We’re halfway through the second game of the Boston Celtics’ preseason campaign and there is plenty to be excited about. The Celtics look great, the team is gelling, and they lead the Denver Nuggets 67-60 at the break.
Now, get ready for some halftime hot takes, buddy.
Ol’ Lukey Dimes has arrived
Heading into the preseason, one of the top storylines was the backup center competition. Luke Kornet, Xavier Tillman Sr., and Neemias Queta all have an opportunity to earn some extra playing time early in the year, as Kristaps Porzingis recovers from offseason surgery.
So far, Kornet looks incredibly comfortable playing with the starters. The big man has been a great connector during his minutes, as the Cs have been able to run their offense through him, in part. Joe Mazzulla is using Big Korn in the short roll, allowing him to catch, make quick reads, and find his open teammates on the perimeter.
Kornet had three assists in Friday’s opener and has one so far today. This tactic has been a huge reason behind Boston’s excellent ball movement across both of the games in Abu Dhabi.
It seems as if the added minutes are Kornet’s to lose at this point.
Maybe he should avoid transition dunks if he wants it to stay that way.
Jayson Tatum might be able to shoot again???
Oh man, Jayson Tatum might be back. After a spring full of bricks (and a Larry, make no mistake), Tatum’s jumper seems to be fixed. Shots are finding the bottom of the net again and it’s lovely.
Heading into this fall’s exhibition slate, reports trickled out that Tatum had worked with his trainer, Drew Hanlen, to get his stroke back in order.
So far today he’s 5-13 from the field and 2-6 from deep for a total of 14 first-half points.
The numbers aren’t quite what they were shaping up to be when I started writing this, but trust me, he looks far more comfortable.
Just take a look for yourself.
Boston was able to win the title in June, despite Tatum shooting like me out there. If his shot truly is fixed, then the league is in trouble.
Jaden Springer is HERE
Now, anyone who is familiar with me or my work (literally no one, lol) knows that I am the leader of the Jaden Springer fan club. Sure, Friday’s game wasn’t the greatest showing from the 21-year-old. He looked a little out of place and wasn’t able to make much of an impact. He looked sort of lethargic and took some rough shots on offense.
Today…
Today is different.
Though his first minutes didn’t come until the second quarter, Springer came out with a fire. He immediately deflected a pass to disrupt a Nuggets possession. In the ensuing minutes, he played some intense full-court defense and nailed a catch-and-shoot three.
The three-point shooting is going to be key for Springer if he wants to earn regular minutes. He has only been able to sink 22.6% of his long-range attempts for his career. That number is going to have to climb for him to be an effective cog in the Mazzulla Ball machine.
Once (if) he figures that out, his defensive prowess and energy will make him a fantastic sparkplug guy off of Boston’s bench.
