Each preseason game is a new opportunity for Boston Celtics fans to learn something new about this year’s team. So far, they look primed to earn a second win, this time against the Toronto Raptors, with a 21-point lead at the half.
Wins and losses don’t really matter yet, so let’s talk about what does -- what we’ve been able to learn.
Chris Boucher is awesome
Chris Boucher rules.
The former Raptors forward absolutely lit the Scotiabank Arena on fire through these first 24 minutes. He’s missed just two of his eight shots so far en route to 17 first-half points.
It’s pretty unlikely that the Cs will consistently ask him to score at such a high volume, but seeing that he’s capable of this doesn’t hurt. Plus, he plays with the perfect amount of chaos to be a really fun watch.
Anfernee Simons is here... sort of
The first six minutes of Anfernee Simons’s highly anticipated preseason debut didn’t quite deliver.
To his credit, the effort wasn’t the problem.
In fact, Simons was a bit too eager to show he could defend after spending the past few weeks talking about his desire to improve that part of his game. By the time the first TV timeout rolled around, the former Portland Trail Blazers guard had already racked up three fouls.
He was cold offensively, too, totalling just five first-half points on 2-7 shooting.
Fans are going to grow fond of Josh Minott
Josh Minott, on the other hand, has done nothing but impress through his first two appearances in green. The 22-year-old has shown exactly why the front office went out and signed him this summer. He’s active on the glass and a delight to watch play defense -- the perfect energy guy to come off the bench behind Jaylen Brown.
He even showed some offensive promise up in Toronto on Friday. Minott has a great feel for where to be without the ball, cutting to the rim and finding open space. He even knocked down a three, his first of the preseason.
If he’s able to find any sort of consistency from long range, “the Lawnmower” could be a Celtic for a while.
Rebound or sit
Not everyone played with the level of intensity as Minott, unfortunately. Even in the preseason, head coach Joe Mazzulla doesn’t accept anything but the best from his guys when it comes to effort.
He was quick to pull Hugo Gonzalez and Luka Garza after they failed to keep the Raptors off the offensive glass about halfway through the first quarter. Minutes later, three others joined Garza and Gonzalez as part of a five-man substitution after Toronto earned themselves another second chance on the glass.
The Celtics just gave up an offensive rebound and Joe Mazzulla is taking the entire five-man lineup out of the game lol. New five at the scorer's table.
— Jack Simone (@JackSimoneNBA) October 10, 2025
Rebounding is likely going to be a challenge for the Celtics all season long, now that they’ll be without Kristaps Porzingis, Luke Kornet, Al Horford, and Jayson Tatum. Mazzulla clearly has that as one of his points of emphasis and expects everyone’s best focus and effort. Anything less will be unacceptable.