Back In The Groove: 5 Observations From Celtics Win Over The Grizzlies

The Celtics got their preseason off to a good start

Well, that went better than expected.

Joe Mazzulla’s team took care of business in their opening preseason game against the Memphis Grizzlies, winning 121-103. And while there’s a fair caveat that Memphis had Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Zach Edey and others all in street clothes, you have to give Boston credit for locking in and handling business.

I’ve said it countless times at this point, but the fact remains true: you can only beat what’s put in front of you. And that’s exactly what the Celtics did…They put the smackdown on a hibernating Grizzlies team.

Let’s dive into some observations.

Xavier Tillman starting at the 5

Xavier Tillman getting the nod as the starting big man was somewhat of a curveball. Neemias Queta was among the small contingent of Celtics players to be rested. Payton Pritchard and Anfernee Simons were also on the sidelines for this matchup.

Still, there were some clear pros and cons to having Tillman in the middle of the floor. His defensive versatility ensured the Celtics had a switchable starting unit, helping pressure the perimeter and deny driving actions into the paint. Of course, the lack of size left them susceptible on and around the glass and with limited rim protection and shot deterrence when the perimeter was inevitably breached.

This early bucket from the Grizzlies showcases how the lack of genuine size across the baseline could hurt the Celtics if they choose to run with a smaller lineup during the season. Looking at the clip, Sam Hauser and Chris Bocuher both do the right thing by boxing out their man. However, the ball still finds Lawson Lovering, primarily due to his size and the lack of resistance as the ball comes over the top.

Lovering’s rebound triggered a cut from Cedric Coward, who had little reason to decelerate as he came down the middle of the floor. With no genuine shot-blocker and Jaylen Brown as the low man, the rookie forward had no issue with exploding around the rim for a dunk.

Put Neemias Queta or Luka Garza in the paint, and that opportunity likely evaporates.

The flip side to having Tillman at the five and a smaller overall lineup is the pressure the Celtics can apply on the perimeter. Tillman enables Boston to be switchable at every position. They have length on the wings, and two great point-of-attack defenders in Brown and Derrick White.

As you can see in the above clip, putting Tillman at the five allowed Boston to run a high-pressure system on the perimeter, denying drives and killing advantages on the fly. And while the smaller rotation isn’t ideal in every situation, it’s good to know the Celtics can go to this look when they’re struggling to contain perimeter-based teams, at least for stretches.

In terms of Tillman’s individual performance, it was arguably one of his better games in a Celtics jersey. He looked comfortable on the floor, set solid screens, showcased confidence in his jumper and was an intriguing passing option at the five. There should be a spot in the rotation for him if he can build on this outing. What that role looks like is a question for another day.

Luka Garza looks like a good fit

Sticking with the center rotation for a minute…Luka Garza made good use of his minutes against the Grizzlies. He showcased a lot of what we looked at in the scouting report earlier in the summer.

Garza’s screening was certainly the most encouraging aspect of his debut game for Boston. His foot speed, fluidity of movement, screening selection and the level of contact he creates on those screens were all great.

Garza also showcased some passing ability, including in the short roll. If he can continue to be a high-level screener and a reliable decision-maker with the ball in his hands — from a passing standpoint — he could emerge as a solid pick-up with scope to become a long-term rotational big man.

What surprised me is that Garza didn’t get up a single three-point attempt. His projects as a reliable pick-and-pop threat. However, I like the idea of him working on his screening, movement and roll gravity, as improvement in those areas will ensure he becomes more “sticky” for the rotation, especially as his offensive game can be scaled as the season progresses.

However, I do have one concern…

There were a few possessions where Garza felt the need to hedge/show when defending pick-and-roll actions. That isn’t his game. He needs more discipline in these situations. He should either be at the level of the screen, up-to-touch or in drop. His value is his size, shot deterrence and rim protection. Jumping into perimeter-pressure actions will leave him open to getting cooked as his man slips to into the paint and either forces a rotation that opens up a three, or creates a clear lane to the rim.

It’s early days. That discipline is something that can be developed by working with the coaching staff and committing to watching game tape.

Overall, though, I’m a fan of what we saw.

