Sam Cassell, a seasoned NBA veteran with 34 years in the league, including three championships as a player and another as an assistant coach with the Boston Celtics, is struck by the intensity of this year’s Celtics training camp. Speaking live from the Auerbach Center on 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Zolak and Bertrand show, Cassell called it the toughest training camp he has experienced in his career. Though it’s only the first day, he noted that the players are fully embracing the demanding environment.
The Celtics’ goal for this season
With Jayson Tatum sidelined by an Achilles injury and the roster reshaped due to salary cap restrictions, external expectations for the Celtics have dropped. Still, Boston is determined to compensate by becoming the toughest and most relentless team on the court.
Sam Cassell emphasized, “We want to be the hardest-playing team in basketball, and that’s exactly how our camp is shaping up.” Practices are intense, with three hours of nonstop activity daily, including 30 minutes each of individual skill work, weight training, and team practice.
Players like Baylor Scheierman and Luka Garza have praised the camp’s energy and intensity, describing it as fast-paced and fiery. Head coach Joe Mazzulla is pushing the squad hard, challenging them to rise to the difficulty rather than break under pressure.
Cassell summed it up, saying the Celtics will “play balls-out,” embracing a gritty, hard-nosed identity this season one that players are eagerly taking on at training camp.
