to know the guy. So, Kemba's a great guy. He's a little guy and just like every other little guy, he's feisty. He has a little tenacity to him. So you love being able to talk to a guy like that and actually play with a guy like that. So I think these younger guys are really going to love Kemba a lot.”

Ojeleye: “Honestly the atmosphere this whole preseason’s been great. It’s just been positive. I feel like it’s a lot lighter and I feel like we are really cherishing this fresh start that we’re having. Just looking forward to really being together … being together, being a team, and just to lean on one another.”

7. Brad Stevens is high on the development of Tatum and Brown: The Celtics’ season will largely be dependent on just how big of a leap both of these lottery picks can make while being handed more responsibility. With the amount of experience both players have accumulated over the past three years, including some time with Team USA this summer, Stevens is eager to see what they bring to the table this fall.

“Very rarely as you go through the playoffs in the last two or three years do you see rookies making impact at the level Jaylen and Jayson did, second-year players making impact at the level Jaylen and Jayson did. They are just really good players with bright futures. My deal is that they just continue to grow and get better. Everything else will take care of itself.

“I saw a lot of good growth in both of those guys, not only in the summer in their work but also in playing with Team USA. It was unfortunate (Jayson got hurt) because I thought he was playing the best he had played with that group. I thought in the practices I was at, he played awfully well. I thought Jaylen really came on as that tournament went on and played a bunch of different positions and got totally new experiences, and they are still on a great upward trend. That’s exciting. They’re young, but we’re going to throw a lot at them as we have done each of the last two years, and I think they’ll have good years.”

Both players helped Team USA remain elite defensively despite a lack of size and firepower in China, and that’s some consistency that will be sought after from both this year.

“We will make sure it’s an emphasis from Day 1 that we’re the best version of ourselves defensively,” Stevens said. “We do have some lineups especially that we’ll be able to go to with the right effort and focus defensively that will be awfully good defensively. So that will be part of piecing the team together.”

8. All the Celtics raved about playing under Gregg Popovich with Team USA: Despite an ugly seventh place finish in the World Cup, all four Celtics taking part in the World Cup only had positive things to say about the impact of that tournament on them moving forward. In fact, the lessons from the head coach should make a lasting impression on all involved.

“It was a great honor playing with Team USA – unfortunate that I only played two games and we didn’t accomplish our goal,” Tatum said. “I felt I grew as a player. The best part for me was playing with my teammates, and getting to know guys I normally play against. Good relationships, especially with the coaches. That was the best part for me – Jay Wright, Lloyd Pierce, Steve Kerr all great guys. I love playing for Pop. He’s the best. I enjoyed my time with him. He reminds me a lot of Coach K. I’m very fortunate to have played for two of the best.”

9. Romeo Langford is healthy and has reconfigured his shooting form: One of the true mystery men on the Celtics roster after sitting out summer league gave himself a clean bill of health in the wake of thumb surgery that sidelined him for months. The No. 14 overall pick has undergone a bit of a transformation to his shooting form as well, graduating from using a ping pong paddle to help model his new form.

“I’m done using the paddle,” Langford said with a smile. “I graduated from that. But my shot has improved a lot, just going back and looking at film, what my shot looked like from high school and college to now. Things are a lot more smoother and fluid, and I can tell by the results how many shots I’m making, how it’s coming off my hand and when I do miss, how I’m missing.

Whether or not the former Hoosier will be ready to play himself into the rotation against plenty of competition on the wing this season remains to be seen. The answer will likely come early though once we get a look at the revamped form at full speed. Langford has the ability to get to the rim and the free throw line, so an improved jumper will make him the type of versatile offensive option Stevens could use off the bench right away. Otherwise, he may get some work in on that form in Maine.

10. The Celtics are ready to embrace small-ball at power forward: With limited options at the position, Semi Ojeleye gave a hint on what Stevens has planned for his lineups starting next month.

“There is an opportunity in the frontcourt,” he said. “I think we’ll kind of play just a bunch of wings and then a 5 man. I think we’ll have all kinds of lineups this year. And I think they’ll just put guys out there that play well together. And hopefully that’s everybody.”

That will leave Ojeleye battling the likes of Grant Williams, Langford, Carsen Edwards and Brad Wanamaker off the bench for a chance at those bench minutes. The competition will be fierce throughout campm but Ojeleye will have the leg up with experience to try to carve out a role for himself.

“It’s different because I think we don’t have as many guys that really want to post up on the block,” Ojeleye said. “We have a lot of 5s that shoot the ball, that pick and pop, that play on the perimeter. So I guess that kind of plays to my advantage being an undersized 5 or undersized 4. Wherever I can get a spot on the court I’m ready.”