Coming into Wednesday night, Boston Celtics wing Torrey Craig hadn't played since the final days of 2024—and that was back when he was with the Chicago Bulls. However, he didn't skip a beat in Beantown, posting a strong debut during the Celtics' 116-103 win over the San Antonio Spurs. His performance was celebrated by six-time All-Star Jayson Tatum, who applauded Craig for being ready to go on a new squad.
“He integrated pretty well. Without practice or anything like that,” Tatum said in his postgame press conference.
Craig's first bucket came directly from Tatum. Boston's go-to guy drew the San Antonio Spurs guard De'Aaron Fox away from Craig, leaving him alone at the 3-point line. The newest Celtic splashed the open triple, putting Boston up 52-31 with less than five minutes left in the second quarter.
“[We] kind of threw him in there on the fly,” Tatum admitted. “But, it's a part of being a professional—staying ready.”
On the defensive end, Craig forced a turnover as soon as he entered the contest in the first quarter. The 34-year-old is known for being a 3-and-D guy, and he lived up to his reputation against the Spurs.
“Obviously, he'll get better, more comfortable with us, and likewise, as the season progresses,” Tatum stated. “But he gave us a spark off the bench, hit some threes, was active on the defensive end, and that's what we expect from him.”
On his second (and final) shot of the night, Craig was good again. He drained another wide-open 3-pointer with 40 seconds remaining in the second quarter, giving the Celtics 66 points at halftime. The South Carolina native finished with six points, one assist, and one block in just nine minutes of play.
Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla was happy with Craig's debut, but he stressed that he needs more time to truly gel with the Green Team.
“It's going to take time for him to understand the language and the things that we do on both ends of the floor,” Mazzulla said. “It’s going to just continue to be a conversation of how he can utilize his versatility on both ends of the floor. So, he did some of that tonight with his defensive versatility and then making those two shots. Just gotta get him up to speed.”
The Celtics acquired Craig just hours after the trade deadline wrapped up. He filled the Celtics' 14th roster spot without hurting their budget, which is especially tight given all the money tied up in the two supermax contracts belonging to Tatum and four-time All-Star Jaylen Brown.
Tatum and Brown proved they were worth the price last season, as the C's dominated the 2024 NBA Playoffs and helped raise another banner in Boston. Although Brown, the reigning NBA Finals MVP, rested and sat versus the Spurs, Tatum showed his worth once more by flaming San Antonio with 32 points, 14 rebounds, and seven assists. This marked Tatum's third consecutive game scoring at least 30 points or more, coinciding with the Celtics' third win in a row.
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What did Torrey Craig have to say about Jayson Tatum?
“He's an amazing player, an amazing talent,” Craig said of Tatum, via Celtics on CLNS. “I think one of the most underrated parts of his game is his playmaking and his passing ability that's really picked up over the last few years. You can see it out there. He's going to figure it out, and he's a tough matchup for anyone.”
While the rest of the Celtics should have a chance to rest during the upcoming All-Star break, Tatum and Brown are headed to San Francisco to play in their fourth All-Star Game together. This isn't an honor they take lightly.
“All-Star Weekend is always special,” Tatum said. “[I'm] fortunate to be able to go, year after year. And I'm looking forward to a great, fun weekend.”
Heading into All-Star Weekend, the Celtics are 39-16 and in second place in the Eastern Conference. This time last year, they were 43-12, in first place in the Eastern Conference, and amidst a six-game winning streak that would later balloon to 11 games. Even though Boston's current pace isn't quite as dominant as what it had going during its championship season, it's still in a great position to compete for another title.
If the Celtics can have reliable health, stellar play from their stars, and maybe a little help from Craig, they should be able to pick up where they left off after the break and build upon the momentum they've generated. The quest for back-to-back titles won't be (and hasn't been) easy, yet the C's have shown that it's an attainable goal.
