NBA Notebook: Jordan Walsh and Celtics depth stand out in preseason opener

Preseason rotations don't often predict rotation trends that'll actually carry into the regular season. Three years ago, Al Horford took a back seat to new Celtics addition Juancho Hernangómez, who eventually factored minimally in 2022 as Horford returned to starting status. Noah Vonleh looked like a possible frontcourt solution when injuries struck to begin Joe Mazzulla's first season, and he did play rotation minutes to begin that year before Boston traded him in January. 

Horford sat out the Abu Dhabi opener on Friday, which allowed Luke Kornet to start while Xavier Tillman Sr. logged backup minutes. Starters didn't play significant time, but filled most of them in the first quarter. That didn't lead to many surprises. Those came later in the game with Jaden Springer, who earned a preseason look with a strong summer league, entering alongside Jordan Walsh, who struggled immensely in his second Vegas showcase and looked on track to return to Maine this season. That could still be the case, though Walsh played a far more complementary game than any we saw from him in Summer League by posting nine points, four rebounds, four assists and three blocks in 24 minutes. 

"Jordan's been good," Joe Mazzulla said last week. "Just, can he execute defensively? Can he guard one through five? Can he execute our coverages? On the offensive end, can he move the ball? Can he read two-on-ones and can he make open shots, and can he crash on the offensive rebounds? We're just looking for simple details to be done over and over again. That's top-to-bottom." 

Rookies Baylor Scheierman and Anton Watson, Exhibit 10 addition Lonnie Walker IV and the other returning two-way players received less of a look, which could come later this month when the starters take a back seat. For now, Springer and Walsh's early roles at least say something about what Boston is looking for more of in its second units. Sam Hauser, Payton Pritchard and Kornet enter their third season practicing, scrimmaging and more recently cementing the team's bench with great chemistry, spacing and more recently offensive rebounding. The two younger players crashed the glass immediately, Springer sparking a possession where the Celtics generated three extra opportunities. Boston finished with 17 offensive rebounds. 

The shooting remained a struggle for both, Walsh and Springer combining to shoot 3-for-10 and 2-for-7 from three, Walsh providing both makes. That's the biggest hurdle to both players appearing consistently this year with spacing being such a priority for Mazzulla and the team's bigs providing less of it with Kristaps Porziņģis out. The Celtics have other roles they could fit into, Oshae Brissett earning his minutes almost exclusively through his crashing. The NBC Sports Boston broadcast on Friday noted Sam Cassell saying that'll be a bigger emphasis this year, and you could see why through the Celtics' 98-86 shot attempt advantage over Denver. Boston also generated 61 three-pointers, a staggering number that dwarfed the Nuggets' 32 and put them in a difficult position to win even while the Celtics shot 37.8% from the field and 32.8% from three. 

Mazzulla mentioned during camp that Boston's players need to enter this season with the mindset of not necessarily expecting to win games the same way they did one year ago. Their regular season will inevitably feature different contributors while the Celtics plan to assess league trends and how their opponents play them to determine adjustments in their approach. Last year, when Indiana and others sold out on three-point volume, Mazzulla saw diminishing returns to strictly trying to win the three-point battle by putting up more. In 2023, he had called the three-point volume the most important stat in basketball. It'll stay at the core of his philosophy, but there could be tweaks to the team's offensive approach. And certainly plenty of time for experimentation. 

"The biggest challenge is expectations," Mazzulla said at media day. "Having an expectation that it's going to go a certain way. Also, thinking because we've done it one way, we just have to do it that way again and I think that's a challenge heading into any season. There are obviously principles, non-negotiables, things that we have to recreate that we have to do every single year and then there are things that we gotta adjust and find ways to be better ... we have to have an open mind, we gotta have an understanding that our environment's changed and we have to change. Just because something worked before, doesn't mean it's going to work again." 

Walsh is still expected to spend time in Maine this year, as he did one year ago, while the average night will likely box out the team's newer and younger players, including Tillman Sr., who hit two threes and looked more comfortable in Boston's system one year ago. The team's depth allowed them to win games consistently when regular rotation players missed time last year, the driving force behind the team's dominant record, and as we've noted many times here, they'll best allow the Celtics to sustain into the future as the roster grows increasingly more expensive and old. Boston doesn't have high-level prospects like the teams who have picked at the top or focused more on infusing youth into their lineups, but has made a more concerted effort to do so, including selecting Scheierman in the first round, trading for Springer last February and having multi-year development plans with players like JD Davison.

Elsewhere this preseason, the Timberwolves made a major trade focused on the future by trading one of their franchise cornerstones in Karl-Anthony Towns for Julius Randle, who brings some percentage of what Towns provided, along with an additional young cost-controlled wing who's signed through 2027 in Donte DiVincenzo, a Detroit protected first-round pick that could convey in the near future and earlier this summer aggressively pursued rookie Rob Dillingham with a draft night trade before also picking Terrence Shannon Jr. in the first round. The moves made the Wolves younger, perhaps less likely to win this year and more sustainable. 

