GSW @ Celtics Pregame Thoughts

The Celtics play the defending champion GSW on Thursday.  This will be our last meeting of the year in absence of a finals rematch.

They beat us down out there, 123-107.

JT had a poor offensive game while going 6-21 from the field.  We also played without AL Horford and RW had not returned from rehabbing the knee.  They killed us on the glass 53/39.  We were bad from deep 12/40 or 30% and our FT shooting was also subpar 19/26 or 73.1%.  I thought we settled too much and did not move the ball well  (17 assists)

GS has a few players nursing injuries so at this point we do not know who will be playing for them.
Jaylen will not be playing for probably another week as he is resting from the abductor strain.

You know that game out there had a strange lineup as Joe started Blake and Grant in the frontcourt.

Malcolm led the bench with 16 points (6-10) in 23 minutes.  White played poorly as did Grant.

I anticipate a starting lineup of Rob and Al, JT plus White and Smart in the backcourt.

The Celtics will win this game even without Jaylen.

Jaylen might play.  Just watched an interview with him.  If he is sore he will probably sit out.

GSW have 5 guys out including Wiseman and Kuminga.

All will depend upon who gets whom thinking. We can't play the same drop coverage that we had to do when the only big options were Blake and Luke. That put us on our heels.

GSW puts you into rotation, moves the ball and makes quick decisions. Trap, get into passing lanes, make them think and attack quickly to get them into foul trouble.

We will probably see some variation of zone to make us think and slow us down.

They will be up for this one. We need to meet them and take them down. This is a very important game.

Go Celtics!

Injury update

GSW: Wiseman, JaMychal Green, Kuminga and Iguodala are out for tonight.

Celtics: Jaylen Brown remains questionable. Sounds like a game time decision.

The Celtics are -6.5 home favorites.  

Prakash mentioned a key factor in the Celtics inability to defend them.

If you recall they were running those high screens with Looney TUNES and the splash brothers and we could not defend that action because our bigs were in drop coverage.  

I remember in the playoffs last year coach Ime got all over Rob for not stepping out further.  

I expect coach Joe has put together a game plan that will take that action away from them.  

Our guards need to be more active defensively in slowing down guys like Poole.

Looney killed us on the glass with 15 rebounds.  They had 11 offensive rebounds to only 6 for us.

It seems to me that keys to the game include defending their high screen action by having a big come up and meet them at the pass and controlling the defensive glass.  Our guards need to be fully engaged in defending them on the perimeter.

On offense we need to keep doing what we have been doing.  Moving, spacing, making the correct reads and keeping the ball from sticking.

The Celtics should be overflowing with incentives to play well and bring home another victory.

GS remains a very lethal offensive team but they cannot stop the Celtics as long as the Celtics play the right way.

I heard the Warriors are pretty good like the most recent dynasty good. They came in to the Garden to “take another little piece of (the Celtics) heart” but the Celts said “no, no, no.” Big Win! Jaylen Brown coming up big in the fourth is a huge step IMO. I critiqued JT cause he’s a superstar but he’s fine. Al knows his spots as does Brogdon. Statistically what’s interesting is the Cs lost the three pointer derby but still won the game.