Boston Celtics: Takeaways from preseason opener vs. Charlotte Hornets

Boston Celtics come up short in 104-97 loss to the Charlotte Hornets.

No team is entering the season with as much hype as the Boston Celtics. The Golden State Warriors are a known entity, the Los Angeles Lakers are as much a reality tv cast as they are a basketball team, and many analysts are forecasting a dropoff from the Houston Rockets.

The Celtics, meanwhile, look poised to claim the East. LeBron James, the immovable barrier who has ruled the Eastern conference for eight years, is out in Los Angeles trying to guide a team of kids and headcases out of the West’s trash heap. The Toronto Raptors and Philadelphia 76ers are imposing, but there’s a reason Westgate projects the Celtics at 59.5 wins (with Toronto and Philadelphia lagging behind at 55 and 54.5, respectively). The Celtics are just stocked with an absurd amount of talent.

Boston Celtics fans finally got to see their team on Friday night. After all the hype, all the offseason speculation, fans at long last got to see this team that’s supposed to be the envy of the East in action against the Charlotte Hornets.

There were some encouraging signs. Everyone was healthy and nobody got hurt, which is a big victory after last year’s “Hospital Celtics” misfortune. They played with great pace, and Brad Stevens was nothing short of GIF-worthy.

Other parts of the night were less encouraging. Even in the high-scoring first half, the Boston Celtics shot pretty dismally. Guys looked rusty and out of shape. They took shots that we’d scold them for in the regular season.

Tis the preseason. Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Without further ado, let’s dig into and overanalyze this glorified pickup basketball game.