BOSTON — Brad Stevens sent shockwaves through the league this summer by trading Jaylen Brown to Philadelphia, officially ushering in a bold new era for Boston. Unpacking the core Celtics training camp storylines reveals how Head Coach Joe Mazzulla intends to reshape the team’s offensive hierarchy, weaponize offensive glass dominance, and blend veteran star power with emerging depth.
Media day is set to take place in a couple of days on the 28th. The next day, on the 29th, training camp will begin at the Auerbach center in Brighton, Massachusetts. Immediately Brown signed his mammoth five-year, $304 Million extension back in 2023, his days in Boston became numbered. It became a matter of when not if he was going to be traded. It’s still a shock but it was bound to happen at some point.
Egalitarian Offense and the Paul George Fit
For years, the friction point in Boston centered on overlapping, ball-dominant habits between the wing stars. Last season, Brown posted a career-high 35.1% usage rate while Jayson Tatum recorded a 29.1% usage rate. Running two elite wings who both required heavy touches created a predictable “your turn, my turn” offense during tight late-game situations.
In contrast, the new partnership between Jayson Tatum and Paul George will thrive on complementary off-ball roles. Operating at a modest 23.3% usage rate last season, Paul George proved extremely comfortable functioning as a lethal secondary weapon. He stands as the ideal engine to fluidly grease the team’s half-court flow across various lineups. I intend to see a more egalitarian offense built on ball movement.
Mazzulla will want the ball swinging from corner to corner in five seconds or less rather than settling for tough off-the-dribble jumpers. Paul George fits this vision seamlessly, bringing a pristine 40.8% catch-and-shoot three-point stroke alongside elite ball preservation, averaging just 1.7 turnovers per game compared to Brown’s 3.6 giveaways last year. I expect to see a starting lineup featuring Payton Pritchard, Derrick White, Paul George, Jayson Tatum, and Neemias Queta in scrimmages. This unit boasts a seamless blend of three-point shot-creation and post presence. If they can eliminate live-ball turnovers during camp scrimmages, Boston’s new offensive ceiling will become obvious immediately.
The primary angle to monitor when 5-on-5 practices begin is how quickly Mazzulla enforces quick ball-movement rule with this revamped core. Keep a close eye on how Paul George operates in secondary off-ball actions alongside Jayson Tatum, specifically looking for crisp extra passes and catch-and-shoot rhythm rather than isolated possessions.
Supercharging the Possession Game With Glass Dominance
This shift toward an off-ball co-star directly mimics the egalitarian offense run by the Houston Rockets last season. While Houston relied heavily on physical play, Boston is taking that exact possession-game strategy and supercharging it with elite three-point firepower. The Celtics already ranked fifth in offensive rebounding percentage last season, driven by Queta finishing ninth in the league with 3.0 offensive boards per game.
Adding Mitchell Robinson—who finished second in the entire league in offensive rebounds—gives Mazzulla an unyielding rim presence to keep possessions alive. Integrating Robinson allows Boston to fuse Mazzulla’s three-point heavy philosophy with relentless activity on the offensive glass. The Celtics knocked down the third-most three-pointers in the league last season, but pairing that volume with elite offensive rebounding changes the math for opposing defenses.
During upcoming camp scrimmages, another key angle to watch is how Mazzulla drills second-chance three off the offensive glass. Pay close attention to how Robinson and Queta carve out space against defensive blockout schemes to trigger immediate kick-out passes for open three-pointers.
Battle for Rotation Spots Dominates Celtics Training Camp Storylines
Vacating over 35 wing minutes per game opens up some court time for promising young wings Hugo Gonzalez and Baylor Scheierman, who both established themselves during their 2025-26 campaigns. Per CleaningTheGlass, Gonzalez proved ready for high-stakes minutes as a rookie. During his floor time last season, Boston posted a +9.5 point differential (93rd percentile) while forcing a +2.6% opponent turnover rate (95th percentile). Providing lethal floor spacing, Scheierman knocked down 39.9% of his three-point attempts on 243 attempts per 36 minutes, making him a seamless fit in kick-out secondary actions.
Financially, Boston carries 14 standard contracts and two two-way players (Amari Williams and Dillon Mitchell), leaving two roster spots open on paper. However, Stevens has consistently made a habit of leaving the 15th standard roster spot open heading into the season to preserve optionality and maintain in-season maneuverability. That leaves only the third two-way contract genuinely up for grabs among Exhibit 10 signees Devin Carter, Caleb Grill, Milos Uzan, and Tucker DeVries.
Watch closely to see if Gonzalez and Scheierman earn extended runs with primary playmakers during intrasquad games, while keeping an eye on which Exhibit 10 invitees assert themselves in live play. Observing who wins these battles will reveal how Boston intends to structure its rotation.
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