Raptors (3-1) at Celtics (2-1) Preseason Game #4 10/15/25

[Phantom255x]

Idk if this means anything for X. But he had a really good moment and a really nice quarter and if that?s the last we see him in meaningful minutes I?m glad he had a moment to shine.

I think if he's healthy he'll find some time in the rotation.

He definitely looks healthier and quicker than last year. Idk if he was dealing with something behind the scenes but I kind of hope he was, because if Tillman can reach a little of what he was with the Grizzlies that'd be nice. He's only 26 years old lol despite looking like a 35+ year old guy 

[Neurotic Guy]

Idk if this means anything for X. But he had a really good moment and a really nice quarter and if that?s the last we see him in meaningful minutes I?m glad he had a moment to shine.

I think if he's healthy he'll find some time in the rotation.

He definitely looks healthier and quicker than last year. Idk if he was dealing with something behind the scenes but I kind of hope he was, because if Tillman can reach a little of what he was with the Grizzlies that'd be nice. He's only 26 years old lol despite looking like a 35+ year old guy 

It counters Boucher who is 32 and looks 26.

[Phantom255x]

Idk if this means anything for X. But he had a really good moment and a really nice quarter and if that?s the last we see him in meaningful minutes I?m glad he had a moment to shine.

I think if he's healthy he'll find some time in the rotation.

He definitely looks healthier and quicker than last year. Idk if he was dealing with something behind the scenes but I kind of hope he was, because if Tillman can reach a little of what he was with the Grizzlies that'd be nice. He's only 26 years old lol despite looking like a 35+ year old guy 

It counters Boucher who is 32 and looks 26.

LOL exactly. I do like Boucher a lot, think he's a bit underrated and on Toronto he was understandably behind Barnes and Poeltl. Now with an opportunity we'll see what he does.

[Vermont Green]

Idk if this means anything for X. But he had a really good moment and a really nice quarter and if that's the last we see him in meaningful minutes I'm glad he had a moment to shine.

I think if he's healthy he'll find some time in the rotation.

Maybe more accurate to say if he STAYS healthy.  He has looked plenty healthy this preseason.  Not sure if his knee will hold up but this version of Tillman is a useful rotation player on a good team for sure.  And on this 2025-26 BOS team, maybe even a starter.  Just a few seasons ago, he was playing better than Boucher for example.  Better than Queta, better than Garza. 

Natural recency bias means all of us remember the broken down Tillman from last season the most.

[Goldstar88]

The good: Q had a great game. In 21 mins: 8pts, 12rebs, 4blk, 2ast, 1stl. Good to see. Minott continues to look good. Hugo hit a couple 3s, which was nice. Tillman had a solid game.


The bad: Garzas defense is bad. He?s not very good offensively either. I?m not sure what Brad sees in him. Baylor stinks, Walsh didn?t do much. Simons had more TO than assists.

[Vermont Green]

The good: Q had a great game. In 21 mins: 8pts, 12rebs, 4blk, 2ast, 1stl. Good to see. Minott continues to look good. Hugo hit a couple 3s, which was nice. Tillman had a solid game.


The bad: Garzas defense is bad. He?s not very good offensively either. I?m not sure what Brad sees in him. Baylor stinks, Walsh didn?t do much. Simons had more TO than assists.

I am a bit disappointed in Garza overall based on these 3 preseason games.  In 49 minutes, he shot 54% overall, 0-3 from 3, had 21 Rebs (9 ORebs), only 2 TOV, and managed to be +24 overall.  All that appears fine, but he just didn't look in the flow of things.  And I thought he could hit some 3s.  BOS will need his rebounding so that part looks good, but I was hoping for more than just that.

[ozgod]

I missed the game, what happened to Jaylen?

EDIT Hamstring tightness 

[ozgod]

The good: Q had a great game. In 21 mins: 8pts, 12rebs, 4blk, 2ast, 1stl. Good to see. Minott continues to look good. Hugo hit a couple 3s, which was nice. Tillman had a solid game.


The bad: Garzas defense is bad. He?s not very good offensively either. I?m not sure what Brad sees in him. Baylor stinks, Walsh didn?t do much. Simons had more TO than assists.

He's probably not looking at things in a vacuum, this is the reality of what we can afford 

[ozgod]

Baylor in the game for what - a minute?  Less I think, and then subbed out.

Apparently Mazzulla is subbing players out if they fail to compete for rebounds, especially offensive ones.

Three games into the preseason, Garza said, the Boston Celtics have learned to expect Joe Mazzulla to make an immediate substitution whenever they give up a second-chance opportunity.

?He?s made it very clear,? Garza said. ?And we all know where we stand. And we kind of know right away if we give it up that we?re coming out. And he?s just kind of setting a standard for us to approach the game with that mindset to not let that happen.?

Derrick White suggested Mazzulla has not explicitly stated he will pull Celtics players who surrender offensive rebounds. But throughout Boston?s 138-107 win against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Mazzulla quickly yanked players after they were beaten on the glass. And when he was asked about the defensive rebounding issue that has popped up throughout the first three games of the Celtics preseason, he replied with a simple solution: ?Find five guys that will rebound.?

That?s what Mazzulla seemed to be looking to do Sunday when he regularly removed players from the game after missing out on rebounds. Garza was subbed out less than two minutes into his first stint after allowing Wade to secure his own missed 3-pointer. After closing out on the possession, Garza jumped to contest Wade?s shot and did not get back into rebounding position. The ball bounced hard enough off the front rim that Wade was able to retrieve it. Though his offensive rebound did not lead to any Cavaliers points because they traveled later in the play, the result of the possession didn?t seem to matter to Mazzulla. He pointed to the Boston bench for a sub as soon as Wade corralled the rebound. At the next whistle, Xavier Tillman checked in for Garza.

Even when he didn?t yank a player, Mazzulla had no patience for poor rebounding. With 14 seconds left in the second quarter, Jaylen Brown allowed an and-1 to Larry Nance Jr. after neglecting to box out the big man on a missed Cavaliers shot. It didn?t take a professional lip reader to decode what Mazzulla shouted from the sideline. The one-syllable word rhymed with truck. Moments later, as the Celtics headed toward their locker room with a 70-46 lead, Mazzulla approached Brown to address the mistake again.

Brown avoided a quick hook on that play, but didn?t on his next offense. After he gave up another offensive rebound three minutes into the third quarter, Anfernee Simons replaced him in the lineup.

Mazzulla typically reinserted players into the game shortly after subbing them out. Still, he delivered his message time after time, setting a tone for the Celtics. Even as one of the players affected by the tactic, Garza appreciated Mazzulla?s approach.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6712435/2025/10/13/celtics-win-cavaliers-joe-mazzulla-subs-luka-garza/

[A Future of Stevens]

Man I don't know what Hugo is going to be, but I'm excited. I hope the lower expectations and his defensive talent will grant him a lot of minutes this year. Having a good rotation 3rd wing with his tools next to the Jay's for the rest of their run would be huge.