Nine takeaways from Celtics training camp ahead of preseason opener

As the Celtics prepare to fly to Abu Dhabi for two preseason games with the Denver Nuggets, here are nine takeaways from the reigning NBA champions’ opening week of training camp:

1. It’s not an easy camp

Jrue Holiday missed the start of Celtics training camp last year after his late September trade to Boston. “I would have liked to miss the first day of this year too,” the veteran goalie joked.

Boston’s camp practices featured Joe Mazzulla’s signature intensity, with the head coach immediately testing his players both physically and mentally.

Holiday said Mazzulla “threw everything” at the team.

“Tough days,” he said after the second day of training. “Tough days.”

Jaylen Brown summed it up best: “Joe Mazzulla is a psychopath – in a good way. »

Mazzulla acknowledged he was “probably a lot happier to see (the players) than they were to see me,” but said he was happy with their buy-in so far.

“What I like is just these guys set the tone,” he said. “They’re the ones here first in the building. They create the environment and I love watching guys strive for greatness.

2. Mazzulla loved Tatum’s Olympic DNPs

Jayson Tatum said his reduced role on Team USA has probably made his head coach “the happiest person in the world.” Mazzulla confirmed this, saying Tatum was “100% right.”

“I don’t think we’ve seen the best of him yet because of all his work and his willingness to grow,” Mazzulla said. “So I thought it was great that he had something to work on.”

3. Tatum is taking steps to fix his shooting

After struggling as a shooter in the NBA playoffs and Olympics, Tatum worked with coach Drew Hanlen to clean up “a few mechanicals” of his jumper.

“There are some things I could have fixed, but right in the middle of the playoffs, trying to manage your rest and things like that, it’s a little harder,” said Tatum, who has always led the Celtics in points, rebounds and assists during the playoffs.

“I was still playing well, but I wasn’t shooting the ball as well as I would have liked, and obviously we were winning so it wasn’t the time or place to try to fix things at that point .”

Like Mazzulla, Tatum believes his best basketball is still ahead of him.

“You haven’t seen the best version of Jayson Tatum,” the 26-year-old said.

4. Porzingis is progressing well

President of basketball operations Brad Stevens said the Celtics are “very, very happy” and “maybe a little surprised” about the current condition of Kristaps Porzingis in his recovery from leg surgery during the offseason.

Porzingis is targeting a return to the court in December but isn’t ruling out an earlier return, saying he hopes to return to playing “as soon as possible.” He’s already running and taking light contact.

There’s a good chance Boston’s starting center will miss at least the first month of the regular season and the Celtics will rely on some combination of Al Horford, Luke Kornet, Xavier Tillman and Neemias Queta to replace him.

5. Two reserves had off-season surgeries

Kornet (wrist) and Tillman (knee) both underwent offseason procedures to repair lingering injuries. These were much less intensive than Porzingis’s and both were ready in time for camp.

Tillman said his knee would swell after games last season, causing him to miss 28 games. He has played in more than 60 games just once in his career and hopes to be healthy enough to reach that mark this season.

6. Baylor Scheierman has bulked up

At the Celtics’ request, their first-round pick gained between 10 and 15 pounds of muscle in the two months between Summer League and the start of camp to help prepare for the physical level of the NBA.

Scheierman, a prolific offensive player in college, knows he’ll have to prove he can hold his own against professionals to have any hope of cracking the Celtics’ rotation.

“Offensively, I feel very confident in my ability to impact the game on the field,” said the 6-foot-6 Creighton product. “I know that for me to be able to get minutes on the field, everything will depend on the defense. So that’s where I try to hang in there and try to get better every day in that category.

Mazzulla said Scheierman “made some great, physical defensive plays” in his second practice, showing improvement from the first day.

Scheierman has also found a veteran mentor in teammate Sam Hauser, who is helping the 24-year-old rookie adapt.

“He’s a good shooter, but he’s more than just a shooter,” Hauser said. “He has a good feel for the game. … I think he has a great future in this league.”

7. Jaylen Brown went to the gym

Speaking of bulking up, Brown arrived at camp noticeably more buffer than in previous seasons. He said he’s added muscle to prepare for what he hopes will be another deep playoff run.

Brown also explained how the Celtics’ long-awaited championship helped him mentally, leading to what he called “an awesome summer.”

“I mean, we came close five or six times in the conference finals, so I had six heartbreaks before I could finally feel what it felt like to win,” he said. “So this summer, my heart wasn’t broken.”

8. Lonnie Walker IV takes the right approach

A player with Walker’s NBA resume (25 years, 322 career games, 88 starts) should really be on a roster somewhere rather than having to prove himself in an Exhibit 10 tryout. is his reality after failing to land guaranteed deals in free agency, and the veteran wing is trying to make the most of this opportunity.

“I have to earn it,” Walker said. “Obviously, there are many different aspects that can come into play, but being on an E-10, it’s not guaranteed. I don’t come here with the idea: “OK, I’m on an E-10 and then I’ll get the guaranteed contract.” It’s like I have to work my tail off. I really have to put everything out there on the pitch every day. The first one in the gym, hopefully the last one goes out, come back later, shoot and prepare yourself mentally and physically for the result.

Walker made 38.4 percent of his 3-pointers for Brooklyn last season, averaging a career-high 20.1 points per 36 minutes. His teammates and Mazzulla praised him for his professionalism.

9. The Celtics don’t settle for just one ring

Tatum’s camp quote from media day: “It was never just about trying to win one. Now you can at least be in the same room as the other great Celtics teams and players. All the guys I looked up to growing up won at least one championship. Now it’s just a conversation: How awesome are you trying to be? What room or level are you trying to get mentioned in after all is said and done? And understanding the window you have to maximize that time.

Originally published: September 28, 2024 at 10:46 a.m.