BOSTON – We’re not even a full week into training camp and the Celtics are already at the halfway point, game-wise at least, of their preseason schedule following Sunday’s 115-112 win over the Charlotte Hornets.
It was another game in which the Celtics went deep into their bench, an all-too-common reality of preseason basketball.
While many will play, only a few will stand out for all the right reasons.
And with that, here are the Stars, Studs and Duds from Sunday night’s game.
STARS
Kyrie Irving: Head coach Brad Stevens allowed Irving to play a little bit longer, and his impact was undeniable. His movements both with and without the ball, have been excellent as well as his decision-making on when and when not to shoot. He had 20 points on 7-for-14 shooting from the field.
Boston Celtics
Kemba Walker: It’s always fun to see Kyrie Irving and Kemba Walker play, knowing how they will push the other to play well and compete at a high level. Walker finished with 10 points along with six assists for the Hornets.
Terry Rozier: He was instant offense from the moment he stepped on the floor for Boston, giving the Celtics exactly what they need coming off the bench behind Irving. Rozier tallied 13 points on 5-for-10 shooting from the field.
STUDS
Jayson Tatum: It took some time before Tatum finally found a good shooting rhythm. The second-year forward finished with 16 points on 6-for-16 shooting from the field.
Willy Hernangomez: His inside-outside game will be huge for the Hornets this season. He played 18 minutes and finished with 14 points on 5-for-8 shooting from the field.
Marcus Morris: Once again, Morris delivers a strong performance scoring the ball. He had 12 points, all of which came from 3-point range where he shot an efficient 4-for-6.
Guerschon Yabusele: The Celtics created a number of mismatches for Yabusele, and to his credit he made the most of them with some good baskets around the rim. But he also came up big defensively with a blocked shot late in the fourth quarter in which he was fouled on the play. He had eight points on 4-for-5 shooting in 12 minutes.
DUDS
Gordon Hayward: He’s moving well with and without the ball, and the Celtics did a much better job of getting him involved early in the game. But Hayward had yet another rough night shooting the ball as he finished with just four points while missing six of his seven shots from the floor.