After cruising past the Philadelphia 76ers in the opener the Boston Celtics don’t have to wait long for their first challenge against the Toronto Raptors. The Celtics have high hopes of reclaiming a division crown this season and it all begins tonight.
While the Celtics ran away from the 76ers they still got off to a miserable start. The Raptors are not the kind of team that the Celtics can afford to have that kind of a start against. If the Celtics show weakness then it will be the Raptors running away from them.
Fortunately, the Celtics should have their full roster. Kelly Olynyk will be returning from his one game suspension but that is bad news for Tyler Zeller. Zeller was given the start but barely saw any time on the court in the opener. Brad Stevens is unlikely to overreact and bench Zeller after one poor performance. However, Stevens has made it clear that he is on a short leash and with another center behind him on the depth chart it may be even shorter.
Oct 19, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics center Kelly Olynyk (41) dribbles the ball as Brooklyn Nets forward Justin Harper (L) defends during the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports
The good news is that the Celtics do not have to deal with the kind of athletic bigs that they faced in the 76ers. That being said, Jonas Valancienas had a phenomenal opening game and he could easily take over the paint if Zeller has a repeat performance.
The two players that always need to be focused on when playing the Raptors is Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan. Fortunately, the back court is where the Celtics have their strongest defenders. Derozan and Lowry will be significantly more challenging than anyone on the 76ers. However, Marcus Smart and Avery Bradley should be able to hold their own and make sure that those two do not ruin the game.
This game also marks the return of Amir Johnson against his former team. Johnson may also be the answer if Zeller begins to struggle again. Johnson was a formidable defender in the paint and he was a great finisher in the post. The Celtics will use Johnson at both the 4 and the 5 and he should be able to cause discomfort to Valanciunas on both ends of the court.
Johnson is likely to be in a season long battle in the front court. With Olynyk returning, Johnson has to fend him off and lets not forget what a great opening game Jared Sullinger had. The good news is that the Celtics have options but the bad news is that if Johnson is not having an impact early then he may see his minutes dwindle.
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This is just the first of many battles for Johnson against his former team but it may be one of the most important. With Zeller potentially on the outs and Sullinger still not fully taking over, now is the time for Johnson to get separation. Lee is likely to remain the starting power forward but Johnson can make sure the Raptors regret losing him while cementing his role on the team.
The Celtics need all the wins they can get early on and with a matchup against the San Antonio Spurs coming up there is a great risk of falling under .500 if they lose this game. Beating the Raptors ensures that the Celtics can lose to the Spurs but remain above .500 if they manage to have success in the following games which are all in the eastern conference.
The Celtics should always feel good when the primary concern in a game is the defense of Smart, Bradley and Jae Crowder as that is the strongest aspect of the team. That being said, the Raptors’ back court is going to be one of the more challenging ones the Celtics face in the eastern conference and Smart, Bradley and Crowder have no time to waste in getting to mid season form
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