The brand new-look 2025-26 Celtics opened their preseason with a complete victory, dispatching a depleted Memphis Grizzlies squad 119-103 on Wednesday night time.
Listed here are six takeaways from the win, which included productive outings from two big-name holdovers and robust first impressions from a number of offseason pickups:
1. A shock beginning 5
Head coach Joe Mazzulla advised reporters in Memphis to read “zero” into his lineup decisions on this recreation — then proceeded to roll out a beginning 5 that few noticed coming.
Returning starters Jaylen Brown and Derrick White had been joined by Sam Hauser, Chris Boucher and Xavier Tillman as Mazzulla opted for a double-big look. Guards Payton Pritchard and Anfernee Simons and middle Neemias Queta all got the night time off.
Hauser and Boucher have been seen as potential starters as Boston replaces Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Vacation and the injured Jayson Tatum, however Tillman was an under-the-radar determine getting into coaching camp after he hardly performed final season.
It’s price noting Mazzulla gave Tillman, a former Grizzly, one among his two begins of 2024-25 when the Celtics performed in Memphis as a gesture of appreciation. There might have been extra sentimentality at play right here, however Tillman has stated he expects to have more opportunities this season after dropping 12 kilos and remedying his lingering knee points.
The Boston massive man showcased the latter when he went airborne for a flying alley-oop within the second quarter.
X GON GIVE IT TO YA pic.twitter.com/We5MAtLbl8
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) October 9, 2025
The Grizzlies, who’ve been snakebitten by accidents to key gamers (Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., Brandon Clarke, Zach Edey), despatched out a baby-faced beginning lineup that featured 4 22-year-olds and one 24-year-old.
2. Acquainted faces begin sturdy
There are a complete lot of recent faces on this Celtics roster, however three mainstays led the best way within the early going.
Brown, White and Hauser mixed to attain the Celtics’ first 22 factors of the preseason. The trio began 8-for-11 from the sector and made 5 of their first seven 3-pointers throughout that early flurry, displaying that the three ball nonetheless might be a significant a part of Boston’s retooled, faster-paced offense. (The Celtics went 15-for-53 from distance as a staff.)
The primary level from some other member of the Celtics’ roster didn’t come till Luka Garza scored on a reducing and-one layup greater than seven minutes in.
Brown was particularly efficient, displaying no lingering results from his meniscus surgical procedure this summer time. Within the opening quarter, he performed 11 minutes, scored 15 factors, shot 4-for-7 and 2-for-4 from three, and drew three fouls. He completed with 21 factors in 20 minutes (although only one rebound and one help) and sat out the second half.
White was Boston’s high facilitator, shelling out 10 assists (to go together with 16 factors, two blocks and one steal) and ending as a plus-22 in 27 minutes.
Tatum was the Celtics’ main help man final season, so there might be extra stress on gamers like White to fill that function this season. How he operates alongside Pritchard and Simons might be one thing to look at because the preseason progresses.
3. Hi there, Hugo
It took rookie Hugo Gonzalez all of fifty seconds to make an influence in his preseason NBA debut.
Shortly after checking in in the beginning of the second quarter, the first-round draft choose drew an offensive foul by racing by way of a Grizzlies display on an inbounds go. Then he blocked Jaylen Wells beneath the basket. Then he blocked fellow rookie Cedric Coward in transition.
A couple of minutes later, Gonzalez ran the ground for a fast-break layup off a Boucher rejection, then recovered his personal free ball and fed Boucher for a 3-pointer. The 19-year-old Spaniard added a triple of his personal off a Hauser help to cap a formidable opening shift.
Gonzalez was a part of an undersized however high-energy lineup (together with White, Boucher, Josh Minott and Baylor Scheierman) that opened the second quarter with an 8-0 run that stretched Boston’s result in 20. Later, whereas he was operating with a equally up-tempo unit, he picked off a go in transition and slammed residence a dunk on the different finish.
HUGO FOR DOS 😤 pic.twitter.com/UvlNsYX1mQ
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) October 9, 2025
His ultimate line: eight factors (3-for-4; 1-for-2 from three), three rebounds, one help, one steal and three blocks in 18 minutes.
Rising pains are certain to return for Boston’s youngest participant, who remains to be within the technique of adjusting to American basketball and mastering the Celtics’ terminology, however these are the varieties of hustle-play contributions the staff desires to see from him. If Gonzalez retains this up, his watch for actual, common minutes may very well be shorter than anticipated.
4. Timberwolves castoffs impress
After toiling on Minnesota’s bench for the final three seasons, Garza and Minott got here to Boston in search of alternative. It’s unclear precisely how they’ll slot in when the Celtics have all of their gamers out there, however each confirmed potential towards Memphis’ backups of their first recreation in inexperienced.
Garza grabbed 10 rebounds, together with 4 offensive boards, was energetic as a screener and persistently obtained to the foul line (6-for-9) in his 16 minutes. Minott’s awkward-looking 3-point shot wasn’t falling (0-for-4), however he delivered within the dirty-work areas to the tune of eight factors, seven rebounds (three offensive), three assists, three steals and one block in 26 minutes. A kind of helpers was the aforementioned transition lob to Tillman.
5. New philosophy on show
The Celtics’ new push-the-pace method — a transparent precedence in coaching camp, and a mode that favors energizers like Minott — was evident Wednesday night time. They operated their offense extra shortly and upped the aggressiveness on protection, leading to 13 steals, 10 blocks and 34 factors off turnovers. Final yr’s Celtics ranked twenty ninth in tempo and twenty seventh in compelled turnovers — two marks they’re hoping to enhance this season.
That energetic protection did result in some breakdowns, nevertheless, with Memphis getting quite a lot of open seems from past the arc. Boston additionally struggled on the defensive glass, which is one massive concern for his or her unproven frontcourt. The Celtics didn’t have their lone 7-footer, Queta, in uniform for this recreation, however defensive rebounding has not been a energy of his. Garza has been a below-average defender in his profession, and Boucher and Tillman are undersized bigs.
6. Walsh leaves with damage
Jordan Walsh checked in throughout Mazzulla’s first spherical of substitutions, and the third-year professional delivered some optimistic moments early. He compelled a Santi Aldama miss with high quality rim safety, flushed a fast-break dunk off a White outlet go and grabbed three rebounds in his first eight minutes.
These had been the one minutes Walsh logged, nevertheless. The 21-year-old wing didn’t play after the primary quarter, with the Celtics later asserting he was uncertain to return with left adductor tightness.
This can be a make-or-break yr for Walsh, who was unable to crack Mazzulla’s rotation in his first two NBA seasons. He stated he labored this offseason to enhance each his capturing and his “function participant IQ” in hopes of discovering a distinct segment as a “connector.”
