That's a wrap! Celtics end preseason with another win.

Looking at the Boston Celtics performance against the Toronto Raptors

Preseason Game 4: Celtics 110 - Raptors 108

📊 Key Stats

• Payton Pritchard stepped into a sizeable playmaking role, ending the night with 10 assists.

  • Pritchard, starting next to Derrick White, played as a secondary initiator for the Celtics. And while he had a night to forget from deep (0-of-8 on threes), he found success in teeing up his teammates for easy looks.

  • The clip below was arguably one of my favorite dimes from Pritchard. Watch his head movement as he comes off Luka Garza’s screen. He’s looking toward the rolling big man as he penetrates. The Raptors’ defense positions itself to anticipate the pass. As the defense pinches in to control the drive and the roll, Jordan Walsh cuts baseline, allowing Pritchard to thread the needle.

    • Little subtleties like this can open up scoring opportunities. Pritchard’s head movement controlled what he wanted the defense to anticipate, and Walsh took full advantage.

• The Celtics contested 69 of the Raptors’ shots, opposed to the 45 shot contests they faced on their own looks. Joe Mazzulla has his team pinching on penetrating, killing driving lanes with gap help and then rotating out into quick recoveries when/if the ball finds its way back outside.

  • What the Celtics lack in individual defensive upside, they appear to be making up for with a collective system that denies dribble penetration and forces teams to execute on second and third actions.

  • It will be interesting to see how this defensive system holds up when faced with elite shooting gravity or against superstars who can manipulate coverages.

• 44.1% of the Celtics’ offense came from two-point range, with 55.9% coming from deep. That’s a decent balance. A Mazzulla-coached roster is rarely going to have a higher percentage of two-point attempts than threes — especially when Pritchard, White and Anfernee Simons are all in the rotation

  • As a side note, 11.8% of the Celtics’ total points came off turnovers, of which they generated 16.

💫 Star of the Game

• Derrick White had himself a night. He ended the game with 33 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists and 4…yes FOUR…blocks. White went 10-of-23 from the field and 6-of-17 from deep.

  • With Brown ruled out early in the game, White became the featured star within Boston’s rotation. He took that role increase in his stride. He ran the pick-and-roll well, picked his spots, and played both sides of the floor with a controlled aggression that gave him an edge.

  • I’ve seen a lot of discussions online about whether White could emerge as an All-Star this season — especially as he’s been knocking on that door heading into February for the past two seasons.

    • This season, White will be the second option on offense and potentially the go-to defensive anchor on the perimeter. If *most* of what we saw from him last night is what we’re going to get on a night-to-night basis, then he’s got a solid chance of making his first All-Star appearance and proving himself as one of the best two-way guards the NBA has to offer.

• • White has spent most of his time in Boston shining as a glue guy and connector on both sides of the floor. This year, we’re going to see him thrive in a more prominent and aggressive role. If yesterday’s performance is anything to go by, it’s going to be a fun year watching him cook.

📈 Improved Performer

• Neemias Queta had a solid game. For the most part, he played his role well, protecting the rim, setting good screens and offering an outlet as a roller and low-post presence.

  • There were multiple possessions where Queta shone as a rim-runner and showcased what he could bring to the rotation this season.

• • It’s also worth noting that he was the best rebounder on the floor (12 boards on the night). He boxed out well, controlled his space, attacked loose balls with authority and helped shore up what has been a weakness on the defensive glass in recent games.

  • I’ve been critical of Queta throughout the summer. So, it’s only fair to give him credit when he does well — and this was certainly a good game for him. The challenge will be finding ways to consistently impact the game while keeping within the confines of his role. However, that’s something he will learn on the fly.

📋 Playbook Observation

• I really liked this play for Pritchard to get downhill.

• I have this play labeled as “Loop Flex.”

  • Pritchard started the play by setting a flex screen for White. That screen created an empty side, which is important for what happens a little later.

  • Pritchard then received an exit screen from Chris Boucher. His defender went over the screen to play the passing lane — notice how the defender’s arm is outstretched as they navigate over the screen — so that they can deter a pass.

  • With the pass off the table, Pritchard went and got the ball from Queta via a dribble hand-off DHO. As this is happening, Boucher relocates into the corner White previously vacated, and White fades out to the weakside corner, stretching the defense and creating space.

  • Pritchard drives after getting the rock from Neemy. The pace of his attack draws in the defense, including Scottie Barnes, who has helped off Boucher, and Brandon Ingram, who is cheating off of White. Despite the forest of bodies, Pritchard still manages to get to the rack and finish.

  • The reason I call it a “loop” is that’s the shape Pritchard’s movements make. He loops his cut and ends up back in the middle of the floor, which is where he started when setting the flex screen.

⚾ Curveball of the game

• Jaylen Brown left the game with what appeared to be a hamstring injury early in the game. And while he played multiple possessions after clutching the back of his leg, he never returned to the court after being subbed out.

  • When speaking to the media after the game, Mazzulla noted how Brown had told him he would be alright.

  • “I think he’ll be ok,” Mazzulla said. “I talked to him after, and he said he’ll be fine. But I didn’t get a full update.”

    • Losing Brown so early in the game likely shifted some of the Celtics’ rotations. And while the team was still able to secure the win, we’re still no closer to fully understanding how Brown will operate in this new-look roster.

💬 My Take on the Game

This was the closest thing to an NBA game the Celtics have played during preseason. The Raptors had their starters in the game, and the flow felt far more controlled than in the other three outings. Due to the increase in quality of opponents, we got a better look at how this roster will handle high-level talents on both sides of the floor.

I do think the pace needs to be addressed when the ball is in Anfernee Simons’ hands, as the tempo and pace seemed to evaporate whenever he was controlling the ball in the half-court, especially early in the game. Ideally, he will get used to the .5 decision-making process and ensure the overall approach remains consistent where possible.

Jordan Walsh was a welcome returnee to the rotation, having missed the last few games due to injury. His length was noticeable, although his shot wasn’t falling. With some additional playing time this year, he could emerge as a viable part of the bench rotation, albeit deeper than some may have expected.

With that in mind, Baylor Scheierman should be feeling some pressure. He’s struggled during the preseason, continuing a trend that began in Summer League. This was another tough outing for him, going scoreless and an overall net-negative.

I do want to give a shoutout to Hugo Gonzalez, who impressed last night and is rapidly proving he can hang in the NBA, despite initial reservations by some sections of the fanbase. After the game, Mazzulla and White both praised his intensity and defensive upside. I’m really hopeful that his offense can improve to make him a viable two-way prospect long-term.

Overall, last night’s win was a positive end to a positive preseason. The big man rotation continues to be somewhat of a mystery, especially with Luka Garza looking good off the bench. The offense looks good and scalable, which is exactly what we should be thinking this early in the overall process. Of course, defense will be a key focus all season, but for now, at least the plan makes sense, and everyone is putting in the hard yards to try and ensure the collective group is ready for the campaign ahead.

We’ve got six days with no basketball now, and then the Celtics open their season against the Philadelphia 76ers. From the moment that ball tips off, it’s all business, and any questions we have will start to be answered.