Should we be worried about Boston's losing preseason record?
That murmur is the tiniest sliver of doubt, as people start to wonder how a team that should be eviscerating teams like the Charlotte Hornets and Cleveland Cavaliers is losing to them.
It's an understandable (if misplaced) sentiment.
Preseason games don't count for a reason; mainly, because they are not designed to be entertaining, nor are they designed to be competitive. Let me repeat that last bit again, just to be sure the doubters hear it:
They aren't about winning, at least not very much.
Preseason games are tune-ups for clubs that haven't played much ball for months, and when they have, it's been recent and against people they know very, very well (their teammates).
Five-on-five practices within the team will always be helpful, but it's just not the same as playing against guys who do not know your set plays, habits, and weaknesses like your teammates - preseason tilts gives you a read on what you really need to tighten up, and for this team, it's figuring out who defers to whom, defense, and shaking off the rust on jump shooting.
In other words, duh.
Nobody is wringing their hands over the Golden State Warriors dropping a game to the Memphis Grizzlies, and you shouldn't about Boston dropping a pair to two other teams that will be lucky to make the playoffs.
The rotations are nothing like what you'll see in the regular season (Walter Lemon might play with the parent franchise this season, but he probably won't be sniffing those kinds of minutes, for example), and Gordon Hayward is still far from 100%, even if he can actually stay on the floor now.
Don't believe me? Take it from two people who know better than I ever would, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Morris; Said Mook (via Boston Sports Journal's Brian Robb):
" ... It's preseason. I mean, we have a lot to look forward to this year so I can understand [Brad's] concerns. At the same time, preseason is for learning and things like that. I think we'll get back on the right page."
Brown feels pretty much the same (per NBC Boston's Chris Forsberg):
"... It’s early though. I mean, let’s not overreact. It’s a fair assessment from Brad but, at the same time, let’s not jump ship. Let’s just continue the course. It’s preseason."
Listen to the man, fellow Celtics fans - let' not jump ship. It is, after all, just preseason.
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