Preview: Isaiah Thomas’ Homecoming

Isaiah Thomas returns back to where he played before he joined the Celtics, Phoenix

The Boston Celtics have seemingly re-found whatever they lost during their four game losing streak and now are attempting to win their fourth straight game as they take on the Phoenix Suns. The Celtics have wrapped up a winning record this season, going 42-30 thus far.

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Phoenix is trying lose more than the Brooklyn Nets the rest of the way to try to have better odds at the number one pick. Injuries have been a key factor to the Suns’ 20-52 record, although it’s clear that this team is not that good. Phoenix is also coming off a loss to the Sacramento Kings last night, falling by 22 points.

Isaiah Thomas should be pumped for this game as he is facing his former team. Thomas was with the Suns prior to being traded to the Celtics last season and the Suns now realize that was a mistake.

Boston’s starting shooting guard, Avery Bradley, is questionable for tonight’s game. If he’s unable to go then Terry Rozier should see more minutes.

The Suns, as previously noted, have been killed with injuries this season. They’ve lost starting guard Eric Bledsoe and starters Tyson Chandler and T.J. Warren as well.

X-Factors

With Avery Bradley probably out on Saturday night, rookie Terry Rozier is in line for a big night. After struggling to find minutes all season, Rozier has played in at least 10 minutes in each of Boston’s last seven games. He has been able to show off his wide skill set as he has rebounded, passed, and defended well. His shooting is still not where the Celtics would like it to be, but you can tell the potential is there.

This could be the first time this season that Rozier could be in for a huge night. Up and down from Maine to Boston has been the rookie life for him thus far, however, he has recently cemented himself into the Celtics’ rotation over the past couple of weeks.

It would probably be best for Boston not to risk having Bradley injure himself more as Phoenix is a team they should beat either way, and they have the Los Angeles Clippers up next. Giving Rozier an extended run on Saturday would do him a lot of good as he has yet to see those kind of minutes. I would even consider starting him, keeping Marcus Smart on the bench, to see how Rozier plays at the start of a game.

That may not be the case though as head coach Brad Stevens may elect to start Smart due to Devin Booker lighting it up for the Suns as of late. The lone bright spot on Phoenix this season is Booker. The rookie out of Kentucky didn’t get a lot of minutes early on but has taken the league by storm following all the injuries to the Suns. Booker has shown why so many people loved his game coming out of college, as the 19-year old has shown great shooting ability.

He is coming off a 26-point game against the Sacramento Kings last night, and 28 points against the Lakers on Wednesday. Booker has shown the ability to score in bunches, and has shined over the past month. He has averaged 21.9 points per game in March, quickly becoming the new face of the franchise for the Suns. Phoenix hit big late in the lottery and Booker causes problems for teams every night.

He also passes the ball really well for a 19-year old and is able to set up his teammates. Averaging 5.2 assists per game in March is further proof of his all-around game.

The Suns are one of the worst teams in the league and it’d be a shame if Boston wasn’t able to put them away quickly. This is a perfect game for Brad Stevens to test out different lineups and get action for his young guys. The Celtics, especially Isaiah Thomas, will be ready to go after a couple of days off.

Next: The Celtics Got Their Swagger Back

Like always, Boston needs to come in focused or it could be a huge loss to their home-court advantage hopes in the first round. The Suns are one of the worst teams in the NBA and Boston should walk away with an easy victory if they play the way they have shown during their winning streak.