Kyrie Irving, Jayson Tatum & more from Boston Celtics media day and training camp: 10 things we learned

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Kyrie Irving, Jayson Tatum & more from Boston Celtics media day and training camp: 10 things we learned



Posted September 29, 2017 at 11:53 AM | Updated September 29, 2017 at 11:53 AM




The Boston Celtics started their preseason on Monday with media day in Canton before heading to Newport, RI for training camp. The new-look team participated in their first scrimmage on Tuesday in preparation for their preseason opener on Oct. 2.
Here are 10 things we learned from media day and training camp.
AP Photo




The starting lineup remains a mystery.


Many NBA teams don't have a starting lineup locked in at this point in the preseason, and the Celtics are no exception. The only certainties are the team's new big three — Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward and Al Horford. After that, everything appears to be up in the air.
Perhaps most interesting is the battle on the wing between Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown. Smart's defensive acumen (as well as the fact that his shooting woes could be masked by Hayward and Irving) seems to make him the leader in the clubhouse, but he has scrimmaged with second-unit players, and the Celtics love utilizing his ball-handling off the bench. Brown would be a great fit next to Irving as a versatile defender capable of switching onto multiple positions, and Smart could still finish the game on the court.

The other position battle might be equally interesting. Horford can play both power forward and center, which could open up a starting role for either Aron Baynes or Marcus Morris (assuming Morris is available to play). But other possibilities exist, including Jayson Tatum — just a rookie, but an impressive one according to just about everyone at camp (more on that in a minute). Tatum is skinny, but he would add solid rebounding alongside Horford, if the Celtics decided to go that route.




Kyrie Irving seems like he's ready to talk about (and play) basketball.

So far in training camp, whenever Kyrie Irving is asked about basketball or the Celtics, he has been happy to chat, answering cheerfully. When he's asked about his relationship with former Cleveland Cavaliers teammate LeBron James, however, he is openly hostile — ESPN's repeated attempts to prod him into discussing their relationship have been met with icy looks and short answers.

That probably won't be a problem for the rest of training camp or the preseason, but the questions are coming again: The Celtics open the season against the Cavaliers on Oct. 17, and queries about Irving and James will be unavoidable no matter what happens on the court. Expect prickly Irving to reappear, at least for a day.


Irving will need to work on his defense.

Brad Stevens wasn't exactly breaking Kyrie Irving news at training camp when he said the point guard can put the ball in hole, but he struggles on defense. That was the scouting report before he arrived, and it will likely continue to be the scouting report this season.
But it might be worth noting that Stevens is already looking for improvements on that side of the floor, even after just a few days of practice. The Celtics always knew Isaiah Thomas' defensive limitations — the tiny point guard generally tried hard, but he couldn't really do much against most of his opponents. At 6-foot-3, Irving can be a solid defender if he wants to be. For all of his ridiculous offensive abilities, the Celtics didn't acquire Irving in the hopes that he would be Cleveland Kyrie. They want him to unlock levels to his game that didn't show playing for the Cavaliers.


Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum seem tight already.

Brown talked about Tatum at length on media day, telling reporters the duo has known each other for a while. Brown praised Tatum's ability to shoot and said they had gone on college visits together when they were in high school.

The Celtics certainly have high hopes for their young wings. They will likely complement each other well, and if they get along, that's a bonus.

Also interesting: The next time some former player complains about how NBA youth is too friendly now, point him to the college recruiting system. Brown and Tatum ended up on the same team, but since nearly every high-school recruit goes to one of a small group of schools, plenty of high-level prospects go on visits together and get to know one another well before they enter the NBA ranks. The ridiculous AAU/prep/high-level high school schedule means that a lot of recruits make better friends with AAU opponents than anyone from their home school.

Anyway, the shorter point is that Tatum and Brown are getting along well already. The Celtics will need both of their young prospects to contribute this season.


Jayson Tatum is impressing everyone.

Celtics fans already know what to expect from Brown — high-flying dunks and solid, versatile individual defense (more shortly). What should they expect from Tatum?

Realistically, expect a very high-upside rookie who makes a lot of mistakes but ultimately earns real, productive minutes as the season goes on. That was the formula Brown followed, and while not all prospects contribute like Brown, it's probably fair to expect Tatum's learning curve to be a positive for the Celtics this season.

But the Celtics aren't doing much to temper expectations on the former Duke forward. Al Horford, who is pretty measured, called him "as ready as any rookie I've seen." Stevens, who isn't one to praise rookies out of turn, said Tatum will be a very good player for a long time. Irving takes every available opportunity to talk up Tatum's potential.

