Celtics Excited To Be Back In Maine As Training Camp Tips Off

PORTLAND, Maine - There was no shortage of energy in the Portland Expo on Monday morning as the Maine Celtics tipped off training camp in preparation for the franchise's 15th season in the NBA G League.

16 guys are in Portland competing for a spot on the roster and for playing time under the direction of first-year head coach Tyler Lashbrook. Lashbrook began the morning's practice by showing the team a video of UFC athletes training. He explained at this level, professional athletes have a high level of respect for athletes from other sports and it can be useful to learn from those with different backgrounds. The presentation from Lashbrook set the tone for the level of competition he wants to see every day in the gym.

"I think there's a high level of respect for the things they do," Lashbrook said. "I think as a coach you can find inspiration in all kinds of different sports. We sort of look for that and Joe (Mazzulla) has given us a lot of freedom to look for that type of stuff. Me personally, I'm a big UFC guy too so when I saw that, I saw the way that it can translate, and it seemed like the guys really liked it and started practice on the right foot."

JD Davison is back in Maine for his third season with the Celtics after leading the team to the most successful season in franchise history in 2023-24. Davison is just 66 points away from becoming the franchise's all-time career scoring leader and returns to Portland as one of the key leaders for this year's team.

"When I first got here this year, people started calling me a vet. I'm not a vet yet. I just want to come here and lead our guys and try to make sure everyone is happy, doing their job, and I can be the best that I can be," he said.

Davison, along with Drew Peterson and rookie Anton Watson are Boston's two-way players this season, meaning they split time between Boston and Maine. After Davison and Peterson spent the early part of the season in Boston, including receiving their 2023-24 NBA Championship rings, both agree it feels good to be back in Portland.

"It's always great. I was excited to get up here," Peterson said. "The fans are so great here just like in Boston, we pack this place out and it's a really great experience. This town supports athletics so much across the board so whether I'm in Boston or here, I know it's going to be similar," Peterson said.

Safe to say there are championship aspirations from the top down in the Boston organization. The Boston Celtics are off to a strong start as they look to defend their 2024 NBA title. Maine is more than motivated to get started after winning a conference championship in 2023-24 before coming up short in a three-game series with the OKC Blue in the G League Finals.

"It's extra motivation, especially with how close we were and obviously with the structure in Boston where we won the championship there, got to the Eastern Conference championship here so we're hoping to really put our stamp on it and give these fans a championship up here," said Peterson.

"I think a lot of guys know what we did last year getting to the G League Finals and coming up short," Davison said. "I think everyone knows our standard. Some guys have worked out with us in Boston and know the standard from Boston to here. We got a good group I think so we are just ready to get together and have fun on the court."

Including Davison and Peterson, the Celtics return four players from last year's roster with Donald Carey, Jr. and Jordan Schakel also returning for another season in Portland. The return to camp is especially significant for Schakel, who begins his fourth season in the G League after suffering a season-ending knee surgery last year. Before the injury, Schakel averaged 13.0 points and 5.2 rebounds per game in 24 appearances for the Celtics. After Monday's first practice, Schakel said he's feeling better than ever.

"It felt good. The first day of training camp is a really hard of practice. It was fun, it was good, it was hard fought and competitive," Schakel said. "I think when I was able to shoot it again in this gym, I took it all in. I am extremely grateful to be back, and I feel blessed and excited."

This year's team has all the components to once again compete with the G League's best, bringing in a good mix of players that boast previous experience in the NBA and G League that can help lead the new rookies. Head Coach Lashbrook was encouraged by what he saw after the Celtics' first day.

"I think the group is incredibly competitive and fast. The speed of the team stood out today. The competitiveness of the group and the unselfishness of the group. I felt like we really committed, even without talking to them about it much, to making the right reads over and over again," Lashbrook said.

Maine will have to cut their roster down to 13 players by November 7, which includes the team’s three, two-way players in JD Davison, Drew Peterson and rookie Anton Watson. Maine’s regular season tips off on November 8 on the road against the Long Island Nets.  Maine will host the Westchester Knicks in the Celtics' home opener on November 15 at 7:00 p.m. in the Portland Expo. Tickets to opening weekend are available here.

Full Training Camp Roster: