Post by CelticsLoyalist on Oct 14, 2024 14:23:59 GMT -5
This is a tough call. This team is stacked! I bet Mad Mazz almost wishes he could have every one of these players coming off the bench. I saw so many good things, it's really hard to pick favorites. I am pretty biased, but I truly believe this whole team could play in the NBA on any team and some of these guys are/eventually would be starters on any other team. Now, all that being said, the reason why we are so good all the way down the line is how we coach, practice, train, and respect the Boston Celtics tradition. So, suffice it to say without all those variables, I doubt a lot of these players would be good enough to even still be in the L. In any case, here are some of my preseason impressions:
Jaylen Brown seems poised to solidify himself as the best player on this team. He is playing on another level that is instinctual and fluid. I can tell he is still trying to master playing without thinking and harnessing this super power. This is next level superstar stuff. I am really excited to see what he does.
Most Improved Player: Jordan Walsh
In the time between me calling him out for not having any arch or confidence in his 3 pointer, he turns it around immediately. Guy couldn't miss. His decision making looked elite and so did his finishes. Gone were his flat 3's and rushed plays. I saw a fluid, dynamic defensive and offensive all star in the making. He does a little bit of everything especially offensive rebounding where he has a knack for getting to the right spot and hustling for put backs.
Payton Pritchard is a starter. Undersized as he may be, he is a bulldog. If you ask him to play the whole game his efficiency would be among the elite ballhandlers in the L. I am really impressed with his decision-making out of screen and pops. It was good to see him doing that a lot with Queta and I suspect its something they've worked on in practice as I am sure we will see a lot of that as part of our second unit. They will need that chemistry. I would like to see him not try so hard at those closing minute deep bombs, but I get that there's been a lot of attention on it and it's preseason, but I personally think it works better if he isn't thinking about it and not forcing up shots for the media hype.
Lonnie Walker is absolutely at least a rotational player on any other team with extremely high potential to become a second unit 6th man. At most, I actually think he could be a starter on some teams and he will get there. What I see different from him now than on say the Nets is that he has definitely bought into the D and the little things mantra of our team. Joe was smart to give him big mins these last couple games. He deserved a serious look for that last roster spot. I noticed that Lonnie was very mature with his decision making. When Joe had him out there with our starters he played within the system and did all the little things without interfering with the Offense. However when Joe put him out there to run the offense and take the shots with the second and 3rd units, boy did he! We already know he can fill it up. THe thing is that if we don't find room for him, someone will take him now for sure. No team can be looking at the preseason and saying Lonnie doesn't belong on a roster.
Luke is a starter. I don't have much more to add. We all know Luke is an important part of our main rotation. The Moose Is Loose!
Xavier Tillman was a question mark for me. I loved the trade to bring him here and I was excited to have a guy spot Horford behind Kristaps. Some things in the playoffs when he got mins bothered me and I started having doubts about if he would fit our rotation. Also, whether he had the mentality to just be cold out there since he seems like such a nice guy I was worried he wouldn't also have that killer instinct. I was wrong. He seems to have meshed now. I don't feel like he's out of place and maybe doesn't fit here. His 3 stroke is solid. I am pleasantly surprised with his confidence and will be interested to see if that carries over to reg season and playoffs. Also, his D is solid. He looks like the type of player that can't and isn't gonna get up and contest and block shots or be quick enough to get strips down low, but I have to say he knows how to do all those things without having to exert a lot of effort. I see him as sorta Horford 2.0. If he keeps developing like this he will be ready to be Horford soon.
Queta has still yet to figure out his biggest flaw: Finishing around the basket. His only saving grace is he is a hustle machine and can get his own rebounds and putbacks. That wont happen in the playoffs and is a huge concern for me. However, I think he is ready to make the big team. He does so many good things. His picks are solid, his rebounding is solid. His D is nice. His hustle is solid.
Drew Peterson uhm where did this guy come from??? I was really not high at all on Drew before. I really really thought he was G league material only. This may be a surprise but of all the players, I was impressed by Peterson the most. Calm, cold, nerves of steal. Did everything. Saved some really important possessions. His shot looked clean and he had a full bag from inside to outside. Ran the offense at some points. Deep ball, inside, rebounds floaters. Go back and look at his mins. SOLID. He just looks and comes across awkward so he doesn't jump out at you.
