The Celtics begin their Abu Dhabi preseason exhibitions on Friday without motivation to play their starters for significant minutes. As Al Horford assumes a major role in the front court at 38, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown come off a long postseason runs alongside Derrick White and Jrue Holiday, the preseason focus will shift to the roster’s depth.
“It’s important (to see them),” Joe Mazzulla said last week. “But really, it just comes down to their practice habits and their ability to understand situations. Today, we had a great drill and the younger guys made us better.