5 takeaways from the Boston Celtics vs. Orlando Magic preseason game

via Boston.com

via Boston.com

The Boston Celtics suffered their first loss of the preseason last night. It came at the hands of Jeff Dowtin of the Orlando Magic who hit the game-winning shot in the final seconds. He secured the Magic a 103-102 win.

A big reason this game was so close was that the Celtics were sitting a large majority of their players. Jayson Tatum, Marcus Smart, Josh Richardson, and Dennis Schroder were all out due to rest. Meanwhile, both Jaylen Brown and Al Horford tested positive for COVID-19 and are in quarantine. Despite all this, what are some takeaways from a game played by mainly young players?

Takeaways from the Boston Celtics preseason game vs. the Toronto Raptors

1. Boston needs their stars

While there were some bright spots, this game was ugly from the start. Not only were the Celtics playing poorly, but so were the Magic. There were turnovers galore and it just seemed as though everyone got lost from time to time. That’s just what happens when only young players are in the game.

2. Jabari Parker looks smooth

The C’s signed Jabari Parker mid-way through last season, and he never really did much. Well, his jump shot actually looked pretty good last night. There’s no guarantee he even makes the roster, but if he plays like he did last night on a consistent basis, he could be a valuable asset to have around. His shooting from the mid-range has always been great, but if he can extend that out to beyond the arc, it would be a game changer.

3. Aaron Nesmith is the real deal

Aaron Nesmith dropped a game-high 23 points last night while shooting 8-16 from the field and 4-8 from three-point range. During a game where there wasn’t a ton of talent on the floor, Nesmith stepped up and showed why he deserves rotational minutes. He has an opportunity to be one of the best shooters on this team going into the season. The best part about his performance is that it should also translate to when the rest of the C’s are also playing.

4. The training camp players looked rough

It won’t matter too much in the long run, but Ryan Arcidiacano and Garrison Matthews looked rough out there. They were definitely giving it 110%, but it just wasn’t translating to good basketball. Both were struggling to hit their shots, and some of the shots Matthews in particular was putting up were just wild. He was shooting the ball with defenders right in his grill. It was just a very rough outing for both of them.

5. Paint attack needs to be better

Every time the Celtics tried to attack the paint last night it seemed as though they were unsuccessful. Obviously, going up against Mo Bamba doesn’t help that, but still, it was rough at times. This has been happening for a lot of the preseason, too. Boston just can’t seem to establish themselves in the paint or whilst driving the ball. That is definitely an area they need to work on moving forward if they want their offense to be as diverse as possible.

The Celtics play their final game of the preseason tomorrow, October 15 vs. the Miami Heat. Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m. (EST) on NBC Sports Boston and ESPN2.

Jack Simone

Jack Simone is the founder of Banner Town, USA and now works across the NBA landscape. He is the site expert at Hoops Habit and a contributing writer for At The Hive. He has also spent time with CLNS, Hardwood Houdini, and All U Can Heat. In addition, he is currently attending Regis College to earn a Master’s degree in Strategic Communication focused on sports. Make sure to check out the From the Rafters podcast on all podcast platforms.

Twitter - @JackSimoneNBA

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