Torrey Craig wasted no time getting back on the court. Dressed in a warmup outfit, he asked media members where to find the TD Garden floor and sprinted out, eager to return from the ankle injury that sidelined him since early January.
He and Payton Pritchard had discussed how Denver’s old arena had a practice court, but in Boston, he warmed up in full view of fans, signing autographs and fueling anticipation for his Celtics debut.
Rather than using the All-Star break and returning practices for extra ramp-up time, Craig played in Wednesday’s first-half finale. With Jaylen Brown and Jrue Holiday out, he logged nine minutes, knocked down two threes, and played solid defense while getting sideline instructions from Joe Mazzulla.
Brad Stevens made Craig a priority after the Bulls waived him, signing the veteran last Thursday for roughly $800,000—a small tax hit compared to Jaden Springer but a worthwhile investment in experience.
“I was actually in better shape than I thought I was gonna be,” Craig said. “Just getting the rhythm, flow of the game back. That’ll come with more games being played, so I’ll take this time off to keep prepping my body and be ready to come back.”
Joe Mazzulla’s decision to trust Torrey Craig over Jordan Walsh, Xavier Tillman Sr., and others—and getting solid results—bodes well for the veteran’s role in Boston. While he’s still catching up on play calls and system details, Mazzulla emphasized that it’s not rocket science. The Celtics value Craig’s wealth of experience, spanning overseas leagues, multiple NBA teams, and deep playoff runs—including minutes in the 2021 Finals.
After signing with Boston, Craig initially sat out games in New York and Miami to recondition from his injury. But his presence was still felt—rocking flashy outfits, including a green top, black jean shorts, and diamonds in Miami. He remained engaged, standing beside Mazzulla during timeouts and breaking down plays. According to the head coach, Craig has been proactive in asking questions, showing his commitment to fitting into Boston’s system.
“He’s got an important role, just because of his versatility,” Mazzulla said. “So it’s gonna take time for him to understand the language and the things we do on both ends of the floor, and you can watch as much film and walk through it, but until he’s in the game, it’s just gonna continue to be a conversation of how we can utilize his versatility … he did some of that tonight … making those two shots.”
Mazzulla emphasized that, like the rest of the bench, Craig’s playing time will depend on matchups. With the expected learning curve, it’s uncertain how consistently he’ll see the floor, especially once Boston is fully healthy—a rarity this season. The team’s wing depth has been tested, particularly with Sam Hauser’s sporadic availability. Jordan Walsh’s early-season minutes have faded, and Baylor Scheierman’s recent opportunities didn’t yield much impact.
Craig’s shooting has steadily improved over the past three seasons in Phoenix and Chicago, where he shot 40% (177-for-443) from deep since the start of 2022-23. Spacing struggles have cost other Celtics rotation players under Mazzulla, making Craig’s shooting a valuable asset. Defensive versatility is also key, but Mazzulla appears willing to work through Craig’s adjustment period. After a brief first-quarter stint on Wednesday, Craig returned for five minutes in the second, knocking down both of his attempts.
“We just gotta get him up to speed,” Mazzulla said. “You gotta rely on his experience. He’s been around a long time, he’s played a lot of basketball … so I think it’s just simplifying it as much as we can … he’s done a lot of great things for good teams, and that’s why we have him. We want to take advantage of that … every team that you’re a part of, you play a different role … he’s been great at understanding that … everyone’s gonna make mistakes, even the guys that have been here in our system have made mistakes. To me, it goes back to the mistakes with effort versus the mistakes with non-effort. He’s been a player for a long time who’s played through mistakes and is a high energy, high physical guy.”