They're in position to do that given Anthony Edwards' timeline as a 23-year-old star. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum are a little older, as is Boston's supporting cast, with an immediate golden opportunity to win multiple championships before roster penalties and other factors likely break the team apart as it's currently constructed. To allow for both, the Celtics have balanced bringing in prospects with lower ceilings who have games more ready to contribute alongside Boston's stars now rather than ones poised to take over the franchise eventually. When they've brought in younger players, like Walsh, Springer and Davison, they've needed to tailor their games to fit into the team's current systems and structure. 

The results showed on Friday with the Celtics' bench overwhelming Denver's cast of younger rotation hopefuls like Julian Strawther, Hunter Tyson and others who replaced departing veterans Bruce Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Every team is dealing with some version of this dilemma of managing the short and long term. Boston got a head start with Pritchard, Hauser and Kornet's unique developments. Now, they're trying to do it again.

"I thought our second group came out and played astonishingly," Brown said on Friday. "Payton came out and does what Payton does, hits shots. Sam got a lot of great looks. Jaden, Jordan, Neemy (Queta) all contributed, and we were able to finish the game out and find a way to win." 

Here's what else happened around the NBA this week...

Atlanta: NBA and Hawks legend Dikembe Mutombo died this week at 58 from brain cancer. Mutombo made eight all-star teams, won a record four defensive player of the year awards and made the All-Defensive First Team three times. He became the most famous shot blocker off all time with his finger-wagging celebration making him a cultural icon. Mutombo also became one of the most popular athletes ever hailing from Africa as a native of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where he led humanitarian efforts that included building a hospital in the country's capital of Kinshasa. The Nuggets drafted Mutombo from Georgetown in 1991 with the No. 4 overall pick before he left the team in 1996 to sign a five-year deal with the Hawks. He went on to reach the 2001 NBA Finals with the 76ers, losing in five games to the Lakers. 

Boston: Overcame a 12-point deficit to beat the Nuggets in the NBA preseason opener in Abu Dhabi, 107-103. Payton Pritchard led all scorers with 21 points on 6-for-12 three-point shooting while the Celtics unleashed 61 attempts from three thanks to 17 offensive rebounds. Jayson Tatum shook off his summer shooting struggles with a 3-for-7 night from three while Luke Kornet grabbed 11 rebounds in a spot start for Al Horford, who sat out. Jordan Walsh posted nine points, four assists and three blocks in a surprising 24-minute run. Xavier Tillman Sr. shot 2-for-3 from three while Baylor Scheierman and Lonnie Walker IV did not score during their late run (0-5 FG). They'll play again on Sunday at 10 a.m. EST. Jaylen Brown appeared on Hot Ones. 

Charlotte: Beginning training camp with injuries to Mark Williams (foot) and Cody Martin (thumb/wrist) that'll knock them out of the Sunday preseason opener against the Knicks on Sunday. Williams is expected to miss multiple weeks. The Hornets facilitated the completion of the Karl-Anthony Towns trade with New York and Minnesota, acquiring Charlie Brown Jr., DaQuan Jeffries and Duane Washington Jr. through sign-and-trades to make the money work, along with three second-round picks. New York received the draft rights to James Nnaji, a center prospect playing in Spain, from Charlotte. 

Chicago: Derrick Rose announced his retirement after 15 NBA seasons that began with the Bulls, who he won the MVP award with in 2011 before multiple knee injuries hindered his career. He transitioned into a successful reduced role with the Knicks, Timberwolves and Pistons before he played sparingly in a second New York stint before finishing his career in 2024 with Memphis, where he attended college. The Bulls will honor Rose on Jan. 4 when Chicago hosts the Knicks. Lonzo Ball (knee) has responded well to scrimmage action at training camp and hopes to play for the first time since 2022 on opening night. 

"This is something that no one has really come back from," Ball said. "Obviously, back-to-backs are off the table right now; definitely will be a minutes restriction ... it's going to be constant communication throughout the year just because this is sort of a new project, if you will, that we all have to get through together. I pretty much have a brand new knee." 

Cleveland: Look out for rookie Jaylon Tyson, who's making a strong impression at Cavs training camp after a breakout Summer League. He's a strong option to fill rotation wing minutes alongside the team's star guards and centers, though Max Strus begins the season as the favorite to remain in the starting forward spot. Cleveland drafted Tyson 20th overall after stints at Texas, Texas Tech and last year at California. Kenny Atkinson vowed to maintain the team's defense-first mindset as he begins his first season as head coach, but it's clear more three-pointers will be going up here. 

