Typically, NBA preseason basketball can feel like a bit of a snoozefest. For teams with a set-in-stone starting lineup and rotation, those exhibition games are a way to shake off the rust and get the roster warmed up before Opening Night arrives.
However, for the Celtics, their preseason had its highest level of intrigue in years.
Boston’s offseason — driven primarily by the need to ease the strain of its hefty payroll — forced the organization to part ways with Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, and Al Horford, three premier pieces of its championship core. In turn, Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens scoured the open market and July’s 2025 NBA Draft for affordable ways to replenish the team’s depth. It was unlike any offseason Stevens had been tasked to lead, or any the organization has faced under the Jayson Tatum-Jaylen Brown era, but it was imperative nonetheless.
In came a group of newcomers, or as Stevens dubbed them during Celtics Media Day, the “unproven” crew, each getting a valuable opportunity to carve out a role for head coach Joe Mazzulla. Throughout the preseason, everyone from new faces to those returning with a greater degree of responsibility to shoulder this go-around, strived to make a strong impression within the four-game stretch — and several, in fact, did just that.
Here are five who were most impressive during Boston’s 3-1 preseason run:
BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 15: Josh Minott #8 of the Boston Celtics dunks the ball during the game against the Toronto Raptors during Preseason on October 15, 2025 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 15: Josh Minott #8 of the Boston Celtics dunks the ball during the game against the Toronto Raptors during Preseason on October 15, 2025 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)
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5. Josh Minott
Among those who battled for a rotation spot, Minott submitted possibly the most convincing case.
The 22-year-old, who inked a two-year, $5.5 million deal with Boston this past offseason, showcased his contagious sparkplug energy on the floor. Minott’s athleticism, which features an explosive bounce and a strong likelihood of leading the team in jaw-dropping highlights this season, was an instant attention grabber. His ability to attack the paint, threaten defenders at the rim, and deliver an impact on the defensive side of the floor didn’t go unnoticed through Minott’s four preseason showings.
Recognizing Minott’s potential, the team has continued to push the young forward toward reaching a new ceiling in his first season with the Celtics.
“(Mazzulla) is just trying to push me to my limit,” Minott said during Monday’s team practice. “Just trying to get me to play harder. Even when I think I’m playing hard, he’s always trying to get me past that point.”
Minott added: “I understand that it’s a lot of new people and he’s trying to just instill that Celtics mentality for those of us that are new.”
Preseason stats: 11.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.3 steals, 1.0 blocks (24.9 minutes)
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 12: Hugo González #28 of the Boston Celtics and Thomas Bryant #3 of the Cleveland Cavaliers compete for the ball in the third quarter of a preseason game at TD Garden on October 12, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jaiden Tripi/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 12: Hugo González #28 of the Boston Celtics and Thomas Bryant #3 of the Cleveland Cavaliers compete for the ball in the third quarter of a preseason game at TD Garden on October 12, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jaiden Tripi/Getty Images)
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4. Hugo Gonzalez
When the Celtics used their lone first-round pick (28th overall) on Gonzalez, Stevens described the 19-year-old as a hard-working defender with a knack for cutting to the basket. The description was vague, mundane, and, if anything, undersold Gonzalez’s true potential.
Teammates, including Jordan Walsh and Baylor Scheierman, quickly took notice of Gonzalez’s defensive intensity during training camp, which carried over into the preseason. The Spain native unleashed the fierce, competitive edge he honed during his stint with Real Madrid in the Liga ACB, immediately becoming a disruptive presence on that end of the floor. Chase-down blocks, steals, and seemingly endless energy became his trademark, turning the 6-foot-6 forward into a must-watch preseason standout.
“I think that’s the biggest thing from his game that we’ve taken is his defensive instincts,” Mazzulla said after Wednesday night’s preseason finale versus the Raptors. “Especially when he’s off the ball, he’s done a great job of just reading the game — his ability to rotate, deflections. So I’ve been very pleased with his defensive instincts, and he just has to continue to get better at those.”
Now the (very premature) conversation has shifted to, “Did Stevens fleece the end of the first round?”
