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A new-look Boston Celtics roster led by coach Ime Udoka looks primed to make a deep run in this season's playoffs. Prior to that quick exit against Kevin Durant, James Harden and the Brooklyn Nets, the Celtics went toe-to-toe against the Miami Heat to represent the East in the NBA Finals. The goal this season remains the same, but the Boston Celtics will have to accomplish their objective with a different cast. Brad Stevens brought in reinforcements in the offseason to balance the roster and challenge the best teams in the NBA.
Al Horford, Josh Richardson and Dennis Schroder bring a combination of scoring and defensive acumen that will hopefully get the Boston Celtics back to their winning ways. The coaching staff and front office are also pinning their hopes on a surge in development of the team’s young core to make them a bona fide threat to end the Milwaukee Bucks' reign.
With pre-season now on the books, it’s time to take a look at some of the impressions the Boston Celtics have made in those four friendly games.
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Takeaways from the Boston Celtics’ preseason games
#5 The Boston Celtics are still very young
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have been staples in the Eastern postseason, and fans often forget just how young these guys are. Al Horford is the elder statesman here at 35. The rest of the guys are still in their 20s. If the Boston Celtics can keep this roster for as long as they can and let the young guys tap into their potential, this could be a special group in the making.
Here's a look at some of the youngest Boston Celtics ages on the roster:
As the table shows, the Green Machine's core of Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Robert Williams are still below 25. Placing Aaron Nesmith, Romeo Langford and Payton Pritchard in the mix as bench contributors makes the roster even younger. Boston’s lineup is set for the next decade, provided they develop as planned.
Danny Ainge has to be congratulated for putting together a young roster with two superstars and budding players.
#4 The Celtics are pushing the pace
Ime Udoka wants the Celtics to push the pace of the game to provide them with better scoring opportunities. A defense on its heels will be easier to penetrate or beat than a defense that is set. If Boston can take advantage of their players who can run up and down the court, they’ll be tough to deal with.
The Celtics’ pace last season was 98.94, which was good for 20th in the league. In four preseason games, they averaged 101.75, which would have catapulted them to 8th last season.
Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum have the green light to bring the ball up after a rebound. They don’t have to give it up to Marcus Smart or any of the point guards. Udoka has allowed them to just go downhill and challenge the defense immediately. It has resulted in more possessions for the Boston Celtics already.
If the Celtics can sustain this, it’ll be a big part of their success this season.
#3 The Boston Celtics could start both Al Horford and Robert Williams
One of the biggest expectations going into the Boston Celtics' training camp was the battle for the starting center position between Al Horford and Robert Williams. Horford was the man patrolling the paint for the Cs when he first joined the team in the 2016-17 season.
Williams, on the other hand, started to show his potential with injuries to key big men like Tristan Thompson. His spectacular postseason performance against the Nets underlined just how good the Boston Celtics can be with a healthy Robert Williams protecting the rim.
Ime Udoka has not decided who starts, but an interesting plot would be using Horford and Williams together. In Boston’s second preseason game against the Toronto Raptors, Udoka started both of them and it looked very natural and promising.
Al Horford helped with the spacing on the perimeter while Williams was a threat with lobs and put-backs. The offense was not stunted as well because both of them are good passers who can help with playmaking duties. Williams’ playmaking became even more evident when former center Daniel Theis was traded.
On defense, they were good enough on switches on the perimeter and were studs in rebounding the ball. Udoka just had to scrap the Horford-Williams strategy after the former was sidelined after testing positive for the virus.
It’ll be worth monitoring if Udoka deploys the tandem as starters once the regular season starts.
#2 Romeo Langford’s renaissance
Romeo Langford is often an afterthought when the Boston Celtics’ young core is discussed. Langford’s been quite unlucky since the Boston Celtics drafted him 14th overall in the 2019 draft. He is finally healthy this season and his game is showing it.
The shooting guard made a crucial steal and subsequently hit the winning three-point shot against the Orlando Magic in the preseason opener. He is averaging 12.5 points per game, highlighted by a sizzling 60% 3PG for the Boston Celtics. It’s not all about the numbers, though. Langford is moving and playing with confidence.
An improved and confident Langford suddenly makes the Boston Celtics’ bench ultra-talented and deep. In a grueling season and after Jaylen Brown’s wrist injury, this version of Langford will be valuable for the Celtics moving forward.
# 1 Jayson Tatum is playing bully ball
Jayson Tatum’s skinny frame and length allowed him to glide around defenders in his forays to the basket. He normally gets to his spots through isolations, screens and pin downs. When posting up down low, he would usually jump over defenders or make defenders look foolish with his silky step-back jumpers.
In the preseason, JT has been dishing out doses of old-school bully ball. Tatum’s natural growth has allowed his body to fill out. With more muscle and a bigger frame, he could now take contact and still be effective. In the Boston Celtics’ last game against the Miami Heat, he went after PJ Tucker and Jimmy Butler, who are two of the most bruising defenders in the league, at different times in the post with success.
A bigger and stronger Jayson Tatum could translate to more drives to the basket and result in free throws. The Boston Celtics’ offense gets another layer of variety if Tatum can make a living out of high-percentage shots around the basket. Already an elite scorer, JT could raise his play to MVP level with this kind of development.
