The Toronto Raptors weren’t tested greatly in their last game. However, the opponent tonight is the Boston Celtics, who are capable of punching out anyone’s lights.
The Celtics have been a strong title contender for years, but haven’t made an NBA Championship final since 2010. In that series, they held a 3-2 lead over the Lakers, but couldn’t finish them off.
Last season, with essentially the same key players they have now, the Celtics were beaten badly by the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern semi-finals. Die-hard Celtics fans, who are legion, swear this year will be different. Perhaps.
Kyrie Irving has been replaced by Kemba Walker at the point. That’s a net-positive; Irving’s highs are higher, but his lows are lower. I’d rather have the capable Walker. [Note: He didn’t play in Wednesday’s laugher against the Nets; I suspect he will be a game-time decision vs Toronto.]
Walker dishes to young wing stars Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, who both have all the tools. Gordon Hayward appears fully recovered from his dreadful injury of 2018, and is a threat from anywhere on the floor.
Daniel Theis jumps center, because someone has to. He’s a beefier and less skilled version of Hayward. He picks and passes, and stays in his lane nicely. Enes Kanter, a more traditional center, comes off the bench to bang into people and grab some boards.
Another valuable Celtic non-starter is Marcus Smart, a chunky, tough defensive guard. I’m underselling him; he’s capable of scoring when needed. He reminds me of P.J. Tucker.
With their ball-movement, small-ball roster, the Celtics could move to the EuroLeague tomorrow and fit right in.
3 keys to Raptors victory
- Beat their second unit. I’m officially puzzled, bordering on worried, about our bench. The Raps have not been getting the kind of production they are used to from Terrence Davis and Serge Ibaka. Norman Powell looks like he’s ready to break out – will he? And in a move I couldn’t have predicted, even from the fearless Nick Nurse, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson brought the ball up several times against the Magic. OK, what next? Chris Boucher at the point? The Boston bench is ho-hum, and should be easy pickin’s.
- Surrender the paint in order to defend the perimeter. The Celtics drained 20 of 39 long balls while embarrassing the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday. The Celtics aren’t turnover-prone, so the Raptors must be careful out there. We aren’t looking for steals or blocks, let’s just harass the shooters.
- Take advantage of our size. Ibaka and Marc Gasol can shoot, pass, and put the ball on the floor. They can also make the defensive paint a nasty place. If we can push the overmatched Theis to the bench, the Celtics’ game plan will suffer. It’s a throwback game – toss the ball inside to the big guys!
Forecast
This game is a toss-up. If the Raptors’ rotation were even one player short of its entire complement, I’d call the Celtics to win. With the squad healthy, I’m choosing our team.
Toronto Raptors 111 – Boston Celtics 108
- Tags: Boston Celtics, Toronto Raptors