There are obvious areas in need of improvement, most notably Gonzalez’s 3-point shot, but the spark is present and introduces itself each night. That alone is promising.
Preseason stats: 5.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, 0.3 steals, 1.0 blocks (16.3 minutes)
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 15: Payton Pritchard #11 of the Boston Celtics dribbles downcourt against Jakob Poeltl #19 of the Toronto Raptors during the preseason game at TD Garden on October 15, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 15: Payton Pritchard #11 of the Boston Celtics dribbles downcourt against Jakob Poeltl #19 of the Toronto Raptors during the preseason game at TD Garden on October 15, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
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3. Payton Pritchard
Last season, Pritchard took the biggest leap of his career, and it netted the undersized guard the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year Award when it was all said and done.
Pritchard’s contributions off the bench were second to none. But this season, regardless of whether Pritchard remains a member of the reserve unit or is upgraded to a full-time starting role, the responsibility load will increase. The Celtics are going to need Pritchard’s efficient 3-point trigger ready to go on Opening Night and beyond for Mazzulla Ball to be sustainable amid Tatum’s absence.
The work ethic Pritchard put forth last offseason paid its dividends for Boston, and the same can be said heading into 2025-26.
Pritchard’s ball-handling and ability to work with the second unit, stacked with newcomers, pose positive signs moving forward. The 27-year-old was aggressive getting to the basket, making up for an uncharacteristic 23.8% shooting clip from three, and filled the role of a floor general seamlessly to help get guys like Luka Garza and ex-Oregon teammate Chris Boucher going.
Preseason stats: 14.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.7 steals (26.9 minutes)
2. Chris Boucher
Boston took a flyer on Boucher after the two-time NBA champion slipped out of the rotation last season with the Raptors, and so far it’s proved to be a more-than-worthy investment.
Boucher’s previous eight seasons of experience not only provide a plethora of wisdom, but they’ve also molded the 32-year-old’s leadership qualities. When Gonzalez found himself in a mid-game scruffle with Grizzlies center PJ Hall in the preseason opener, Boucher rushed to defend his rookie — something he claims he learned under the leadership of former Toronto teammates Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka.
Cracking a spot in the starting lineup isn’t Boucher’s primary incentive as he gets acclimated in a Celtics uniform for the first time, even with a critical need for frontcourt depth. Instead, Boucher is more concerned with doing his part in helping maintain a culture that allows for the locker room’s younger players to develop and flourish in ways that’ll benefit them down the line.
“I’m only focusing on helping this team in whatever position that I am in,” Boucher said during Tuesday’s practice. “Just do what I can to be disruptive or be able to speed up the game or whatever we need during the games. So I think that obviously we have a lot of players who can play a lot of different positions and we all gotta be able to fill out the role that Joe puts us in.”
Preseason stats: 10.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.0 steals, 0.8 blocks (18.2 minutes)
BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 12: Anfernee Simons #4 of the Boston Celtics drives to the basket during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers during a pre-season game on October 12, 2025 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 12: Anfernee Simons #4 of the Boston Celtics drives to the basket during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers during a pre-season game on October 12, 2025 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)
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1. Anfernee Simons
The highlight of Boston’s offseason was as much a highlight in the preseason as Simons left a strong first impression on the franchise and its fans.
Simons didn’t take very long to find comfort in embracing the Mazzulla-ball philosophy once the 26-year-old debuted at TD Garden against the Cavaliers. He connected on 6-of-9 threes, several of which were heavily contested and had Simons launching from unbalanced angles. It was as if Simons had been preparing himself to play under Mazzulla for years, and the introductory performance left the eight-year veteran feeling especially optimistic about Year 1 in Boston.
“(TD Garden has) always been an arena that I looked forward to playing in, and I always thought it was a good shooting gym for me,” Simons said after Boston’s preseason win over Cleveland. “So I feel like it’s the same thing — great shooting gym, for sure.”
Without Tatum, the Celtics will need a reliable high-volume scorer who can hit threes efficiently. Simons offered a preview of that ability, seamlessly doing both while coming off the bench and integrating with a new group of teammates.
Preseason stats: 17.7 points, 40% from three (27.6 minutes)