4 takeaways as Celtics trade addition shines in blowout win vs. Cavaliers

BOSTON -- The Celtics dominated an undermanned Cavaliers squad on Sunday night, cruising to a 138-107 victory at TD Garden to improve to 2-1 in preseason action. The hosts had their full, healthy squad available for the first time all preseason, and they made easy work of a Cavaliers team that did not bring their usual starting five to Boston for the matchup.

Boston ran up a double-digit lead in the first quarter against the JV Cavaliers and did not look back from there, leading by over 30 points for the majority of the second half to the delight of a packed Garden crowd. Offseason trade addition Anfernee Simons led five different Celtics to score in double figures in the victory with a game-high 21 points. Derrick White stuffed the box score with 16 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists while Josh Minott had his third straight productive game with 16 points off the bench, including a highlight reel breakaway jam.

Jaylon Tyson had a team-high 16 points for the Cavaliers as the visitors fell to 0-3 in preseason action. Boston closes out their exhibition slate on Wednesday night when they host the Toronto Raptors.

Here are four takeaways from the Celtics’ win over the Cavaliers:

Anfernee Simons shows off offensive upside: The offseason trade addition made his TD Garden debut as a Celtic coming off the bench and showed off some of the upside that made him the Blazers leading scorer last season. Simons finished with a game-high 21 points, knocking down all six of his field goals from the 3-point line as he shot a scorching 6-of-9 from beyond the arc. Many of those makes came in isolation situations on pull-ups, giving Boston’s second unit a needed shot of offense in tough spots. With Simons sending the last few seasons of his career as a starter in Portland, the adjustment back to a reserve kicked off on a high note Sunday night.

Joe Mazzulla is enjoying mixing and matching with his new look roster: It was the first time this postseason that Mazzulla had his full roster at his disposal, and he made quick use of it on Sunday night. Mazzulla used three different centers in the first six minutes of the game and went 12 players deep into his bench by the first minute of the second quarter. Boston’s focus on playing with more tempo could certainly play into the deep preseason rotation, but it’s been striking how often Mazzulla has pulled a player from the game quickly if they failed to box out on the defensive glass. With no set hierarchy outside of Boston’s top starters, hard effort and attention to detail on the boards look to be a prerequisite for Mazzulla this season to stay on the floor.

Chris Boucher’s start adds new intrigue to center rotation: There was going to be plenty of mixing and matching all year long with this revamped frontcourt but a new twist arrived Sunday night. Chris Boucher had primarily been as a power forward throughout training camp and Boston’s first two preseason games. That changed against the Cavaliers when Boucher was given the start at center alongside Boston’s other expected starting five (Pritchard, White, Hauser, Brown) with the Celtics going with a small look without 3-point shooting at every spot on the floor. Boucher asserted himself well in his stints against the undermanned Cavaliers (six points in 11 minutes) but Joe Mazzulla opted for Xavier Tillman to start in the second half, a potential sign he’s still assessing lineup looks. Meanwhile, Neemias Queta was the fourth big off the bench, not seeing minutes until the second quarter. Whether Mazzulla decides on a primary center option or opts for a committee will be an area to watch as we get closer to the regular season.

Still waiting for Celtics to face NBA starting talent: Boston’s regulars have looked good on the whole in their first three preseason contests but there’s still a bit of mystery to their performances. The Grizzlies, Raptors and Cavaliers have all sat most, if not all, of their starting lineups for these matchups, giving Boston’s new look roster a chance to face off with the JV squad against every team so far. The Celtics (outside of the second half against the Raptors) have done their job well in these matchups but there still remains a bit of mystery about how this group is going to look against starting-caliber talent, especially when playing small. We’ll get one more chance to see how Boston looks on Wednesday night if the Raptors elect to bring their starters to the TD Garden. Otherwise, it will be intriguing to see how this group matches up when the degree of difficulty in opponents increases.

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