The Boston Celtics blew out the Denver Nuggets in their second preseason game, earning a 130-104 victory over the 2023 champs. Jaylen Brown led the team in scoring with 21 points as Sam Hauser bounced back from a rocky first game, pouring in 15 while shooting 6-of-7 from the field.
Al Horford remained out of the lineup as the Celtics wrapped up their two-game trip to Abu Dhabi, but they didn’t need him. With the two wins, the Celtics remained undefeated all-time in games played outside of North America, and they’ll head back to TD Garden feeling pretty good about themselves.
Let’s take a look at the grades for every player on the roster. (We can get the quick hitters out of the way. Playing time will be in parentheses.)
Lonnie Walker IV (6:51)
When the Celtics signed Lonnie Walker IV toward the end of free agency, people got very excited. Maybe a bit too excited. Through two preseason games, Walker hasn’t done much.
To make matters worse, the shots Walker did get in this second preseason game were almost all forced. His shot of making the roster is fading by the day. Grade: D
The rest of the bench
Walker is the only one of the low-minute guys who provides much intrigue, but let’s touch on the rest of the group anyway.
Baylor Scheierman (12:00) couldn’t find a rhythm again. He’ll have plenty of time to develop this year, but he needs to focus on being a bit more fluid within the flow of things. Grade: D+
Anton Watson (6:51) didn’t do much in this game. He got in for the last few minutes but didn’t have much of a chance to make an impact. Grade: C-
Drew Peterson (12:00) got rung up on a couple of weird calls at the end of the game, but he’s looked pretty good. He’s proving to be more than just a shooter, and it’s nice to see. Grade: B-
JD Davison showed off his impressive playmaking skills in this game, but it was all in garbage time, as the contest was decided at that point. Still, the third-year two-way player looks like he’s made improvements. Grade: C+
Jaden Springer (12:59)
In the Celtics’ first preseason game, Jaden Springer looked rough. But he bounced back in a big way in this one, making an impact on both ends of the floor.
Springer finished the game with six points and two assists while shooting just 1-of-3 from beyond the three-point arc. But his stats don’t tell the whole story.
Seeing a shot go down was huge, as he looked comfortable letting it fly from the corner. And on the defensive end, Springer was a pest all game long.
It still seems as though he’ll be on the outside looking in of Boston’s regular rotation, but this game was a great step in the right direction for the 22-year-old. Grade: B
Jordan Walsh (12:59)
After a fairly uneventful rookie season and a disastrous second Summer League, Jordan Walsh came into the preseason looking to prove his worth.
He did just that in the first game, as he made an impact all over hte floor. But in the second game, Walsh was fairly invisible, failing to make the most of his minutes.
Walsh made a nice play in transition, dumping the ball back to Sam Hauser for an open three, but outside of that, he wasn’t quite as all over the place as he was in the first contest.
As a pesky defender, Walsh is at his best when he’s running around like a maniac, but he left something to be desired in this blowout win. Grade: C-
Xavier Tillman (15:18)
Boston had a plan for Xavier Tillman when they traded for him at the deadline last year. So far, he’s been living up to the expectations placed upon him.
For the second game in a row, Tillman got to show off his improved three-point stroke. He put up 10 points, three rebounds, and two assists in this game, shooting 3-of-5 from the floor and 1-of-2 from distance.
On top of that, Tillman’s passing looked nice as well. Add in his versatile defense, and he looks like he’ll be a nice rotation piece next year. Grade: B+
Neemias Queta (16:56)
The first preseason game wasn’t ideal for Neemias Queta. He fouled too much and didn’t find a rhythm until late in the contest. This was a much better showing for the big fella.
By the time Queta found his groove, he was doing a bit of everything, but his work cutting inside and finding lanes to the rim was the most impressive part of his afternoon.
Plus, and perhaps most importantly, Queta finished the game with zero fouls. This was a huge improvement on his first game. Grade: B
Luke Kornet (14:04)
Though his stats weren’t particularly eye-catching, Luke Kornet was one of the most impressive players in this game (relative to the role he’s expected to play).
Last season, Kornet emerged as one of the Celtics’ most reliable players off the bench. He never played a solid, but he was always solid in his minutes. He could be in store for a much larger role this season, especially with how comfortable he looks with the starting unit.
Kornet did a phenomenal job making plays out of the short roll. It opened up a ton of clean looks for Boston’s offense. Expect a ton of Kornet minutes this year. Grade: A-
Payton Pritchard (16:18)
The first minute of Payton Pritchard’s game was an absolute disaster. He picked up three fouls in less than 60 seconds, but after that, it was smooth sailing.
Pritchard finished the contest with 14 points, two rebounds, and five assists while shooting 5-of-7 from the floor and 2-of-3 from beyond the three-point arc.
A red-hot first preseason game was followed up by a solid second appearance, and Pritchard looks primed to be one of the best bench players in the league next season.
His confidence remains unmatched, and the Celtics should look to capitalize on that heading into next year. Grade: A-
Sam Hauser (15:34)
After shooting just 2-of-8 from distance in the first preseason game, Sam Hauser was absolutely on fire in this one. He was one of the best players on the floor.
Hauser finished the contest with 15 points and eight rebounds, shooting 6-of-7 from the floor and 3-of-3 from deep, going perfect from behind the three-point line.
But while his three-point shooting was impressive, as always, his ability to put the ball on the floor and create shots for himself is what made him stand out in this one.
He could prove Boston’s offense with a new wrinkle if he can do that consistently. Grade: A+
Jrue Holiday (17:25)
It’s tough to evaluate players like Jrue Holiday during the preseason, as he’s not playing as many minutes as he does during the regular season, and for good reason.
That said, Holiday made his usual impact on both sides of the ball, providing the Celtics with quality offensive plays and solid defensive rotations.
The veteran guard finished the game with seven points, three rebounds, one assist, two steals, and one block while shooting 3-of-5 from the floor and 1-of-2 from deep.
Holiday looks ready for a great second season in Boston. Grade: B+
Derrick White (22:43)
This is the type of Derrick White game that the Celtics want to see on a nightly basis, as he was able to do a bit of everything for them on both ends of the floor.
White finished the contest with 13 points, five rebounds, six assists, and one steal while shooting 5-of-10 from the field and 2-of-6 from behind the arc.
When White is confident, good things happen. And that’s exactly what transpired on Sunday. He was making plays on offense without hesitation, and his defensive rotations were crisp.
If things break his way, White could be starting down another All-Star-caliber campaign this season. Grade: A
Jaylen Brown (23:01)
This was a monster game by Jaylen Brown, who has been locked in since he stepped foot in Abu Dhabi. These games mean more to him, and it’s not hard to tell.
In preseason game No. 2, Brown put up 21 points, one rebound, and three assists while shooting 8-of-16 from the floor and 2-of-6 from beyond the three-point line.
Brown looks more in control than ever, and it could be a big-time season for him if he continues to play at this level heading into the regular season.
Obviously, it’s irrational to overreact to the preseason, but Brown looks great so far. Grade: A
Jayson Tatum (23:01)
Through the first two games of the preseason, Jayson Tatum has looked solid, and his new three-point shot has been money, especially in catch-and-shoot spots.
In the second game, Tatum finished with 17 points, two rebounds, and four assists while shooting 6-of-14 from the field and 3-of-7 from behind the arc.
He could have been a bit more effective inside the three-point line, especially when driving to the rim, but his shot looked clean from deep and in the mid-range.
Tatum will always make an impact, especially as a two-way player, but there’s still room for improvement. And that’s a good thing. Grade: B+