Camp opened to a stack of local Celtics coverage this week, most of it debate rather than news. Boston's own roster and last season's stat lines settle some of those arguments and leave others exactly where the outlets found them.
The camp roster matches the one Celtics.com just announced.
Celtics.com's training camp announcement and CelticsBlog previews from Nik Land and Jeff Clark line up with the 21 names Boston already had assembled: Tatum, George, White, Pritchard and the rest, with Devin Carter and Hayden Gray added since mid-September. Nothing in this week's coverage introduces a name that wasn't already accounted for. The burning questions belong to the outlets; the roster itself isn't one of them.
The frontcourt debate has a real roster problem behind it.
CelticsBlog ran two takes on Luka Garza this week: Bobby Manning on his push to improve defensively, Jack Anderson asking whether he's the odd man out. Boston reached fourth in defense last season with Neemias Queta as the only big logging real minutes; camp now has four of them, Garza, Queta, Mitchell Robinson and Amari Williams, competing for time. Which two lose out is still open.
Tatum's ranking argument runs into a 16-game sample.
Trevor Hass pushed back this week on a ranking that placed eight players ahead of Jayson Tatum. In the 16 games he played last season, Tatum averaged 21.8 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.3 assists, production that backs Hass's side more than the ranking's. What last season doesn't settle is how that level holds up across the games he missed.
Devin Carter's fit is getting the closer look camp brings.
Rich Jensen's profile of Carter follows a signing that closed exactly as reported: Jake Fischer flagged interest in mid-September, and Carter signed days later. He now competes for backcourt minutes behind Derrick White, Payton Pritchard and Mike Conley on a team that had guard depth before he showed up.
Could Luka Garza get cut before the season starts?
No cut has been reported. CelticsBlog's debate this week centered on playing time behind Queta, Robinson and Williams, not on whether Garza survives camp.
How did Jayson Tatum play last season?
Tatum appeared in 16 games last season, averaging 21.8 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.3 assists.
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