The Boston Celtics defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 114-106 in a preseason game on Sunday evening, their first game since Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The final score was basically meaningless because it was simply an exhibition. This was more of a test for Boston’s newly overhauled starting lineup than anything else.
Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla seemingly acknowledged this, making the decision to rely on his starters in the first half. With training camp in the rearview mirror, he finally had a chance to evaluate the “new look” Celtics in a competitive environment, complete with hometown fans cheering them on.
When the Celtics made the move to send point guard Marcus Smart to the Memphis Grizzlies in a deal that netted them big man Kristaps Porzingis, that looked to be the end of their offseason moves. Things changed when Jrue Holiday suddenly became available after the Portland Trail Blazers acquired him during the trade that sent Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Until that point, it looked like Boston’s only other major move would be signing Jaylen Brown to a $340 million contract extension, which kicks in next year. Under the new CBA rules, it didn’t look like the Celtics had an opportunity to make another huge move before the season began. Holiday, however, was not just a fantastic veteran two-way player, he would be a much better fit in the point guard position than Brogdon, penciled in as the everyday starter.