In his rookie season, Tatum will probably be relegated to a bench role — hitting the court with the second unit and trying to abuse opposing reserves on the offensive end while honing his defensive skills. If the Celtics are to be believed, he'll be able to pitch in quickly.




Gordon Hayward definitely won't start the season in the spotlight.

Hayward doesn't seem to have much issue with Irving being the center of attention, but Irving won't be the only player stealing headlines. Celtics fans remain fascinated by Brown, and Tatum will be a focal point as well. Meanwhile, skinny Marcus Smart (again, more soon) is a popular topic of discussion as well.

It's easy to assume that Hayward doesn't want attention, but consider two things:

Hayward left Salt Lake City for Boston, going from a small market to a large one.

Hayward is an extremely hard worker — after getting lit up for 60 in Kobe Bryant's final game, he reached out to Bryant to help improve his mid-range.
Hayward might not be the type of player who demands attention vocally, but suggesting he prefers to lurk in the shadows on the court might not be accurate. He's a star entering his prime. That type of player doesn't often fly under the radar for long.





Skinny Marcus Smart is actually skinny.

At this point, the annual #MuscleWatch is tradition — at media day, a player says he put on muscle or lost weight, and then the season starts and he's more or less the same.

That doesn't seem to be the case with Smart. He has visibly trimmed down, hoping to improve his quickness, athleticism and overall durability throughout the season. That's big for Boston: The Celtics will need him on the court as much as possible.

So what will skinny Marcus Smart be able to do better? A few things (presumably). Smart said he wants to be able to stay in front of speedy guards like John Wall, and dropping the weight will certainly help. Rebounding could be easier as well, since Smart will be able to elevate better, and he suggested he's shooting better because of the extra lift.

Expecting better conditioning to turn Smart into a good shooter isn't realistic, but his shot selection could improve — rather than firing up triples, Smart might try to find his way to the hoop more often. If he can finish (or get to the free-throw line more), that could be a big improvement for his offense.




Semi Ojeleye understands the comparisons to Jae Crowder

Of all the rookies not named Jayson Tatum, Ojeleye might get the most minutes. Stevens praised the muscular wing's ability to guard multiple positions (including centers) at Summer League, and he would fit perfectly into the Celtics' switching system. In Las Vegas, Ojeleye proved he can be a reliable pick-and-pop/spot-up 3-point shooter, and as long as the Celtics have creators on the court to collapse the defense and find him, Ojeleye could be productive on both ends.

That defense-first versatility is something the Celtics will need this year. The loss of Jae Crowder in the trade for Kyrie Irving could be costly, but if Ojeleye can defend positions three through five at a reasonable level, he could be even more versatile than Crowder (although, as a rookie, he probably won't be as good at it).

The Crowder/Ojeleye comparisons were so prevalent that when the Celtics picked Ojeleye, a lot of draft experts said Ojeleye could play real minutes for the defending No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference as a rookie. Others speculated it could mean Crowder was expendable for Boston, which ultimately proved correct. Now the Celtics will probably have plenty of defensive minutes available for a 22-year-old.




Speaking of relying on youth for defense ...


Brad Stevens really wants Jaylen Brown to be a lock-up defender.


Losing the one-on-one defense of Avery Bradley was a significant hit for the Celtics, but Brad Stevens has high hopes that Brown can become his replacement.

"At the end of the day, we’ll have other guys on the court that do that too, but being able to be a really versatile lockdown switchable wing is going to be really important," Stevens told reporters on the second day of training camp.

This reasoning makes sense on paper. Brown is explosive in every direction, and he's big enough to switch if necessary. Presumably, he will be able to defend positions two through four at some point, which would make him even more valuable if he becomes a lock-down one-on-one guy.
Versatility is the buzzword that defines the Celtics, and it could be what determines who starts between Smart and Brown.





The second unit will be long and athletic ... but it might not have shooters.


As the Celtics wrapped up their first training camp scrimmage, the winning team had Smart, Rozier, Brown, Tatum and Yabusele on the floor. It was an enormous group of players who don't necessarily have a specific position on either side of the floor. Everyone could switch certain matchups, and everyone was long and athletic.
AP Photo/Steven Senne


The Celtics might not have veteran depth like they did last year, but they will have a different depth this year — youthful energy and enthusiasm, presumably playing alongside whichever of Irving and Hayward is staggered into the lineup.
That will make for some really fun lineups. Even the Celtics' bench mob will include lottery picks and useful late-draft role players, a collection of talent that will help make this team one of the most fascinating rosters in the NBA.



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