With each of their first three preseason opponents choosing to rest their regulars, the Celtics don’t yet have a clear picture of how their offseason additions will stack up against top competition.
But the early returns from Boston’s quintet of rostered newcomers have been largely positive.
Ahead of Wednesday night’s exhibition finale against the Toronto Raptors at TD Garden, here’s a look at how each new face on the 15-man roster has fared thus far:
Anfernee Simons
In his first time coming off the bench since Dec. 29, 2021, Simons showcased the type of explosive offensive potential he’ll bring to Boston’s backcourt. The former Portland Trail Blazers starter poured in 21 points in 25 minutes Sunday night against Cleveland’s backups, going 6-for-9 from 3-point range.
Simons also had a productive outing against Toronto in his preseason Celtics debut, scoring 18 points on 6-of-13 shooting (2-for-7 from three). As one of just 10 NBA players to average more than 20 points and eight 3-point attempts per game over the last three seasons, he’s a known commodity as a scorer, and Boston appears likely to utilize him as its new sixth man.
Whether Simons can play to head coach Joe Mazzulla’s standards defensively is an open question, and his first two games were a mixed bag at that end. Against the Raptors and Cavaliers, he picked up three early fouls before settling in.
“He’s just got to be a complete player,” Mazzulla told reporters after Sunday’s 138-107 win. “He has to have an understanding of the physicality that’s needed on every single possession on both ends of the floor. That’s the only thing I care about. It’s got to be physical. He’s got to box out. He has to be able to defend, and everything else will take care of itself.”
Chris Boucher
The only Celtics player to start all three preseason games? That would be Boucher, who’s in line for a major role in Boston’s overhauled frontcourt.
It’s unclear how Mazzulla plans to structure his top lineup, but when he had all of his starting candidates in uniform Sunday night, Boucher got the nod as a small-ball five alongside Payton Pritchard, Derrick White, Sam Hauser and Jaylen Brown. That unit would sacrifice size (with no players taller than the lanky, 6-foot-9 Boucher) in the name of spacing and perimeter shooting. Another option is to start 7-footer Neemias Queta at center and either Hauser or Boucher at the four.
The Celtics have outscored opponents by 50 points over Boucher’s 54 minutes, and he’s reached double figures twice, shooting 54.5% from the field and 35.7% from three. The 32-year-old’s best game so far came in his former home arena: 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting, nine rebounds, two assists, one steal, one block in 23 minutes against the Raptors last Friday.
Boston Celtics forward Chris Boucher looks to shoot in the second half of an NBA basketball preseason game against the Memphis Grizzlies, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill)
Boston Celtics forward Chris Boucher looks to shoot in the second half of an NBA basketball preseason game against the Memphis Grizzlies, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill)
Luka Garza
Garza has looked like a potential asset for Boston’s offense, though not in the way many expected.
Though he prides himself on his outside shooting ability, the 6-foot-10 big man has attempted just three treys in a Celtics uniform and missed all three. Garza has been effective at drawing fouls, however, getting to the line 20 times through three games. He attempted just 35 free throws all last season. Garza also has been active as a screener and productive on the offensive glass (team-high 3.0 offensive rebounds per game).
Defensive rebounding, though, has been a different story. Garza was one of multiple players whom Mazzulla pulled from the floor after allowing an offensive board against Cleveland. That’s been a team-wide issue; Celtics opponents have collected offensive rebounds on 35.7% of their opportunities this preseason, which ranks 24th in the NBA. Boston ranked seventh in that metric last season (28.3%).
Like Simons, the prominence of Garza’s role could hinge on how well he holds up defensively. Still, he’s been a positive player thus far. He’s a plus-24 in his 48 minutes.
Josh Minott
Minott’s unorthodox 3-point form hasn’t yielded much success so far — he’s shooting 23.1% from deep on 4.7 attempts per game — but there’s been a lot to like about the rangy 22-year-old’s first three performances. Minott has impressed as an off-the-bench energy guy and defensive pest, delivering the type of hustle plays Mazzulla wants to see from his players. He ranks top-three on the team in rebounds, offensive rebounds, steals and blocks per game, and he’s scored in double figures twice despite his struggles from beyond the arc, headlined by a couple of emphatic dunks.
An end-of-the-bench player during his three seasons in Minnesota, Minott should be part of Mazzulla’s core rotation to open his first campaign as a Celtic. He’s been the most effective of Boston’s unproven reserve wings (a group that also includes Jordan Walsh, Baylor Scheierman and Hugo Gonzalez) to this point.
“Josh has been great,” Brown told reporters Monday. “He’s been great all training camp, been great all preseason. We’re going to need him to be great all season long. He’s a long, athletic wing — something that we kind of could have used over the past years or so. Somebody high-energy, super athletic — we need that.”
Hugo Gonzalez
Prior Celtics teams wouldn’t have had minutes available for a 19-year-old rookie like Gonzalez. That could change this year.
Mazzulla has given Boston’s first-round draft pick plenty of run this preseason, and he’s shown potential as another athletic, high-motor disruptor whose contributions won’t always be reflected on the stat sheet. Gonzalez’s best game to date was his three-block, one-steal debut against Memphis last Wednesday, but he’s one of just four Celtics who have posted a positive plus/minus in all three contests, along with Boucher, Garza and Minott.
Will Gonzalez be a 17-minute-per-night player once the regular season begins? Probably not, at least at first. But he has looked like someone who can help the Celtics in the coming weeks and months, especially if the adductor injury that’s sidelined Walsh lingers.
Originally Published: October 13, 2025 at 4:34 PM EDT