Celtics to open preseason against 76ers on Oct. 8 as part of five-game exhibition slate
Boston announced its five-game preseason schedule on Thursday.
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The Celtics will begin their preseason schedule on Oct. 8 when they are scheduled to host the Philadelphia 76ers, which is their first of five preseason games.
That will be the first of two preseason meetings against the 76ers, with the latter matchup slated for Oct. 11 in Philadelphia. The Celtics are also scheduled for two games against the New York Knicks. The first will be played at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 9 and then at TD Garden on Oct. 17.
The Celtics will cap off preseason ball on Oct. 19 against the Charlotte Hornets.
While fans won’t likely see much of Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown on the floor for preseason, those five games will provide a sampling of some new faces and players vying for increased roles.
After a strong summer league showing, Celtics rookie Jordan Walsh will have increased eyes on him during preseason basketball. The 6-foot-7-inch wing has the potential to impact the rotation early in his career, but he’ll have competition in doing so.
Payton Pritchard has expressed a desire for an increased role, whether that’s in Boston or elsewhere. The young guard wanted to be traded prior to last season’s deadline and reportedly requested a trade again this summer. As of now, that request hasn’t been fulfilled, and if Pritchard does remain in a Celtics uniform to start the season, he’ll likely use preseason time to prove his worth.
The preseason can also answer questions about Boston’s rotational bigs. With the departure of Grant Williams via trade, there are increased minutes available for some other bench players. Sam Hauser and Luke Kornet have been deep rotation staples, and Dalano Banton has an opportunity to earn bench minutes with a strong preseason.
Robert Williams, Al Horford, and newly-acquired forward Kristaps Porzingis will likely dominate minutes in the starting rotation at power forward and center once the regular season begins.
All five of Boston’s preseason games will be available to watch on NBC Boston.
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