The Celtics haven’t officially kicked off their long-awaited NBA Playoff run. However, the team might be sitting back while its future is put to work down in Portland, Maine—roughly 107 miles north of TD Garden.
After defeating the Oklahoma City Blue, 106-86 in Game 1 of the G League Finals, the Maine Celtics are just a win shy of being crowned champions. They could wrap up their series with a quick and easy sweep of the Blue before the NBA-best Celtics even conclude their regular season schedule.
Now, there’s no rush considering the bulk of postseason minutes will be divvied up amongst Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla’s go-to rotation. Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday and Derrick White will get the starting minutes, pending health on Boston’s side. Al Horford will be the sixth starter’s role, while Payton Pritchard will play floor general for the reserve unit. That’s what’s brought the Celtics to a No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, built their double-digit-game cushion over the runner-up Milwaukee Bucks, and earned them home-court advantage for the playoffs.
Therefore, it’s (very) unlikely that changes once the Celtics take the floor in Round 1. But… this doesn’t take away from what could be in store for Boston in the coming years, especially after the team signed guard Jrue Holiday to a reported four-year, $135 million contract extension on Wednesday night — 24 hours ahead of Maine’s potential title-clinching matchup with the Blue.
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“You have depth. You’re not one of these teams like Phoenix (Suns) and you are basically going to have to recycle the minimum barrel once again or overpay to keep Grayson Allen or Royce O’Neal,” ESPN’s Bobby Marks explained following the news of Holiday’s extension. “You have depth.”
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Depth can currently be interpreted as Pritchard, Sam Hauser, or the team’s trade deadline additions of Xavier Tillman Sr. and Jaden Springer, but that isn’t the end of the line for Boston’s options. A few names down in Maine who’ve already gotten their feet wet in scattered appearances with the Celtics, too, could be called to action down the line.
Jordan Walsh
Selected with the 38th overall pick in the second round of last year’s draft, Walsh has undergone a patient introductory season with the Celtics.
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The Arkansas product played 40 minutes through seven appearances with Boston, averaging 0.9 points on 33.3% shooting. Not a sample size worthy of making any call regarding Walsh’s development, however, teammates have noticed growth from when the 20-year-old first joined the team.
“Obviously he’s been down in Maine, but we’ve been hearing good things,” Jaylen Brown said after Walsh’s debut against the San Antonio Spurs on Jan. 17. “So to see him get out there and right away show some signs of improvement, get out there and grab four rebounds. You could see he’s got some talent and he’s just working.”
Walsh was a plus-18, scoring 15 points while grabbing six rebounds and logging three steals to open the finals against Oklahoma City.
Neemias Queta
After weeks without filling the 15th and final roster spot amid the aftermath of the trade deadline, Queta was awarded a new contract on Monday night.
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Queta showed flashes of potential while making fill-in appearances for a then-injured Luke Kornet, logging 16-plus minutes on the floor six times in December. The 24-year-old, who signed a two-way contract in the offseason by the Celtics, marked career-highs in points (4.6) and rebounds (4.1).
“I just like seeing Neemy be physical,” Mazzulla said after Queta scored six points and grabbed eight rebounds against the Spurs on Jan. 17, per Jordan Daly of NBC Sports Boston. “The presence that he’s playing with on the floor — he’s one of those kids, he doesn’t understand how good he can be.”
Queta notched a double-double in Game 1 on Tuesday night, scoring 20 points while grabbing a game-leading 13 rebounds.
JD Davison
Having fizzled out and fallen down Boston’s depth chart, Davison still has time to make up ground and earn minutes off the bench for the Celtics.
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Davison was selected by Boston in the second round with the 53rd overall pick in the 2022 draft, but he has spent most of the past two seasons in the G League. The 21-year-old hasn’t shown much in his 18 career appearances with the Celtics, averaging 1.5 points on 45.5% shooting after being envisioned as an explosive-level playmaker out of Alabama.
Competing on a bigger stage down in Maine has provided Davison with a chance to play in high-pressure moments.
“It means everything, especially with this group,” Davison said of Tuesday night’s Game 1 win, per CLNS Media. “… We just playing well together and I can’t explain the feeling right now.”
Davison averaged 20.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 8.6 assists in 28 games played with Maine this season.
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Featured image via Ed Szczepanski/USA TODAY Sports Images
