Six takeaways from Celtics’ preseason-opening blowout of Grizzlies

The new-look 2025-26 Celtics opened their preseason with a comprehensive victory, dispatching a depleted Memphis Grizzlies squad 121-103 on Wednesday night.

Here are six takeaways from the win, which included productive outings from two big-name holdovers and strong first impressions from several offseason pickups:

1. A surprise starting five

Head coach Joe Mazzulla told reporters in Memphis to read “zero” into his lineup decisions in this game — then proceeded to roll out a starting five that few saw coming.

Returning starters Jaylen Brown and Derrick White were joined by Sam Hauser, Chris Boucher and Xavier Tillman as Mazzulla opted for a double-big look. Guards Payton Pritchard and Anfernee Simons and center Neemias Queta all were given the night off.

Hauser and Boucher have been viewed as potential starters as Boston replaces Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday and the injured Jayson Tatum, but Tillman was an under-the-radar figure entering training camp after he hardly played last season.

It’s worth noting Mazzulla gave Tillman, a former Grizzly, one of his two starts of 2024-25 when the Celtics played in Memphis as a gesture of appreciation. There could have been more sentimentality at play here, but Tillman has said he expects to have more opportunities this season after losing 12 pounds and remedying his lingering knee issues.

The Boston big man showcased the latter when he went airborne for a flying alley-oop in the second quarter.

The Grizzlies, who have been snakebitten by injuries to key players (Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., Brandon Clarke, Zach Edey), sent out a baby-faced starting lineup that featured four 22-year-olds and one 24-year-old.

2. Familiar faces start strong

There are a whole lot of new faces on this Celtics roster, but three mainstays led the way in the early going.

Brown, White and Hauser combined to score the Celtics’ first 22 points of the preseason. The trio started 8-for-11 from the field and made five of their first seven 3-pointers during that early flurry, showing that the three ball still will be a major part of Boston’s retooled, faster-paced offense. (The Celtics went 15-for-53 from distance as a team.)

The first point from any other member of the Celtics’ roster didn’t come until Luka Garza scored on a cutting and-one layup more than seven minutes in.

Brown was especially effective, showing no lingering effects from his meniscus surgery this summer as he went to work against the Grizzlies’ defense. In the opening quarter, he played 11 minutes, scored 15 points, shot 4-for-7 and 2-for-4 from three, and drew three fouls. He totaled 21 points in 20 minutes (though just one rebound and no assists) and sat out the second half.

White was Boston’s leading facilitator, dishing out 10 assists (to go along with 16 points, two blocks and one steal) and finishing as a plus-22 in 27 minutes.

Tatum was the Celtics’ leading assist man last season, so there will be more pressure on players like White to fill that role this season. How he operates alongside Pritchard and newcomer Simons will be something to series as the preseason progresses.

3. Hello, Hugo

It took rookie Hugo Gonzalez all of 50 seconds to make an impact in his preseason NBA debut.

Shortly after checking in at the start of the second quarter, the first-round draft pick drew an offensive foul by racing through a Grizzlies screen on an inbounds pass. Then he blocked Jaylen Wells beneath the basket. Then he blocked fellow rookie Cedric Coward in transition.

A few minutes later, Gonzalez ran the floor for a quick-break layup off a Boucher rejection, then recovered his own loose ball and fed Boucher for a 3-pointer. The 19-year-old Spaniard added a triple of his own off a Hauser assist to cap an impressive opening shift.

Gonzalez was part of an undersized but high-energy lineup (along with White, Boucher, Josh Minott and Baylor Scheierman) that opened the second quarter with an 8-0 run that stretched Boston’s lead to 20. Later, while he was running with a similarly up-tempo unit, he picked off a pass in transition and slammed home a dunk at the other end.

His final line: eight points (3-for-4; 1-for-2 from three), three rebounds, one assist, one steal and three blocks in 18 minutes.

Growing pains are sure to come for Boston’s youngest player, who is still in the process of adjusting to American basketball and mastering the Celtics’ terminology, but these are the types of hustle-play contributions the team wants to see from him. If Gonzalez keeps this up, his wait for real, regular minutes could be shorter than expected.

4. Timberwolves castoffs impress

After toiling at the end of Minnesota’s bench for the last three seasons, Garza and Minott came to Boston seeking opportunity. It’s unclear exactly how they’ll fit in when the Celtics have all of their players available, but both showed potential against Memphis’ backups in their first game in green.

Garza grabbed 10 rebounds, including four offensive boards, was active as a screener and consistently got to the foul line (6-for-9) in his 16 minutes. Minott’s awkward-looking 3-point shot wasn’t falling (0-for-4), but he delivered in the dirty-work areas to the tune of eight points, seven rebounds (three offensive), three assists, three steals and one block in 26 minutes. One of those helpers was the aforementioned transition lob to Tillman.

“(Minott) just has a knack for the situation, the play, on both ends of the floor,” Mazzulla told reporters postgame. “… He’s got some good versatility, but he has a knack for the ball and has a knack for just kind of being in the mix. He was able to generate some steals and deflections tonight, and obviously some offensive rebounds.”

The Celtics also outscored the Grizzlies by 16 points across Boucher’s 20 minutes — a solid debut for the longtime Toronto reserve.

Simons has yet to take the floor, but so far, so good for Boston’s other offseason additions. We’ll see what they can do once the quality of competition picks up.

5. New philosophy on display

The Celtics’ new push-the-pace approach — a clear priority in training camp, and a style that favors energizers like the 22-year-old Minott — was evident Wednesday night. They operated their offense more quickly and upped the aggressiveness on defense, resulting in 13 steals, 10 blocks and 34 points off turnovers. Last year’s Celtics ranked 29th in pace and 27th in forced turnovers — two marks they’re aiming to improve this season.

“Out of the 48 minutes, I would probably say 32 to 34 of them were at the pace that we wanted to play with at both ends of the floor,” Mazzulla told reporters. “We just have to work to maintain those habits regardless of what the lineups are.”

That active defense did lead to some breakdowns, however, with Memphis getting a number of open looks from beyond the arc. Boston also struggled on the defensive glass, which is one big concern for their unproven frontcourt. The Celtics didn’t have their lone 7-footer, Queta, in uniform for this game, but defensive rebounding has not been a strength of his. Garza has been a below-average defender in his career, and Boucher and Tillman are undersized bigs.

Tillman, despite his acrobatics, was one of just two members of Wednesday’s rotation to finish with a negative plus/minus (minus-2, five fouls in 23 minutes). Scheierman (minus-3) was the other.

6. Walsh leaves with injury

Jordan Walsh checked in during Mazzulla’s first round of substitutions, and the third-year pro delivered some positive moments early. He forced a Santi Aldama miss with quality rim protection, flushed a quick-break dunk off a White outlet pass and grabbed three rebounds in his first eight minutes.

Those were the only minutes Walsh logged, however. The 21-year-old wing did not play after the first quarter, with the Celtics later announcing he was doubtful to return with left adductor tightness.

This is a make-or-break year for Walsh, who was unable to crack Mazzulla’s rotation in his first two NBA seasons. He said he worked this offseason to improve both his shooting and his “role player IQ” in hopes of finding a niche as a “connector.”

The Celtics will visit the Raptors on Friday in their second of four preseason games.

Originally Published: October 8, 2025 at 10:35 PM EDT