“Our rook has impressed me,” Strus said. “He plays basketball the right way. He’s mature in the way he carries himself. He’s not out here asking for the ball or trying to do too much. He’s just trying to get in where he fits in. As a rookie, that’s not easy to do always. It’s impressive to see that. It’s refreshing to have a rookie come in and do that.”

Dallas: Luka Dončić suffered a left calf contusion before the Mavs departed to training camp in Las Vegas and will be evaluated in one week. Bench guard Dante Exum will miss far more time, potentially needing surgery on a serious right wrist injury he sustained this week. He had fully recovered from a summer finger injury in time for camp after a strong postseason run in his return from Europe with Dallas last season. Spencer Dinwiddie, who returned to the Mavs this summer, will help fill depth behind Kyrie Irving and Dončić. Jason Kidd convinced former Suns head coach Frank Vogel to join Dallas' staff in a consulting role this year, which Kidd admitted took a lot of begging. Vogel led the Lakers to the 2020 championship before getting fired in 2022, only to suffer the same fate in his return to coaching in 2023-24 with Phoenix. Kidd coached on Vogel's Lakers staff from 2019-21 before Dallas hired him. 

Denver: Russell Westbrook came off the bench in his first appearance with the Nuggets in Abu Dhabi, a loss to the Celtics where he surprised with 3-of-6 shooting from three. He received passes from Nikola Jokić during their overlapping minutes, an intriguing combination, though the Nuggets and Westbrook have stressed letting him get back to his old play style. A theme across his ill-fated recent stops. Denver has nonetheless placed hope in Westbrook rekindling some of his past wide-ranging impact to sustain major recent free agency losses Bruce Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Christian Braun entered the starting lineup in place of Caldwell-Pope while the bench featured strong efforts from Dario Šarić, Julian Strawther and Zeke Nnaji. Elsewhere, Hunter Tyson, Jalen Pickett and Trey Alexander struggled. 

“I think (Westbrook) needs to be who he is,” Jokić said. “That’s how he’s going to affect the game the most. … It’s going to need time, but I think he can affect the game. He’s a really good passer. He can go by guys.”

Golden State: Will spend training camp trying to determine whether they want to build around Draymond Green at the four or the five with their array of front court talent. A small ball look would slide Jonathan Kuminga to the four, where he's less comfortable and push centers Kevon Looney and Trayce Jackson-Davis further down the depth chart. Andrew Wiggins is also expected to return to the starting unit after missing significant time for personal reasons in recent years, though he's missed the start of camp with an illness. Buddy Hield and Brandin Podziemski started in team scrimmages. According to a report, the Warriors declined to draft Bronny James despite having interest in doing so to allow him to join his father in LA. Gary Payton II expects to have a healthier 2024-25 after multiple recent injury-riddled years. Warriors camp began with a testy exchange between Green and a reporter about his availability this year following his 2024 suspension. 

Indiana: Interesting recent comments by Pacers head coach and coaching association head Rick Carlisle didn't generate too much buzz. They're significant anyway. Appearing on a podcast, Carlisle said he expects the NBA's officiating to reflect FIBA more than the recent freedom-of-movement era in the league. A noticeable shift in officiating trends reduced scoring through free throws midway through last year after an unprecedented run of scoring to begin the season. The Celtics managed the wave well, maintaining their offensive output as a team that didn't overly rely on going to the line. New Pacers addition James Wiseman is limited to begin training camp with a groin injury. 

Lakers: Just in case you didn't believe my prediction last week that JJ Redick would be doing his best Joe Mazzulla impression this season. 

LeBron James is expected to return on Sunday against Phoenix after missing LA's preseason opener. James and Redick reflected on their united path ahead through what'll likely become the final days of James' career as he teams up with son Bronny James for his highly anticipated rookie season. Despite all the skepticism around it, the visuals of them together at media day were cool sights. 

Memphis: The injury struggles continued to flow from last year, with Jaren Jackson Jr. (hamstring) joining GG Jackson II (foot) and Vince Williams Jr. (leg) on the sideline to begin training camp. Jackson's injury is less serious, a low-grade strain, but still adds to the concerning start for a team that was completely derailed by health issues one year ago. Marcus Smart is healthy, looking lean and sported a haircut at his second Memphis media day. 

Miami: Jimmy Butler did not arrive to Heat camp with a troll haircut for his photo, saying he considered doing so before deciding against it. Butler, who's playing on the final year of his contract, sounded like someone who wants to stay in Miami and reflected comments by Erik Spoelstra about the star and coach needing each other. Brian Windhorst affirmed Butler's demeanor, saying that behind the scenes there are signals that Butler wants to stay with the Heat and is eyeing a new contract. Elsewhere at media day, Spoelstra lauded the Celtics for setting the standard in the league last year and motivating the Heat after their first-round defeat, Tyler Herro talked about gaining weight over the summer and more optimism emerged about rookie Kel'el Ware. 

