▪ The Celtics did little to solve concerns about their defensive rebounding. The Cavaliers gobbled up 21 offensive rebounds on 66 misses. The Celtics’ defensive rebounding percentage of 68.2 would have been tied for 28th in the NBA last season.
Mazzulla sounded frustrated about the situation during his postgame press conference. He said multiple times he simply needed to find five players who would go and get defensive rebounds.
When he was asked what he was seeing at that end of the floor, he replied: “I don’t see five guys rebound. So, then I go get five, and they rebound. It’s that simple. Doesn’t matter about wings, bigs. It doesn’t matter. Find five guys that will rebound. Rebound. Go. It’s that simple.”
When a team misses 48 3-pointers, like Cleveland did, there are going to be odd and long caroms that lead to second chances. But there were also too many moments in which the Celtics simply surrendered position in the paint without offering much resistance.
“It’s all of us,” White said. “Crashing the paint, flying around, getting loose balls. Whoever is out there, we have to find a way to get the rebounds and that will fuel our offense. … It’s going to be a big talking point for Joe the whole year, so we’ve all got to do it.”
▪ Sometimes it’s hard to tell if Mazzulla is frustrated with his team or the reporters who cover it, or both. But his postgame press conference had a combative tone.
The Celtics have emphasized playing faster this season, and when Mazzulla was asked whether there is a different approach to finding 3-pointers when playing quick, he launched into a lengthy response in which he said he has answered the same question 100 times, pointing out that he simply wants his team to find a two-on-one advantage and generate the best shot from that.
“I’ve answered that for three years,” he said. “Why do we keep asking that? Create two-on-ones, find the two-on-one. Everybody should be able to answer that question verbatim, based on my answers to that question for almost three years today. What’s our offensive philosophy? Create two-on-ones. What do you do when you create the two-on-one? Read it, find it.”
He pointed out that last season the Celtics had more elite 3-point shooters, so this season the two-on-ones might be created off a cut toward the basket instead.
“Why is that so hard?” he said. “I said it for three years, and you just keep ignoring what I said. Find the two-on-one, make the right play vs. two-on-one. For however long I’m here, that will be the offensive philosophy.”
▪ Simons started every game he played for the Trail Blazers over the last three seasons. He came off the bench for the first time as a Celtic on Sunday, and that appears to be the most likely path forward when Boston is at full strength, at least in the short term.
Simons said he believes his experience as a backup earlier in his career in Portland should help him if that is what is asked of him here.
“I thought at first I was overthinking it,” he said. “But once I got out there I got a little more comfortable.”
Simons started 4 for 5 from the 3-point line, providing more evidence that he can be a flammable long-range shooter. He also missed some simple box-outs and was left in the dust on a backdoor cut.
“He’s got to box out,” Mazzulla said. “He has to be able to defend, and everything else will take care of itself.”
▪ The Celtics continued to emphasize pushing the pace. White rushed to gather the opening tip and quickly fed Payton Pritchard (14 points) for a 3-pointer just eight seconds into the game. On the rare occasions that Cleveland made first-half baskets, Boston still had the ball past halfcourt within seconds several times.
On one, White hurried upcourt and missed a 3-pointer, but that possession left the Cavaliers’ defense unsettled and Thomas Bryant had the ball knocked away by Sam Hauser (15 points), who anthem a 3-pointer. The Celtics are hoping that these quick-paced moments create chaos this year.
▪ Mazzulla has cautioned onlookers not to read into his starting lineups and substitution patterns this preseason. That disclaimer aside, Chris Boucher started at center in place of Neemias Queta.
But Boucher played just 11 minutes, and Queta saw just seven off the bench. Luka Garza had two stints before Queta received his first.
Adam Himmelsbach can be reached at adam.himmelsbach@globe.com. Follow him @adamhimmelsbach.
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