It can seem stupid to be excited for preseason when the games have never counted for anything. Typically the only reason why a fanbase gets excited for preseason is because the team just pimped its ride over the summer and want to get a taste of a dominant season to come. The Boston Celtics have been in that specific spot before.
Think 2007 (the assemblage of the Big 3), 2017 (the assemblage of Kyrie, Hayward, and the Jays), and 2023 (the additions of Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis). This time though, it was just as exciting but for completely different reasons.
It's funny to think of it because Boston just did something hardly any team has ever done: they traded for a downgrade believing that the team's process was more valuable than the talent on its roster. Talent-wise, Boston is technically worse, but they are projected to be so much better on the margins.
That's why it was so fun to watch this team execute the way they did. The irony is, were they perfect? No, but that's the point. Boston is going to have its imperfections this season, and it won't matter because they have the failsafes to compensate for when they are bad on certain nights.
That's what the new-and-improved Mazzulla Ball is all about
Mazzulla Ball is about possession maxing, but it's also about being well-equipped to deal with any hardship without missing a beat. Take the Celtics' game against the Hornets. Charlotte beat Boston in the three-point battle, 16-11, a 15-point differential. Evidently, that should have decided the game, but it didn't. The Celtics won by 21.
Or their game against the Cavaliers. Cleveland was playing their starters in the first half while Boston was playing their second-stringers. This should have been an easy route for the Cavaliers, but the Celtics not only controlled the pace, but eventually won. Why? Because their offensive rebounding dominated from start to finish.
It's not that Boston won all four of their preseason games. It's how they did it, and anyone who had a clue of what the Celtics planned to do basically had their optimism rewarded and then some. When the preseaon wrapped, it only enhanced the faith in how good Boston could be this season.
Many wanted to see if Boston was going to play the flawless basketball they were projected to. Especially after they traded Jaylen Brown away. When it was all said and done, it went exactly how the optimists hoped it would.
Here's to hoping they can build off it when the regular season arrives.
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