The three-ball is still king in Boston

I spent all summer expecting the Celtics to adjust their shot profile in the new season. After all, there’s a wealth of athleticism and slashing talent on the roster this season, especially on the wings. However, more than 50% of Boston’s shot attempts came from deep against Memphis.

Interestingly, almost everyone on Boston’s roster took more threes than they did twos, with the exception of Brown, Garza and Jordan Walsh, who had his minutes cut short after getting hurt.

Part of that approach may have been due to the level of competition the Celtics were facing. But, the more likely answer is that the changes I — and I assume many of us — were expecting will be less pronounced than originally expected. My hope is that Mazzulla is implementing caveats into the system bit by bit, and the spacing with the rotation we saw last night gave them the ability to continue being a perimeter threat.

The downside to continuing with the heavy dose of threes is that the perimeter scoring talent is drastically reduced. I mean, Boston hit just 28.3% of their attempts last night, going 15-of-53. Hopefully, we see more balance in the offensive shot selection as some of the younger, more explosive forwards begin to emerge within the rotation.

We’re going to love Hugo Gonzalez

Am I the only one who came away from this game feeling like Hugo Gonzalez is going to become a fan-favorite? He plays with force, isn’t scared to mix it up and he had some strong defensive possessions — arguably more than most on the roster.

The feel for the game is certainly there. Sure, it will take time for him to fully acclimate to the NBA, the pace of the game, etc., but his defensive instincts, motor and length are all present — and that could potentially be enough for him to see some level of playing time, however inconsistent, throughout the season.

Gonzalez ended the game with 8 points, 3 blocks (a game high), 3 boards, 1 assist and 1 steal. Don’t get me wrong, at times, Gonzalez’s production will be ugly…But…there’s a lot of upside there, and that should be exciting as a potential late-first-round find.

I also want to loop Josh Minott into this segment

Like Gonzalez, Minott had himself an impressive debut in Celtics green. He used his length well, was disruptive on defense, rarely made glaring mistakes and found ways to get his offense in. However, his three-point shot was not working against Memphis (0-of-5 on the night).

This defensive rotation was a great indicator of Minott’s defensive upside.

And this one, where he bites on the fake is an example of the room he has to grow in terms of his reading and reacting to the game. And to be fair, most of us would have left our sneakers if we got hit with that fake, let’s not front.

I spent this summer operating under the assumption that Minott is going to be the young player to “pop” out of the current rotation, and while I stand by that assessment despite it being too early to truly tell, I have the feeling he will be one of two or three guys to stick.

Gap help will be key

Stunting, digging, gap help — whatever terminology you prefer to use, it’s going to have a significant place within the Celtics’ defensive system this season, regardless of whether they’re running drop, switch or other coverages.

Both of these clips have one thing in common: A member of the Celtics roster dug into space to kill an offensive player’s drive as they bid to penetrate off the perimeter. Boston has a significant size and length on the roster this season. Pressuring the ball-handler on drives early into an offensive possession will be essential, especially considering the lack of trustworthy rim-protection at Mazzulla’s disposal.

Brown and Baylor Scheierman are the two making those digs in the above clips. Throughout the night, we also saw Minott, Gonzalez, Walsh, and White all chip in with pressuring space/gaps. Not only will this approach improve Boston’s potential funnel system (sending ball-handlers to the dropping big) it will also increase the functionality of the perimeter defense.

Some fleeting thoughts

• By keeping Simons and Pritchard out of the rotation last night, we will need to remain patient as we wait to get our first clue about who will be starting and who will be coming off the bench.

• Brown looked fantastic in his minutes. I have some thoughts on this for tomorrow’s newsletter.

• It’s far too early to try and get any insight into how the rotation is going to look, or what Mazzulla’s overall plan is going to be.

  • However, we can enjoy where this ride takes us, especially as the preseason will see guys in and out of the rotation.

• Derrick White as the lead playmaker could make perfect sense — I’m holding off on exploring this until we see some more games/get more data points.

That’s it for today. It feels good to be back and talking about actual basketball again. Let me know your thoughts and takeaways in the comments, and of course, share this piece with anyone you think may enjoy it.

Catch you tomorrow