Two Celtics hopefuls impressed in preseason win against the Raptors

After Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla ran his starters recklessly against Philadelphia's backups last night, he handed the reins to his replacements on Sunday.

Mazzulla gave Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, Luke Kornet, Xavier Tillman and Al Horford the night off as Boston welcomed the Raptors to TD Garden for the penultimate game of the preseason.

Toronto played its starters, but they were no match for the Celtics' substitutes, who led by 21 points after one quarter and 34 points at halftime before cruising to a 115-111 victory. Boston improved to 4-0 this preseason with one game remaining.

This game was a chance for depth players to compete for rotation minutes and roster spots. Jordan Walsh and Lonnie Walker IV are both capitalized.

Momentum has been building for Walsh since Boston's preseason opener in Abu Dhabi, and the 2023 second-round pick had another encouraging performance, posting a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Walsh shot 50% from the floor (6 of 12) and was active on the offensive glass.

“Just understanding what his job is: defending at a high level, defending multiple positions, rebounding and then reading on offense. So he’s doing a great job,” Mazzulla said. “I’m just really proud of his growth. … It’s been fun watching him grow.”

Still the youngest player on the Celtics' roster, Walsh makes a compelling case for playing time after spending most of his rookie season in the G League.

“It feels good to have a year behind me,” Walsh said. “I somehow know what to expect with the season and the team. I know how to play with the team. So I feel like that’s most of next year.”

Financial considerations could prevent Walker – a seventh-year veteran on an Exhibit 10 tryout contract – from receiving Boston's final open roster spot, which would likely mean a trip to Maine to open the season. But the 25-year-old winger has now made a positive impression in successive games.

Against Toronto, Walker shot well from outside (4 of 9 from three) and showed finesse attacking the rim, converting a series of contested layups from difficult angles. A 9-foot floater that put the Celtics up 31 points drew a “too small” celebration from the former Brooklyn Net.

On one possession in the first quarter, Walker drove toward the basket and made a pass to center Neemias Queta. The 7-footer failed to get the ball to the rim, but Walsh grabbed the offensive rebound, pivoted and found Walker, who sank a second-chance three-pointer.

Walker has said since arriving in Boston that he wants to prove he can be more than just a scorer, and he didn't quite do that this Sunday, with one assist and zeros in rebounds, steals and blocks. Columns. But he played the role of winner well and finished with 20 points on 8 of 15 shots.

Queta missed his first six field goals, but had 11 rebounds and five assists in the first half and was 6-for-6 from the free throw line, finishing with 12, 15 and five respectively.

One Celtics hopeful who struggled was guard Jaden Springer. The young guard received two quick fouls and committed a turnover, whereupon Mazzulla immediately reinstated Walker. Springer didn't see the floor again until the fourth quarter.

Springer, acquired from the 76ers in February, was part of Boston's second unit for both games in Abu Dhabi and then did not play against his former team on Saturday night. His $4 million salary this season is guaranteed.

On the bright side, Springer hit both 3-point attempts.

It was also a quiet night for Boston's rookies. First-rounder Baylor Scheierman still lacks consistency, shooting 0-for-6 from the floor and missing five three-pointers in his 14 minutes. Scheierman is just 3 of 17 from deep this preseason. Second-rounder Anton Watson played the entire fourth quarter and was a team-worst minus-18.

Payton Pritchard continued his strong preseason with 19 points on 7 of 13 shooting (5 of 11 from three) along with nine assists and five rebounds. He might have approached triple-double territory if Mazzulla hadn't sacked him midway through the third quarter. The other core rotation player used for Boston, Sam Hauser, was unable to maintain his torrid pace from the last two games, going 2-for-11 and 1-for-7 from deep.

Two-way player Drew Peterson handled much of the Celtics' scoring load in the second half, scoring 23 points while being efficient from the floor (6 of 9), the 3-point line (3 of 5) and the foul line (8 out of 10).

Horford makes his debut on Tuesday

After missing the Celtics' first four preseason games, Mazzulla said Horford will earn minutes in Tuesday night's exhibition finale in Toronto.

“He will play on Tuesday. He’s good,” Mazzulla said of the 38-year-old, who is entering his 18th NBA season. “He’s ready to go. He trains, gets in shape and works hard. He will play in Toronto on Tuesday.”

Horford, Kornet, Tillman and Queta will all figure into Boston's plan to replace rehab center Kristaps Porzingis, but it's unclear how Mazzulla plans to divide minutes among his four backup players up front.

At his age, Horford likely won't see the workload of a traditional starter in Porzingis' absence, and Mazzulla left open the possibility of starting Kornet and bringing Horford off the bench.

Porzingis said before training camp that he hoped to return by the end of December at the latest. According to Brad Stevens, the team was “very, very happy” with the progress he made in the offseason.

Still a newbie (for now)

Walsh's rookie season ended with an NBA championship, but the 20-year-old couldn't shake his rookie status. At least not yet.

After Sunday's win, he revealed that he is still considered a rookie in the eyes of his Celtics teammates until his second season begins.

“Until we get our rings, I’m a newbie,” Walsh lamented with a smile. “It's difficult. I don't agree with that.”

His most memorable first-year hazing came not from a veteran teammate, but from Mazzulla. According to Walsh, the head coach had him dance to a Boyz II Men song during a team meeting last season.

“They played a Boyz II Men song in the film room and I had to stand up and dance in front of everyone and sing the song, and I had never heard the song in my life,” Walsh said. “So it was Joe's way of embarrassing me in front of everyone. … So I went up there and danced, and it was definitely pretty embarrassing.”

From the edge

White, Horford and Kornet watched from the bench in street clothes, while Konet sat on the floor along the baseline. The rest of Boston's resting starters were not seen during the game. … Tillman's DNP was notable because it suggested that Mazzulla viewed him as a key figure. The 1.80 meter tall man has shown significant progress as a 3-point shooter this preseason, making 80% of his attempts (6 out of 8).

Originally published: October 13, 2024 at 9:20 p.m