Jayson Tatum told Boston.com he is approaching this season with what he called a totally different perspective, his first without Jaylen Brown in the locker room. The answers start Thursday at Cleveland, with three more preseason games before the record starts mattering on October 20 at Detroit.
Tatum frames this camp differently than the nine before it.
Boston.com's Khari Thompson reported Tatum described a totally different perspective heading into camp, the first since Brown departed for Philadelphia this summer. MassLive's Souichi Terada added that Tatum is already a fan of Boston's new center, Mitchell Robinson, without detailing why.
Robinson is making an early claim on the middle.
Neemias Queta, last season's primary center at 76 games and 8.4 rebounds, made what MassLive called a bold claim about the center rotation this camp; the outlet did not specify what the claim was. Robinson, signed for $15.0 million, now shares that frontcourt job.
Four preseason games stand between camp and anything that counts.
Boston plays at Cleveland Thursday, hosts Philadelphia Saturday on NBA TV, then Charlotte on the 14th and a return trip to Philadelphia on the 16th, also on NBA TV. None of it touches the record, which opens at 0-0 on October 20 at Detroit.
The payroll already sits above the tax line before a game is played.
Boston carries $203.9 million in salary against a $200.4 million luxury tax threshold, with Tatum's $58.5 million and George's $54.1 million leading the books. Last season's roster produced the league's fourth-best net rating at 8.3; nothing this year has been measured yet.
When does the Celtics season opener happen?
Boston opens the regular season on October 20 at Detroit, broadcast on NBC/Peacock. Four preseason games come first, starting October 8 at Cleveland.
Is Jayson Tatum healthy entering training camp?
No injury has been reported for Tatum this camp. The Celtics' injury list is currently empty.
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