Jaylen Brown shares what he doesn't want from the Celtics in preseason opener

Wednesday, the Boston Celtics tip off their four-game exhibition slate with a preseason opener against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Before flying out on Tuesday, the team held a three-hour practice session on Monday at the Auerbach Center.

Jaylen Brown described it to Hardwood Houdini as, "Physical, intense pace. The coaching staff has done a good job of setting the tempo on pace. This preseason has probably been my hardest preseason, I think I've had [from] a conditioning standpoint and a physicality standpoint, but that's what we're going to need this season."

The 2024 NBA Finals MVP also shared with Hardwood Houdini what he wants to see from the Celtics in Wednesday's first exhibition game against the Grizzlies.

"Set the tone on defense," stated Brown. "Pick up the pace. Intensity from day one is what I want to see. We don't want to ease into the season. First preseason game, let's get right to it."

What Joe Mazzulla wants to see from the Celtics on Wednesday

While plenty of roster holdovers remain, Boston also underwent a significant makeover this offseason. Like Marcus Smart and Robert Williams before him, gone is another stalwart in Al Horford. Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday were core members of the team the last two seasons. They're now with the Atlanta Hawks and Portland Trail Blazers, respectively.

Those changes don't just change the equation for the Celtics from a talent perspective. It means they must balance sharing the floor with familiar teammates they're already in synch with while building continuity with new arrivals.

Training camp is an essential part of that process. Now, the progress made on that front will start to get tested in a game setting against external competition.

After Monday's lengthy practice session, when Joe Mazzulla met with the media, he addressed what he wants to see from his team against Memphis.

"Make sure everybody on the team plays. Make sure the guys know their jobs, know what they're supposed to do. So, the priority is [to] get guys to play and evaluate where we're at and where we need to get better."

The Celtics pushed themselves hard Monday at the Auerbach Center. Between that and Mazzulla saying he wants to ensure everyone on the team plays, those may be signals that Wednesday's exhibition opener will feature more minutes for players who are not established starters and rotation fixtures.

That they play again on Friday and Sunday is another factor in managing everyone's workload on Wednesday night in Memphis.