3 Studs, 3 duds from Celtics win in preseason opener vs. Nuggets

Stud - Xavier Tillman and Luke Kornet

As noted, Al Horford didn’t get the start in this game, and he didn’t end up playing any minutes at all. That left plenty of opportunities for Luke Kornet and Xavier Tillman to step up.

And that’s exactly what they did.

Kornet got the start, and he immediately made an impact. His screening created a ton of open space for his teammates, and he stayed pretty active on the glass as well.

He also made some very impressive reads out of the short roll. If the Celtics can depend on him as a playmaker in the middle of the floor, it will open up a ton of opportunities.

As for Tillman, his three-point shot looked great. As Horford needs more and more rest, he could be a guy the Celtics look at to space the floor at the four and five spot.

Like Kornet, Tillman’s screening looked good, and his defensive versatility popped up as one of his more impressive skills as well.

Both bigs struggled to contain Jokic, but there aren’t many players in the league who can do that. In fact, there aren’t really any players on the planet who can do that.

Regardless, this game was a great sign for Tillman and Kornet. (Neemias Queta wasn’t quite as impactful in this game.)