Player Grades: How Celtics' Reserves Performed in Loss to Magic

Joe Mazzulla sat his top-six for the Boston Celtics' 76-96 loss to the Orlando Magic on Wednesday, April 9. Orlando, who came into the game still fighting for seeding, ran a full-strength lineup.

With so many core rotation players watching from the sidelines, Celtics fans got a rare opportunity to get a look at the deeper bench guys, along with some of the two-way players.

Here's how each of them fared on the night.

Payton Pritchard: A-

In just his second start of the season, Pritchard led the line for the Celtics. He ended the night with a double-double of 10 assists and 14 points. His struggles on the perimeter let him down, though – he can't go 1-of-7 when given such a big opportunity to impress. However, his ability to control the tempo, get others involved and move without the ball made him a standout performer for me.

Nevertheless, Pritchard was his usual self: aggressive on offense and combative on defense. He's really improved this season, even if this game wasn't the best portrayal of those improvements.

Sam Hauser: C-

Hauser has a history of producing when inserted into the starting unit. Unfortunately for the Celtics, he was frosty against Orlando. 2-of-8 shooting from deep was a tough blow for Hauser, who has been finding his rhythm recently, and of course, that's coming at the perfect time.

Still, he held his own on defense, and showcased his ability to attack close-outs – which has been the biggest developmental jump from him over the past 12-18 months. I would be lying if I didn't say I hoped to see more from him in such an increased role, though.

Baylor Scheierman: B

Just like Pritchard and Hauser, Scheierman couldn't find his rhythm from deep. A 1-of-7 night was disappointing for the rookie, especially when you factor in his improvements since the All-Star break.

Scheierman did manage to showcase his underrated rebounding ability, though, securing five boards. That third-quarter lob pass for Luke Kornet was perfectly weighted, too, and gave a glimpse at his upside as a secondary creator. I get that this game was kind of an anomaly due to who was sitting out, but getting the first start of his NBA career will likely do wonders for his confidence.

Torrey Craig: C-

With Jaylen Brown's knee issues, there's a slight chance that Craig could end up with an important role during the upcoming playoffs. So, forgive me for wanting to see a better performance from him. Don't get me wrong, he handled his business on the glass – matching Neemias Queta as the team's joint-leading rebounder on the night.

Craig was solid defensively. I think his athleticism, even if only in bursts at this stage of his career, is underrated. However, he must find a way to contribute on the offensive end if he finds himself playing important minutes during the postseason.

Luke Kornet: C+

There aren't many bigger Luke Kornet truthers than me. If you're subscribed to the Celtics Chronicle newsletter, you've read multiple breakdowns of why he's been so important this season. If you're not subscribed, then let's change that by clicking here.

Kornet did well on offense. He was his usual active self when operating as a screener. He rolled with purpose, made good reads, and showed solid decision-making with his shot selection. I would prefer him to have more of an impact on the glass when working in the starting unit, though. Three boards for a seven-footer is inexcusable.

JD Davison: F

JD Davision is in the worst spot for someone trying to make it in the NBA. He's too good for the G-League (he was the 2025 MVP) but not good enough for the NBA – at least, not for a top-tier team like the Celtics.

Zero points. 0-of-6 shooting. Just two assists. When you're given a chance to impress, you've got to take it – especially when coming to the end of your third two-way contract with the franchise. One game won't create a narrative, but this was a missed opportunity for Davison to stake his claim ahead of next season.

Drew Peterson: D-

Drew Peterson really impressed during the preseason and his early-season appearances. However, we've rarely seen him during the second half of the basketball calendar. At one point, I was dead-set on him getting the final roster spot, and while I'm not opposed to that happening, his production against the Magic left something to be desired.

Peterson went 1-of-4 from the field – small sample size – but that's part of the problem. Coming off the bench, I wanted to see more aggression from him. I wanted him to take the game to Orlando. He was reliable on defense and put some work on the glass.

Neemias Queta: B+

Forever the energy spark. Queta protected the rim well as a shot deterrent and ended the day with two swats. Queta has drastically improved as a screener, and his positioning has taken a jump this season, too. I like that he's running some dribble hand-offs at times, and I think there's still a bunch of untapped talent there.

Against the Magic, Queta's energy, motor and size were all impacting factors off the bench. And while he didn't dominate, he was reliable and impactful in his 25 minutes of playing time. Needs to improve his defense and body positioning.

Jordan Walsh: F

Walsh is still young. He's younger than rookie Scheierman. Still, after a fair amount of NBA exposure this season, I expected more from him. Walsh still looks out of control with the ball in his hands, and often appears lost on defense. That forces him to rely on his length and athleticism to bail him out of trouble. Unfortunately, he's not that level of an athlete, at least not by NBA standards.

Anonymous for most of his minutes.

Miles Norris: C

We haven't seen much of Miles Norris since he joined the Celtics. I did, however, do a mini-scouting report a few months back – you can read that here.

With so little data on him, I thought he did quite well. He showed active hands with his two stelas, knocked down 50% of his threes (2-of-4) and moved well when off the ball.

Xavier Tillman: ?????

I have no idea what's going on with Tillman this season. He should be a key part of a rotation when so many guys are missing. Instead, he plans the least amount of minutes out of everyone in the rotation. I don't know if there's an injury or an issue with his style of play or if Mazzulla just isn't keen on what he brings to the table.

Either way, I'm not passing judgment on seven minutes of Tillman. And to think, this time last year, we were debating whether he could be the long-term solution to Al Horford's replacement. Wild.