Celtics see former first-round pick in Saturday's rivalry game

The NBA calendar is still preseason only, so both the Celtics and 76ers are still working out the wrinkles of training camp. When the division rivals meet at TD Garden on Saturday at 8 p.m., don't expect too many fireworks ahead of the regular season.

But there's one interesting thing: Guerschon Yabusele will be back in Boston. The former C's first-round pick showed up on the international stage at the Paris Olympics. He was vocal about his desire for another NBA opportunity – which is exactly what he got with a Sixers team that wanted to take the next step.

“In general, I learned a lot as a player competing at Real Mardrid, also with the national team and everything I did with the Celtics,” Yabusele told reporters at Sixers Media Day. “I just learned a lot about the game. The IQ of the game. The movement. Shoot. Be aggressive. Being able to have the ball in my hands. In all these respects things have really improved. Of course the shot got better too.”

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Yabusele, 28, was selected 16th overall by the Celtics in the 2016 draft. He played for the C's from 2017 to 2019, appearing in 74 games (five starts), averaging 2.3 points and 1.4 rebounds per game. Yabusele couldn't quite stay in the NBA and played overseas after the Celtics waived him in July 2019.

But Yabusele continued to work on his craft and ended up with EuroLeague powerhouse Real Madrid from 2021 to 2024. He developed his stroke and became an effective 3-and-D player in Spain. It's unclear how this will impact the NBA game, but as he showed in the Olympics, he is physically strong enough for the US style.

It's unclear what Yabusele's role will be with the Sixers, considering he has to reacclimate to the NBA game. But there were some problems in his pre-season debut with the Sixers as they knocked out the New Zealand Breakers earlier this week. In addition to scoring 15 points on 6-for-6 shooting, Yabusele also played a few minutes at backup center. Considering this has been a weak point for Philadelphia behind former MVP Joel Embiid, this is an area to keep an eye on when it comes to utilizing the 6-foot-2 forward.

The Sixers have a rare back-to-back preseason as they play the Timberwolves on Friday in Minnesota. Then they face the Celtics in Boston on Saturday. Therefore, the 76ers probably won't play with their starters against the C's. But that could open the door even wider for Yabusele as he looks to make his mark on his new team in pre-season.

“They love the city, they love being here… My wife, we met when I was in Boston,” Yabusele said, according to PhillyVoice. “Of course she was at NBA games, but for her to see the game, she told me how much she missed it…You know, I think we found a good place here in Philadelphia. ”