Pre-Season Game #1 Tonight vs Hornets in Boston

Join us live on the Game On! thread for the game.

Go to the Home page, click on 'Game On!  2017-2018' and then tonight's game thread.

Brian Robb @BrianTRobb
3 minutes ago
Celtics list following players as projected starters for the preseason opener vs. Hornets tonight: Irving, Smart, Hayward, Horford, TBA
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MY NOTE:  Smart, not Brown.  Interesting...


http://www.masslive.com/celtics/index.ssf/2017/10/brad_stevens_thinks_boston_cel.html



Brad Stevens thinks Boston Celtics will get 'spun around in circles' during preseason opener



Posted on October 2, 2017 at 11:15 AM







By Jay King



BOSTON -- Brad Stevens believes everything will go perfectly for the Boston Celtics in their preseason opener Monday night. He thinks Kyrie Irving will break the 50-point barrier, Gordon Hayward will flex his maximum contract muscles, and all the rookies will look like veterans right away. Stevens doesn't expect any early struggles for a team that needs to replace four departed starters.

Just kidding.

"I think we are going to get spun around in circles," Stevens said Sunday night.

After a week of practicing in caves and dungeons (metaphorically speaking), the Celtics will be revealed to the public in a preseason bout with the Charlotte Hornets. Though the Hornets failed to reach the playoffs last season, Stevens considers them a valuable challenge for his Celtics.

"I'm looking forward to being able to see what goes well and I'm looking forward to teaching off of what doesn't," the coach said. "(Charlotte) is a great team to have to play against because they have most everyone back and added Dwight Howard. Everyone back has corporate knowledge of what they're trying to do. They are really well coached so they'll expose us on the things we need to work on to get better. We'll know what we have to move forward and learn from."


The Celtics have a lot to figure out before the regular season begins Oct. 17. At least, we think they do. We haven't seen this team yet. We haven't seen any evidence of how Irving will mesh with Hayward and Al Horford. We haven't viewed skinny Marcus Smart in action and we aren't quite sure how Jayson Tatum will look against legitimate NBA competition. There are questions about who will start at shooting guard and which players Stevens will trust off the end of the bench.

"Obviously, we are going to have to figure out our best rotations at the moment (during the preseason)," Stevens said. "Some of that stuff changes over the course of time, as you know. We'll see how it goes. I'm not putting a ton of stock into the next week of games and results, more in 'are we making the right progress?' We have done a lot of good things. I'm excited about where we all are, all things being considered. I'm also realistic enough to know we have a long way to go."

"I'm looking at (the Hornets game) as a practice day," Stevens added, "but our guys are going to play. It'll be really good to be out there together. Inevitably, in the first game, you get spun around a lot."



bob



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Jared Weiss @JaredWeissNBA
about 1 hour ago
If TBA turns out to be Guerschon, this game should be moved to ABC.
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bob



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Chris Forsberg @ESPNForsberg
about 17 minutes ago
Celtics starters vs. Hornets: Kyrie Irving, Jaylen Brown, Gordon Hayward, Al Horford, Aron Baynes. Brad Stevens explains starters.

https://twitter.com/ESPNForsberg/status/914972899278249984


bob


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Jaylen Brown hitting 3s in warm up before game.





bob


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Boston Celtics‏Verified account @celtics 1h1 hour ago
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Brad Stevens goes out of his way to say, "I'm really excited about Jabari (Bird)." Adds that Bird could very well see time tonight.
5 replies 51 retweets 250 likes
Reply 5 Retweet 51 Like 250