Milwaukee: Khris Middleton (ankle) will not participate in five-on-five play to begin camp while staying involved in other drills to be part of conversations and preparation for the season. Middleton and Doc Rivers sounded optimistic about his outlook while admitting the lost scrimmage time is important, Middleton saying he needed surgeries after not recovering from stepping on opponent's feet in separate instances that injured his ankles last year. Ominously, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard didn't get to spend time together over the summer after an uneven first season playing together. A new face arrived at camp to help the Bucks prepare for the season -- Celtics legend Rajon Rondo. While not officially a coach, Rivers teased that Rondo will have an unspecified role with Milwaukee throughout this season as he eyes a career in coaching. Rondo helped out at 2024 Celtics camp. 

"You see people go from not coaching to head-coaching jobs all the time," he said. "A lot of people go straight to becoming assistant coaches. So there's just no path. I just want to seek as much information as possible."

Minnesota: Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo arrived at training camp with shock still in their faces from getting traded days before showing up for the Knicks' highly anticipated season. The Wolves still have high hopes and many touted Minnesota as the winner in the deal since it went down for gaining depth, a future Pistons pick and a comparable star to Karl-Anthony Towns in Randle. Naz Reid moved into the starting unit for the Wolves' preseason opener on Friday as Randle continues to recover from shoulder surgery early this year in hopes of being ready for opening night. 

"You want to be somewhere where you feel wanted. I feel wanted here," Randle said. "At this point in my career, I've accomplished a lot of great things on an individual level, but I want to win a championship. This is a perfect opportunity to do that. ... [The trade] was a breath of fresh air."

New Orleans: Zion Williamson arrived at training camp touting weight loss while team president David Griffin clarified that Brandon Ingram only missed the team's mini camp to focus on beginning training camp fully healthy. Ingram and the team committed to starting the season without a new contract while remaining in communication over one, something that Griffin said is unique but could become more common with new collective bargaining agreement restrictions on team salary. The team suffered a quick blow with Trey Murphy III going down with a hamstring strain that'll cost him the start of the regular season. He'll be evaluated in three weeks. The team hopes to overcome center depth questions collectively, including former Celtic Daniel Theis. 

New York: Introduced Karl-Anthony Towns after a blockbuster trade the flabbergasted the star after he played the first nine years of his career with the Wolves. He reunites with former Wolves coach Tom Thibodeau and former agent Leon Rose, who's now leading the Knicks' basketball operations. Towns and Thibodeau shared a tumultuous ending to the latter's tenure in Minnesota, but Towns said last year that they talked and squashed their beef.  

“I think over time you just learn a lot about each other and mature,” Towns said this week. “Obviously our relationship has been good. I think that for us, we just want to win. I think none of you all doubt Thibs putting the work in and wanting to win. So our conversations are all about winning and doing the best we can do every single day.”

Patrick Ewing is joining the organization as an ambassador. 

Oklahoma City: Alex Caruso joins the Thunder as the most unsung addition of the offseason who could become the most impactful. He reflected on his path to Oklahoma City, where he began his career with the G-League Blue after going undrafted out of Texas A&M. His head coach? Mark Daigneault. 

Philadelphia: Joel Embiid, who said he lost 25-30 pounds this summer, accepted easing off his workload, games and minutes if the 76ers call for it after noted MVP chases in recent seasons were followed by injuries entering the postseason. With Paul George and Tyrese Maxey available to carry the team while he's out, Embiid said it'll be difficult to scale back how often he's active, but he'll look at the big picture as he pursues his first east finals appearance, never mind a Finals trip or championship. 

Portland: Robert Williams III will miss two weeks with a hamstring injury suffered in the Blazers' first week practice, which marked his return after a knee injury forced him to miss nearly the entire 2023-24 season. It's another difficult setback for the former Celtic, who talked days ago about entering camp in a great place physically and mentally. He's contending with Deandre Ayton and Donovan Clingan for center minutes, who said UConn practices were harder than his early NBA sessions. 

San Antonio: Gregg Popovich opened training camp joking that Victor Wembanyama will start and after that, "who the hell knows." Chris Paul arrived praising Wembanyama's early efforts in camp and the young talent, including first-round pick Stephon Castle's ability. 

“Looking at the team and also just the ability to play, to hoop, to get back to playing," Paul said. "I think that’s the motivation. It’s to compete. And to look at the team that they have here, obviously Pop, it looked like it could be a good fit. And I’m just excited for the new experience.”

Washington: Malcolm Brogdon begins life with his fifth NBA team looking to regain health and take on a leadership role after only appearing in 39 games with Portland following the Jrue Holiday trade with Boston. He said he always wanted to play for Washington after playing at Virginia in college and called it a full-circle moment for his family, since his wife is from Northern Virginia. Brogdon becomes a free agent after this season.