PORTLAND, Maine — There will be a lot of firsts when the Maine Celtics play the Long Island Nets this Friday.
It will be the first home game at the Portland Expo this season, it will also mark the first game on the team's brand new court. Meanwhile, the Celtics are looking for their first win of the season after starting off 0-2.
Rookie Jordan Walsh was drafted out of Arkansas in the 2023 NBA Draft and said he's looking forward to fans cheering for his team after starting his professional career on the road.
“I’m excited for this first game, I hope it’s as fun and as popping as they say it’s going to be," Walsh said after practice Wednesday. “I definitely love it here, I’ve been growing to love [Maine] a lot more".
The 38th overall draft pick said he and his teammates are happy to be in Portland and the whole environment is well-suited for growth on and off the floor.
While Walsh waits for his debut at the Expo, fans are excited to see J.D. Davison's return to Portland. He's on a two-way contract this season, splitting time in Boston and Portland.
“You never know when the time going to come, you got to be ready at all times," Davison said.
The point guard said Wednesday one of his off-season goals was to add more muscle and, at age 21, develop into more of a leader to help mentor rookies, like Walsh.
Davison also said there's been a lot of learning at practice thus far this season, as Blaine Mueller is making his head coaching debut for the Celtics this year.
“It’s been a really enjoyable experience, just the growth everyday, there’s always something new that you can’t really always anticipate until it’s there and when you find yourself in that spot, you got to figure it out and rely on the people around you," Muller said.
The rookie head coach comes to Portland after spending years on the Milwaukee Bucks coaching staff, where he won an NBA championship. While he's new to this role, Muller is used to coaching one Celtics player, Tony Snell, who spent time on the Bucks.
Muller said he hopes his players learn and understand what it takes to win at the G-League and NBA level and accept their roles in Portland because, Muller said, that's what it takes to make the next step.
After road trips to Washington D.C. and New York, the head coach said he is really excited to show the home fans what his team is made of.
"We have a great group of young men that really care and they’re a great group to coach, they’re a fun group to coach and I think the fans will see that with the play on the court," Muller added.
The Celtics will host the Long Island Nets Friday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.