By all accounts, the Celtics have gotten after it when it comes to training camp practices. The new-look C’s have talked extensively about pace and physicality, dropping little crumbs of information about what they might look like this season.

As the Celtics discover a new identity without Jayson Tatum, they also went through major offseason changes. That means a few familiar faces will mix with an interesting supporting cast, many of whom are trying to prove they can be NBA contributors.

The road starts for the Celtics this week with their first preseason game, set for 8 p.m. Wednesday against the Grizzlies in Memphis.

Here are four things to watch for as the Celtics open preseason play this week:

Physicality and pace

The Celtics sound like they’ve readied themselves for a mix of a track meet and a football game throughout training camp. Pace will likely be turned all the way up going forward. Plus, after a clearly-physical playoffs last summer, the Celtics have also put a lot of their focus on that part of the game. The C’s aren’t as talented a team as last season, but that hasn’t stopped C’s coach Joe Mazzulla and his coaching staff from tinkering with how to maximize the roster. As Jaylen Brown said, while the C’s aren’t as experienced as past years, they’ll have to make up that difference with effort and speed. For now, that sounds like it’ll be parts physicality and pace.

How do the bigs look?

Arguably the biggest unknown on the roster is the state of the big man rotation. A mix of Neemias Queta, Luka Garza, Xavier Tillman and potentially Chris Boucher are set to soak up those minutes. No position saw more turnover this summer with Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis and Luke Kornet all elsewhere. While the Celtics certainly still have talent on the roster, their ceiling will likely be determined by what kind of production they get out of the big spot. That’s too valuable a defensive position on a nightly basis. Who emerges out of the bigs will be a season-long watch as the Celtics were blessed with steady production over the past several seasons. But they’re onto a new era now.

Who emerges at wing?

The Celtics still have Jaylen Brown, who’s healthy after offseason knee surgery, and Sam Hauser, another guy who wasn’t quite healthy throughout last season. But beyond them are a bunch of a hungry, young players trying to prove they belong in the league. That cast features Josh Minott, Baylor Scheierman, Jordan Walsh and perhaps some Hugo Gonzalez. All those guys have shown flashes with Minott playing his first three years in Minnesota. Otherwise, this is a group that hasn’t had a consistent rotation spot in the NBA. The Celtics will need someone to step up among this group, especially if there are any injuries to one of their top guys.

Do any of the two-way guys make any noise?

The Celtics overhauled their three two-way guys this summer with three older rookies: Amari Williams (46th overall pick), Max Shulga (57th) and RJ Luis Jr. (undrafted, acquired from the Jazz). Last year, it was a mix of JD Davison (now on the Rockets), Drew Peterson (now on the Hornets), Anton Watson (waived, now with the Lakers) and Miles Norris (waived, now with Real Madrid). Williams and Shulga showed off a bit during Summer League as they’ll spend time with the Maine Celtics this season. Luis didn’t get to play in Summer League due to injury, so he hasn’t been able to show as much yet. Regardless, while expectations are relatively low for two-way guys, they’re also all new faces in the organization.

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