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. How sharp Duren looks in his first meaningful minutes is one of the biggest unknowns on the home side. He'll be matched up with a Boston frontcourt that's also brand new.
Boston's injury list looks alarming until you read it closely. Tatum, George, White, Pritchard, Robinson, Hauser, Queta and Conley all sat out Friday's exhibition finale against Philadelphia, mostly listed as rest, which is what a team does 4 days before games count. The one who stands out is Devin Carter. He's been on the report with an illness since October 10, so that one isn't a scheduled night off.
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, and its core has been together through camp. That's no small thing when the other team is still learning where everyone stands on the floor.
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.