Boston Celtics: early preseason takeaways ahead of Friday’s clash with Orlando Magic

The Boston Celtics had an impressive showing from members across the roster in a preseason-opening victory this past Sunday. Here are some early preseason takeaways following my first-hand account of the new-look C’s.

The Boston Celtics, following a preseason-opening victory over the Charlotte Hornets, appear to have depth throughout their entire roster. Still unsure of what the starting unit will be, the C’s had Robert Williams out there to start the game. In fact, the first play of the game was an alley-oop dunk to Robert Williams…a play that had the TD Garden crowd in a frenzy from the jump!

Enes Kanter provided exactly what most people thought he would; points from the paint. In person, Kanter was slow to react–slower than I expected–on the defensive end. He was beat out on rebounds in the painted area, and for his sake receiving a heavy minutes-load and his wallet’s sake, the Celtics need him to improve and provide the team at least somewhat steady rebounding, as he has in year’s past.

Javonte Green absolutely showed-out on Sunday night. That performance created a noteworthy dialogue pertaining to who could full the 15th roster spot. Coming off the bench and providing 15 points, four rebounds, and one assist, his explosiveness set him apart from anyone else on the floor, Green seemingly had the ability to ignite himself at will, going from 0-60 on several explosive dunks. Green was an elite player in the Euro League, but Sunday night’s opener was his first taste of NBA action.

Grant Williams and Carsen Edwards were the first of the rookies to hit the hardwood on Sunday. There are definitely a lot of expectations from the Boston Celtics rookie class, but Edwards and Williams didn’t disappoint. Grant produced five points, nine rebounds, and a pair of assists, while Edwards added 11 points on 3/6 shooting from deep.

Tremont Waters received a standing ovation when he entered the game. He responded to the crowd’s energy and was very active during the game. He was a ball-hawk and defended his man endlessly. Waters is a big time defender, having earned co-defensive Player of the Year honors last season at LSU. He finished the game with a point, two assists, and a rebound.

The most notable takeaway of this live preseason experiences was the fans screaming for Tacko Fall all night. It wasn’t until the fourth quarter that Brad Stevens put Fall in the game. I would imagine seeing Fall in person must have been similar to viewing Andre the Giant in person back in the 1980’s. I noticed that Fall is a solid guy; a pretty solid brick wall of a human being at 310 pounds.

In his eight-minute stint, Fall scored five points, grabbed three rebounds (one being a spectacular put-back slam), and swatted two shots. His first basket was befitting of all of the hype. It was obvious during his days at UCF and during the Summer League that Fall needs to improve on his free throw shooting.

The Boston Celtics looked very impressive after their first preseason game of the year. I think the word that keeps revolving around this team, is a word that you’d never associate with the 2018-19 iteration: fun. It’s noticeable how everyone is enjoying themselves on the floor and how they enjoy being around one another as well. That’s a huge step in the right direction after a miserable season ended in defeat this past May.

The Boston Celtics take on the Orlando Magic tomorrow night at 7 on the road at the Amway Center.