LaMelo Ball is gone, guys, and the Charlotte Hornets are a completely different squad as they head into their third preseason game against the undefeated Boston Celtics tonight at TD Garden. This isn’t just a few tweaks, we’re talking a full-blown roster explosion down in Charlotte, and it makes watching this preseason tilt surprisingly interesting. The Celtics are sitting pretty at 2-0 so far in the preseason, but even they’ve got some question marks heading into this one.
Charlotte’s Total Roster Overhaul and Who’s Running the Show Now
Seriously, the Hornets have been busy. They brought in a ton of new blood. Coby White signed up as a free agent, which is a solid pickup. Then they went all-in on trades, snagging Naz Reid from Minnesota, and both Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale from Phoenix. And if that wasn’t enough, Dennis Schroder is now rocking Charlotte purple after a trade with the Wizards. On top of all those vets, they drafted Hannes Steinbach at 14th overall and Christian Anderson, Jr. at 18th. That’s six new faces, minimum, trying to learn the playbook.
But to make room, they had to say goodbye to a lot of familiar names. LaMelo Ball, Josh Green, Miles Bridges, and Tre Mann were all traded away. Plus, Antonio Reeves and Xavier Tillman walked as unsigned free agents. It’s a complete teardown and rebuild, and you gotta wonder how long it’ll take for this new group to gel. In their previous preseason games, we’ve seen them try out different lineups. Schroder, Allen, McNeeley, Reid, and Diabate started in their loss to the Nets, but then it was Schroder, Miller, McNeeley, Reid, and Diabate in their win against the Bucks. They’re still figuring out who belongs where.
Celtics Are Rolling, But Preseason Lineups Are Always a Guessing Game
The Celtics are definitely looking good, with a perfect 2-0 record after beating the Cavaliers and then taking down the 76ers. But trying to guess who Head Coach Joe will start in this third preseason game? That’s a fool’s errand. We’ve seen them mix it up already: Conley, Scheierman, Walsh, Gonzalez, and Garza kicked things off in Game 1. Then in Game 2, they went with Walsh, White, Tatum, George, and Robinson. Joe might want to see his starters again, or he might rest them completely and give the reserves the full game. Or he might play the starters tonight and then sit them against the 76ers later this week. It’s preseason, man, anything can happen.
Adding to the complexity, both teams are dealing with some nagging injuries. For Boston, Devin Carter is a game-time decision due to an illness that kept him out Saturday. Ron Harper, Jr. has missed both games with a shoulder injury and is also a game-time call. And Luka Garza? He took an elbow to the nose in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s game and is listed as a game-time decision, which means that thing was probably bleeding! Charlotte’s got its own injury list, too. Grayson Allen missed Sunday’s game with a knee injury and is a game-time decision, and Christian Anderson, Jr. has missed both preseason games with an ankle sprain, also a game-time call. Plus, Kylan Boswell (knee), Kon Knueppel (hamstring), Coby White (calf), and Grant Williams (hamstring) are all officially out.
It’s going to be a fascinating night just to see who’s even on the court for both squads. The Celtics have one more preseason game left, a Friday night showdown in Philadelphia, to finalize their rotations. You gotta watch this one to see which of these new Hornets can actually step up, and if the Celtics can keep that perfect preseason record going while navigating all these lineup puzzles.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Celtics Blog.
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