NBA: Guard, Center Impress With Celtics Yet To Sign Final Player

Tacko Fall and Javonte Green are likely to be contending for the 15^th and final roster spot the Boston Celtics possess after both players impressed during their first pre-season outing against Charlotte Hornets. The C’s came 107-106 winners in their opening game as preparations begin in earnest for the 2019-20 campaign.

The Celtics went into training camp with 20 players on their roster but have to trim it down to 15 prior to the start of the regular season. Apart from Fall and Green, they also have Kaiser Gates and Yante Maten on training camp deals but the duo were not afforded any minutes in the opening game against the Hornets.

Fall, a 7’7” center, is already a fan favorite at the TD Garden after having impressed during the summer league for the Celtics. The Senegal-born center played 8 minutes against the Hornets, recording 5 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals and as many blocks during the game.

The fans at the Garden were chanting Fall’s name and were ecstatic when he got the call to make an entrance into the game. Brad Stevens hopes the fans can continue to appreciate the big center and is certain that he will be in the NBA for a long time – a really good endorsement from one of the best coaches in the league.

“I think it’s cool, I think it’s great,” Stevens said per The Athletic’s Clevis Murray, as quoted on NESN. “I just hope people continue to appreciate him for what he is as a person and how hard he’s working to try and make the NBA. He’s a really good kid and he’s really, really working hard. “I think he’s going to be in the NBA for a long time.”

However, the dream debut belonged to Green, who was not only playing his first NBA pre-season game but also watching one. The young point guard had never thus far been to a live game and got his first taste of it from the bench.

Green did not disappoint when he got a call to suit up in the fourth quarter with the Celtics four points down on the Hornets. The guard opened his account with a dunk and went to record 15 points in 11 minutes going 7-for-7 from the field.

The 26-year-old rookie, who hails from Virginia, admitted that it was a dream to play at TD Garden and revealed that all the nerves went out of the window when the call came to make his way into the game. He also received high praise from head coach Stevens, who joked that he could be more “athletic” after he recorded four dunks.

“If he was a little bit more athletic, maybe he'd be pretty good,” Stevens joked after the 107-106 win, as quoted on Celtics’ official site. “But what he did coming off the bench with 10 minutes to go, jumped straight up and dunked it right after he came in, that's ridiculously athletic. But he also plays really hard. He's a competitor.”O

Only one of Fall or Green can make the final 15 man roster but it is unlikely that they will be released by the Celtics on the back of such performances during pre-season. They could be retained on two-way deals similar to Max Strus and Tremont Waters and spend most of their time with the Maine Red Claws – the Celtics’ official G-League affiliate.