Celtics first quarter vs 76ers was test run for who fits next to Jayson Tatum

Hardwood Houdini's Matt John argues that the Boston Celtics used their first quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers to test lineup combinations around Jayson Tatum. Boston deployed an unorthodox starting lineup featuring Mitchell Robinson and Jordan Walsh alongside Tatum, Paul George, and Derrick White. Tatum played the entire opening quarter while head coach Joe Mazzulla rotated several supporting players onto the floor alongside him.

John notes that following the departure of Jaylen Brown, Boston is actively integrating newcomers such as George, Robinson, and Mike Conley Jr. The writer emphasizes that Mazzulla is evaluating how Tatum meshes with younger wings like Walsh, Baylor Scheierman, and Hugo Gonzalez alongside established rotation pieces Sam Hauser and Payton Pritchard.