Four players to watch for the Celtics' games against the Nuggets in Abu Dhabi

The reigning champion Boston Celtics will begin their title defense on the other side of the world.

After a busy first week of training, Joe Mazzulla's team traveled to Abu Dhabi where they will face the 2023 champions, the Denver Nuggets, in two pre-season games at the Etihad Arena. The first tip occurs on Friday at 12 p.m. ET, the second follows on Sunday at 10 a.m. ET.

Here are four players we'll be watching closely as Boston returns to the court:

Jayson Tatum (No. 0)

Mazzulla hasn't said how often he plans to play with his starters in the preseason, and he would be wise not to overextend players like Tatum, Derrick White and Jrue Holiday, all of whom were promoted straight to the U.S. Olympic team two weeks after the NBA are finals.

But in the minutes Tatum plays during these appearances, it will be interesting to see if his offseason work paid off. The three-time first-team All-NBA selection struggled to find his shot in both the postseason (28.3% from 3-point range) and the Olympics (0-of-16 on jumpers), and he has taken steps to clean up. “a few mechanical things” that may have contributed to these problems.

Tatum said he delayed making these adjustments because he was still playing well (which was true; despite his poor shooting, he led Boston in points, rebounds and assists in the playoffs) and the Celtics were on the rise. Have his problems been resolved? We'll find out.

Lonnie Walker IV (No. 8)

Walker, the most intriguing player in Celtics training camp, is an established pro with 322 NBA games under his belt, but the best offer he could find in free agency was an Exhibit 10 contract with Boston – a preseason trial without guaranteed money.

Given his experience, the 25-year-old should be the leading candidate for the Celtics' 15th and final roster spot. However, the team could choose to leave that spot vacant for flexibility reasons, and Brad Stevens has already told Walker he may have to spend time in the G League this season. Walker said he was “totally fine” with that, but of course he hopes he shows enough this pre-season to stay at the big club.

“I have to earn it,” he said. “… I don't come here with the mindset of, 'Okay, I'm on an E-10 and after that I'll get the guaranteed contract.' It's like I have to work my tail off. I really have to give my best every day on the pitch.”

The 6-foot-4 winger shot 38.4% from three games in 58 games for Brooklyn last season, averaging a career-high 20.1 points per 36 minutes.

Baylor Scheierman (No. 55)

Scheierman, the 30th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, will be on the Celtics' roster this season. But will he be a real contributor or just an afterthought?

To achieve the former, the rookie added 10 to 15 pounds of muscle in the two months between Summer League and training camp to prepare for the physicality of the NBA. He has made improving his defense a priority, knowing he won't see the floor if Mazzulla doesn't trust him in that regard, and is leaning on undrafted rookie and reserve Sam Hauser for guidance.

At 24, Scheierman should be better equipped to contribute immediately than Boston's other recent draft picks (Jordan Walsh, JD Davison), all of whom entered the NBA as teenagers. There's a lot to like about his game, as he can combine strong 3-point shooting with above-average court vision, passing and playmaking skills. The five-year college player was also a plus rebounder at Creighton and led the Big East in defense last season as a 6-foot-6 winger.

How Scheierman adjusts to the professional game will be a major storyline this preseason. If he impresses, he could take over some of the minutes vacated by the free agent departure of Oshae Brissett and the injury to Kristaps Porzingis.

Neemias Queta (No. 88)

Speaking of Porzingis, the task of immediately replacing him while he recovers from offseason leg surgery falls to four players: 38-year-old Al Horford, Luke Kornet, Xavier Tillman and Queta. It remains to be seen how playing time will be divided between this quartet – Horford will be the primary starting player, but his minutes will be managed and he will not play on consecutive nights – but Queta is a candidate for a larger role after spending last season between the The NBA and the G League were split.

The 7-foot, 25-year-old put up solid numbers in limited action, averaging 16.6 points, 13.2 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per 36 minutes and leading the Celtics in defensive rating in 28 regular-season appearances . Queta hasn't mastered Mazzulla's playoff rotation, even in Porzingis' absence. But Boston converted his two-way contract into a permanent roster spot late in the season and then re-signed him to a new three-year deal in July – signs that the team believes he can be an asset going forward.

“He has the ability and athleticism to be a versatile defender no matter what system we are in,” Mazzulla said. “So the most important thing is to get him used to the different possessions he's going to be in and keep executing them. We believe in Neemie and his ability to do that, and he showed big signs of that last year, especially early in the season when he played big minutes.”