It’s time to reflect on the preseason and what the Boston Celtics taught us throughout those five games now that it has come to an end and the start of the regular season is just around the corner.
Let’s first look at how they performed during the preseason.
Results:
Boston Celtics defeat Philadelphia 76ers 114–106.
New York Knicks defeat Boston Celtics 114–107.
101 – 112 Philadelphia 76ers Celtics of Boston
Boston Celtics defeat New York Knicks 123–110.
Boston Celtics lose to Charlotte Hornets 127–99.
From the first preseason clash with the Philadelphia 76ers, and through the first four games, the hype around Pritchard just continued to escalate, here is why:
Pritchard vs. 76ers: 26 points, two rebounds, four assists, one steal, 9-14 from the field (64.3%), and 6-11 from beyond the arc (54.5%) from 23 minutes.
Pritchard scored 21 points against the Knicks while contributing three rebounds, five assists, three steals, and shooting 7-15 (46.7%) and 4-11 (36.4%) from the floor overall in 29 minutes.
Pritchard had a 23-minute performance against the 76ers that included 17 points, one rebound, three assists, one steal, and shootings of 7-15 (46.7%) and 3-9 (33.3%) from beyond the arc.
Pritchard’s performance against the Knicks included 11
It’s clear that Pritchard is poised to get an increase in his on-court minutes compared to what he was getting last season, and that it is well-earned, and deserved. With his name now working its way into “Sixth Man of the Year Award” conversations, I think it’s evident to everyone that the Celtics have a star on their hands – a sharpshooting star, at that.
The depth options for the Boston Celtics were once a concern, but preseason performances allayed those fears.
Following the departures of Danilo Gallinari, Blake Griffin, Mike Muscala, Malcolm Brogdon, Grant Williams, Marcus Smart, Robert Williams III, and Malcolm Brogdon, various Boston Celtics and NBA supporters have expressed their concerns and opinions about the lack of depth in the C’s locker room. The rotating players have been handed lengthier minutes throughout this stretch of preseason games with the possibility to increase their playing time in
Pritchard has been outstanding during the preseason and is the standard rotation threat, so I must highlight him once more. However, he wasn’t the only player to step up over these five games.
Sam Hauser’s preseason campaign got off to a rocky start, but as the games went on, his form began to improve. His preseason struggles have been made up for by his shooting and defensive play. His best performances came in their third and fourth games against the 76ers and the Knicks, where he consistently made shots from the field. Hauser scored 15 points overall and 4-9 from outside the arc (44.4%) against the Sixers in the contest.
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