Detroit's camp story has been about the big man. Jalen Duren didn't make his preseason debut until mid-October, and The Detroit News described him as driven to show his improvements once he finally got on the floor. He's expected to start alongside Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson and John Collins. How sharp Duren looks in his first meaningful minutes is one of the biggest unknowns on the home side, and he'll be matched up with a Boston frontcourt that's also brand new.
The injury picture cleared up for Boston on game day. The long list of resting regulars from Friday's exhibition finale is gone, and Devin Carter is the only Celtic out. Carter signed a two-way deal Sunday and has since been diagnosed with mononucleosis, with no timetable to return. Detroit has more to sort out. Taurean Prince is questionable for personal reasons, Elijah Harkless is questionable, and Ugonna Onyenso and Isaac Jones are out.
So the real question is fit, not health. George and Robinson have had only a few exhibition runs with the regulars. Walsh is starting on the wing, where Brown used to soak up a lot of possessions. Detroit gets the home crowd for an afternoon opener on NBC, and its Cunningham-Duren core has been together through camp. That's no small thing when the other team is still learning where everyone stands on the floor. The board has Boston as a short road favorite, and the total has ticked up this morning.
Tuesday answers the first big question of Boston's season: is Tatum plus George better than what the Celtics gave up, or just different? For Detroit, it's an early test of whether Duren's offseason work shows up against a frontcourt it has never seen in game action, and whether a bench missing Prince can hold up if he doesn't go.