Finally after 11 Raptors games, we get a statement one. The insanely hot Boston Celtics are the hosts of a match with significant implications.
The Toronto Raptors embark on a nasty 3-game road swing, starting in Boston. The Celtics dropped their home opener, then haven’t lost in the TD Garden, or anywhere else, since.
Kyrie Irving arrived in Beantown as the prize in a trade with Cleveland for folk hero Isaiah Thomas. While Thomas won’t be forgotten entirely by the locals , Irving has played his way into their hearts already with some masterful performances. His handle was already top-drawer, and it seems to have improved. As a result, Irving would be close to the top of my “go get us a basket” list of brilliant 1-on-5 scorers.
The Celtics, by dint of brilliant drafting (which is much easier when you have a series of single-digit lottery picks – thank you, Brooklyn!), enjoy the services of a couple of excellent young swingmen. Sophomore Jaylen Brown and rookie Jayson Tatum are waaaay ahead of the learning curve, despite their youth.
Who needs Gordon Hayward? Their prized free agent is gone for the season after five minutes of play and a gruesome ankle injury. Yet this bunch of strangers (the Celtics brought back 4 – four! – players from last season) have established themselves as the league’s stingiest defense. They allow 94 points per game, a mind-bending 4 points fewer than Memphis.
I don’t know what they are doing sitting third in rebounding differential – does any Celtic pop into your mind when you think of top people on the glass? The kids I mentioned are crashing, as is do-it-all Al Horford and banger Aaron Baynes.
Can a great coach overcome injuries?
A lot of the NBA press is in thrall to coach Brad Stevens. Before Bostonians decide he’s the second coming of Red Auerbach, I suspect they would like to see more playoff success . Stevens has won two series in his five-season tenure, both coming last post-season.
The Celtics are clearly a formidable opponent, though they are nicked up.Tatum has a twisted ankle. Horford is day to day while he waits out the concussion protocol. Irving also is nursing a sore coconut. [20-second timeout: As someone who suffered a sports concussion, I know how painful and frustrating they are to endure, and how slow recovery can be. My sympathies to Horford and Irving, and for the sakes of great basketball and their future well-being, I hope they make it all the way back.]
3 keys to Raptors victory
- Match their energy. Dwane Casey must have felt slightly murderous on Thursday night as the Pelicans several times went coast to coast for uncontested baskets. The Celtics wingmen will slice through our weak defenders at will if we don’t wake up. The Raptors seem serious about playing fast; they will need to against the youthful Celtics.
- Get to the tin. The Celtics don’t have a lot of interior defense. They rank 24th in blocked shots. Yes, I know we want to see more long shots from our guys. However, leaving Jonas Valanciunas to wither would be a mistake. He can score until they stop him, then he can dish. DeRozan needs another dozen-free-throws game, which can only happen if he’s in attack mode.
- Use our depth to advantage. It’s not our problem the Celtics are hurt. Even their youngsters can only go so long. Guys like Baynes, Semi Ojeleye, Daniel Theis…they aren’t used to the number of minutes they are likely to receive.
Prediction
Boston is the league’s hottest team, currently enjoying an 11-game win streak. During that time, they have allowed opponents to crack a century exactly once. Five times they have held them in the eighties.
But who will the Celtics deem fit enough to dress? Perhaps Stevens will decide this one’s a throwaway and play his rotation people only…I wish.
Raptors 98 – Celtics 94