During that break, the Celtics radically retooled the top of their roster by shipping out Brown in a controversial trade and recentering the team around Jayson Tatum, who is preparing to play his first full season since undergoing Achilles surgery in May 2025. Trade acquisition Paul George and free agent signee Mitchell Robinson are expected to fill vital roles for this new-look group, with 20-year veteran Mike Conley also coming aboard to provide leadership and backcourt depth.<\/p>\n
Will we see all of Boston\u2019s key pieces on the court against the Cavs? That\u2019s not yet clear. Last year, head coach Joe Mazzulla sat multiple regulars in each of the first two preseason games and didn\u2019t field his first-choice starting lineup until opening night. (Mazzulla then changed that lineup a week later, and several more times throughout the season.)<\/p>\n
With that in mind, here are five things to watch in Thursday\u2019s exhibition:<\/p>\n
1. 100% Tatum?<\/p>\n
The last time we saw Tatum in a game setting, he was watching from the bench in an all-gray jumpsuit as the Celtics lost Game 7 at home.<\/p>\n
The injury that kept Tatum out of that season-deciding defeat \u2014 the team called it \u201cleft knee stiffness\u201d \u2014 underscored the fact that he never made it back to full strength after his early-March return from surgery. The perennial All-NBA wing estimated he was playing at \u201c80 to 85%\u201d of his capacity, which was evident even as he posted impressive numbers for a player in his situation (22-10-5 in 16 regular-season games).<\/p>\n
How will Tatum look now that he\u2019s banked another five months of recovery time<\/a> and had a full summer to improve his conditioning and explosiveness? His health will, quite obviously, be of paramount importance for the Celtics as they move forward without Brown.<\/p>\n George, who likely will slide into Brown\u2019s old spot in the starting five, has made clear since his arrival that he is not trying to be an Option 1B to Tatum\u2019s 1A. The 36-year-old views himself as a member of Tatum\u2019s supporting cast<\/a>, saying he plans to do all he can to make life easier for Boston\u2019s \u201csuperstar.\u201d<\/p>\n How will that manifest on the court? How will the Celtics\u2019 offense change stylistically with George \u2014 who was a highly effective secondary option<\/a> against Boston in last season\u2019s playoffs \u2014 replacing the higher-usage Brown? Who will take on the second-largest offensive load: George, or someone else like Payton Pritchard?<\/p>\n Elsewhere, how will Mazzulla, who\u2019s long admired Robinson\u2019s game, integrate the former New York Knick? And how will his presence affect last season\u2019s starting center, Neemias Queta? Queta told reporters Tuesday that he\u2019s worked on becoming more of a shooting threat<\/a> (he\u2019s made just one career 3-pointer), so that\u2019s something worth monitoring.<\/p>\n 3. Which wings?<\/p>\n One of the Celtics\u2019 biggest strengths in 2025-26 was their deep well of dynamic wings, who wore down opponents with their energy and helped Boston become a top-five rebounding team through constant glass-crashing.<\/p>\n Outside of Brown, every member of that group is back this season. And there likely won\u2019t be enough minutes for all of them when the Celtics have their full roster available.<\/p>\n Will any of Baylor Scheierman, Sam Hauser, Hugo Gonzalez, Jordan Walsh and Ron Harper Jr. separate themselves this preseason? How will that hierarchy \u2014 which is bound to evolve based on matchups, performance and player availability \u2014 look when the regular season opens on Oct. 20?<\/p>\n If Mazzulla has reservations about starting Pritchard, as he did in the back half of last season after the Celtics traded away third guard Anfernee Simons, then his fifth starter likely will come from this quintet.<\/p>\n 4. Rookie preview<\/p>\n Draft picks Chris Cenac Jr. and Dillon Mitchell both impressed at the Las Vegas Summer League back in July. How will they look against real NBA competition?<\/p>\n Cenac, a 6-foot-11 center out of Houston and Boston\u2019s youngest player (19), has drawn high praise from some of his fellow Celtics bigs. The highest came from Queta, who said Cenac can be \u201ca juggernaut in this league\u201d with his blend of size, athleticism and versatility.<\/p>\n Mitchell, another high-end athlete who excelled as a perimeter defender at St. John\u2019s, believes he\u2019s improved his poor 3-point shooting under the direction of Celtics director of player development Craig Luscenat. He is on a two-way contract; Cenac\u2019s is a standard deal.<\/p>\n Given the depth in their respective position groups, both are more likely to see minutes in Maine than Boston as they begin their pro careers. But that was also the expectation for Gonzalez at this time last year, and he went on to appear in 74 games as a rookie.<\/p>\n 5. Tryout auditions<\/p>\n The Celtics have five non-roster players competing for their final open two-way contract slot: guards Devin Carter, Hayden Gray and Milos Uzan, and forwards Gabe McGlothan and Tucker DeVries.<\/p>\n Carter is the biggest name in that group. He starred at Providence College and was drafted 13th overall by Sacramento in 2024. After two unremarkable seasons, Carter was traded to Atlanta and quickly waived, leading him to sign an Exhibit-10 tryout contract with Boston as he looks to keep his NBA career afloat.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a humbling position for a recent lottery pick, but Mazzulla said Carter has approached training camp with the right attitude<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s very open about wanting to make it,\u201d Mazzulla said last week. \u201cSo I\u2019ve appreciated just his mindset, his mentality, the chip on the shoulder that he brings to the game. I\u2019m looking forward to watching him throughout the preseason.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Celtics](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/lticsnl02_c29ec4.jpg\")
Celtics stars Jayson Tatum, left, and Paul George pose for photos during media day on Sept. 28. Nancy Lane\/Boston Herald
\n2. How do the new guys fit?<\/p>\n