I think this team is way more improved than last year and way different. We should expect the focus to be on rebounding this year. I think if teams cant stop us from getting second chances, there is little doubt we drop in the 110's+ points avg for the season and it will absolutely increase our 3's. I know exactly what our coaching staff is thinking. More rebounds for kick outs and 3's for any one of our assassins.
Jaylen Brown seems poised to solidify himself as the best player on this team. He is playing on another level that is instinctual and fluid. I can tell he is still trying to master playing without thinking and harnessing this super power. This is next level superstar stuff. I am really excited to see what he does.
Most Improved Player: Jordan Walsh
In the time between me calling him out for not having any arch or confidence in his 3 pointer, he turns it around immediately. Guy couldn't miss. His decision making looked elite and so did his finishes. Gone were his flat 3's and rushed plays. I saw a fluid, dynamic defensive and offensive all star in the making. He does a little bit of everything especially offensive rebounding where he has a knack for getting to the right spot and hustling for put backs.
Payton Pritchard is a starter. Undersized as he may be, he is a bulldog. If you ask him to play the whole game his efficiency would be among the elite ballhandlers in the L. I am really impressed with his decision-making out of screen and pops. It was good to see him doing that a lot with Queta and I suspect its something they've worked on in practice as I am sure we will see a lot of that as part of our second unit. They will need that chemistry. I would like to see him not try so hard at those closing minute deep bombs, but I get that there's been a lot of attention on it and it's preseason, but I personally think it works better if he isn't thinking about it and not forcing up shots for the media hype.
Lonnie Walker is absolutely at least a rotational player on any other team with extremely high potential to become a second unit 6th man. At most, I actually think he could be a starter on some teams and he will get there. What I see different from him now than on say the Nets is that he has definitely bought into the D and the little things mantra of our team. Joe was smart to give him big mins these last couple games. He deserved a serious look for that last roster spot. I noticed that Lonnie was very mature with his decision making. When Joe had him out there with our starters he played within the system and did all the little things without interfering with the Offense. However when Joe put him out there to run the offense and take the shots with the second and 3rd units, boy did he! We already know he can fill it up. THe thing is that if we don't find room for him, someone will take him now for sure. No team can be looking at the preseason and saying Lonnie doesn't belong on a roster.
Luke is a starter. I don't have much more to add. We all know Luke is an important part of our main rotation. The Moose Is Loose!
Xavier Tillman was a question mark for me. I loved the trade to bring him here and I was excited to have a guy spot Horford behind Kristaps. Some things in the playoffs when he got mins bothered me and I started having doubts about if he would fit our rotation. Also, whether he had the mentality to just be cold out there since he seems like such a nice guy I was worried he wouldn't also have that killer instinct. I was wrong. He seems to have meshed now. I don't feel like he's out of place and maybe doesn't fit here. His 3 stroke is solid. I am pleasantly surprised with his confidence and will be interested to see if that carries over to reg season and playoffs. Also, his D is solid. He looks like the type of player that can't and isn't gonna get up and contest and block shots or be quick enough to get strips down low, but I have to say he knows how to do all those things without having to exert a lot of effort. I see him as sorta Horford 2.0. If he keeps developing like this he will be ready to be Horford soon.
Queta has still yet to figure out his biggest flaw: Finishing around the basket. His only saving grace is he is a hustle machine and can get his own rebounds and putbacks. That wont happen in the playoffs and is a huge concern for me. However, I think he is ready to make the big team. He does so many good things. His picks are solid, his rebounding is solid. His D is nice. His hustle is solid.
Drew Peterson uhm where did this guy come from??? I was really not high at all on Drew before. I really really thought he was G league material only. This may be a surprise but of all the players, I was impressed by Peterson the most. Calm, cold, nerves of steal. Did everything. Saved some really important possessions. His shot looked clean and he had a full bag from inside to outside. Ran the offense at some points. Deep ball, inside, rebounds floaters. Go back and look at his mins. SOLID. He just looks and comes across awkward so he doesn't jump out at you.
I think this team is way more improved than last year and way different. We should expect the focus to be on rebounding this year. I think if teams cant stop us from getting second chances, there is little doubt we drop in the 110's+ points avg for the season and it will absolutely increase our 3's. I know exactly what our coaching staff is thinking. More rebounds for kick outs and 3's for any one of our assassins.
