Pritchard finished with 21 points (6-13 FG, 6-12 3Pt, 3-4 FT), four rebounds and six assists across 25 minutes in Friday's 107-103 preseason win over the Nuggets.
There's no question Pritchard made the most of his opportunity in this preseason opener, carrying the Celtics in scoring and showing he's ready to handle a bigger role off the bench if called upon duty. Pritchard averaged a career-high 9.6 points per game in 2023-24 while making 38.5 percent of his threes over 82 regular-season games, so he should be a reliable weapon off the bench for Boston, though his fantasy upside will be minimal if he continues to play almost exclusively off the bench.
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Celtics' Jayson Tatum: Scores 12 points Friday
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Tatum notched 12 points (4-11 FG, 3-7 3Pt, 1-2 FT), six rebounds and five assists across 20 minutes in Friday's 107-103 preseason win over the Nuggets.
Luke Kornet was the only starter who reached the 20-minute mark in the preseason opener, but when he was out there, Tatum was the clear focal point of the Celtics' offense. That shouldn't be a surprise to anyone, as Tatum has been one of the most consistent performers in the league over the last few years and is a key cog in Boston's offensive scheme. The final shooting line wasn't pretty, but preseason stats shouldn't matter much. Expect Tatum to be a man on a mission as he aims to lead the Celtics to a second consecutive NBA title in 2024-25.
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Celtics' Luke Kornet: Active in preseason opener
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Kornet scored six points (3-5 FG) while adding 11 rebounds, three assists and a steal across 22 minutes in Friday's 107-103 preseason win over the Nuggets.
The big man was tied for the team lead in the plus/minus department with plus-12, and he made his presence felt on both ends of the court, particularly as a rebounding threat and a passing option in the post. Al Horford will open the season as the starting center while Kristaps Porzingis (foot) works on his recovery, but don't rule out Kornet emerging as a realistic option for the backup role ahead of other options such as Xavier Tillman and Neemias Queta.
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Celtics' Al Horford: Doesn't play Friday
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Horford (coach's decision) didn't play in Friday's 107-103 preseason win over the Nuggets.
Horford was expected to come off the bench, but he didn't step on the floor, and this could be a sign of the Celtics being extra careful with the veteran. Luke Kornet got the start at center and Xavier Tillman saw minutes off the bench as well, but Horford should be the starter once the regular season begins.
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Celtics' Al Horford: Coming off bench Friday
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Horford will come off the bench for Friday's preseason opener against Denver, Justin Turpin of WEEI.com reports.
Luke Kornet will get the start for the first preseason matchup, and Horford is expected to receive minutes off the bench. With Kristaps Porzingis (foot) expected to miss at least the first month of the season, preseason will likely show who replaces him in the starting lineup to begin the year -- though Horford is still the favorite to step into the starting five.
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Celtics' Luke Kornet: Gets starting nod
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Kornet is in the starting five for Friday's preseason opener against the Nuggets.
With Kristaps Porzingis (foot) out, Kornet will get the starting nod in Boston's preseason opener. Until Porzingis can return, Kornet will likely compete with Al Horford for the starting center job.
President of basketball operations Brad Stevens said Tuesday that Kornet had offseason wrist surgery, but he's 100 percent heading into training camp, Jared Weiss of The Athletic reports.
This sounds like a minor procedure for Kornet, and Stevens didn't sound concerned in the slightest. Kristaps Porzingis (foot) will miss the beginning of the season, so Kornet is a candidate to see a bump in playing time out of the gate. During 63 regular-season games in 2023-24, Kornet posted averages of 5.3 points and 4.1 rebounds in 15.6 minutes per game.
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Celtics' Xavier Tillman: Good to go for camp
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President of basketball operations Brad Stevens said Tuesday that Tillman had a knee scope during the offseason, but he will be a full go for training camp, Jared Weiss of The Athletic reports.
Stevens did not specify which knee it was, but the good news is that the issue is apparently behind Tillman. With Kristaps Porzingis (foot) sidelined to begin the season, Tillman will have an opportunity to earn some rotation minutes early on. In 20 regular-season games in 2023-24, Tillman averaged 4.0 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 13.7 minutes.
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Celtics' Kristaps Porzingis: Making good progress
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President of basketball operations Brad Stevens said Tuesday that Porzingis (foot) is making good progress since his foot surgery in June, Jared Weiss of The Athletic reports.
Stevens did not provide an updated timetable for Porzingis, but he said he's been surprised by how quickly he's improving. The Celtics originally gave Porzingis a 5-to-6-month timetable, and the center told ESPN's Ramona Shelburne that he's expecting to return in December. Currently, the big man is limited to jogging and light on-court work with minimal contact, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN.com. With Porzingis trending in the right direction, he'll offer plenty of appeal as a stash pick in fantasy drafts.
