The Celtics begin their preseason in Abu Dhabi with two games against the Denver Nuggets (Noon today and 10 a.m. Sunday). Here’s what I’m looking for as NBA basketball returns.
New Wrinkles: Has anyone added something new to their bag? Is there a new move or a new focus from, say, Jaylen Brown? Is there a new emphasis from the team? Last season we saw a little zone defense, which was new at the time and sprinkled throughout the season and championship run. What do the Celtics have up their sleeves that we might see unveiled or refined?
Jayson Tatum’s shot: It looked a little smoother in the practices I saw, so I want to see it in action. Is it really quicker under duress? Is it a little more accurate? How does this affect his overall shot selection? And along with those new wrinkles, will the Celtics find him more catch-and-shoot opportunities?
Jaden Springer: The Celtics snagged him from the Sixers in February for a second-round pick for a reason. He has already shown he can defend at an NBA level, but can the 22-year-old develop into a 3-and-D wing who can take some pressure off Boston’s starting perimeter players? He’ll need to display the “3” portion of his game this preseason to make that happen. I want to see a lot of plays where the Celtics are finding him in the corner to get those looks. I want to see Springer take four or five of those per game.
Lonnie Walker: He’s sort of the inverse of Springer, needing to show Boston he can defend well enough to make the team. I feel like the first of those two to show significant progress in a deficiency gets to stick around, though the team hasn’t characterized it as such. The Celtics can use a 3-and-D wing off the bench. Springer has the defense and Walker has the 3s. Somehow Boston needs to get their peanut butter and chocolate to mix. Winner of the competition gets a peanut butter cup.
Xavier Tillman: Let’s get him into the “jumpers we’re watching” portion of the programming. He had his knee scoped over the summer and feels good, so there should be no issues with his base. Now can he get consistent with that shot so he can spread the floor? He shot almost 34% as a rookie and hasn’t sniffed that since. Maybe the shot he hit in Game 3 of the Finals was a springboard to some confidence over the summer and he can show us a little bit of floor spacing. It would be a very welcome addition to Boston’s bench until Kristaps Porzingis returns.
Young Guns: I doubt any of these guys can do enough to make the roster, but this is where players start to prove people like me wrong. What does Baylor Scheierman look like with some NBA teammates and his body in the midst of a transformation? Does Anton Watson’s steadiness from the summer continue at a higher speed? Has Jordan Walsh figured out enough to make his case?
We probably won’t get many answers right away, but it if we get a few, we’ll start to get a feel for how this season will go in the early months.
(Note: No “Picks ‘n Pops” this week due to the weird start times of these two preseason games)