Preview: Boston Celtics vs Miami Heat

The Boston Celttics front court will be tested yet again, this time against Miami Heat’s Hassan Whiteside

The Boston Celtics look to bounce back from their close loss to the San Antonio Spurs, and it comes against a much less intimidating opponent. The Miami Heat have struggled so far this season and their 5-11 record is making the playoffs look like a long shot at best.

They are attempting to transition to life without Dwyane Wade, and they are clearly going to need an adjustment period before they are ready to have Hassan Whiteside lead them as contenders in the East. That being said, Whiteside could end up being one of the most difficult match ups for the Celtics this season, and Al horford will have to be at his very best to prevent Whiteside from destroying everything in the paint.

Whiteside is leading the league with 14.9 rebounds per game and is second to just Davis with 2.5 blocks per game. The Celtics have nobody that can rebound with Whiteside, and his shot blocking could disrupt a lot of what the Celtics look to do in the paint. The Celtics are improved on offense, but a below average overall shooting percentage emphasizes how important scoring in the paint is to them, and Whiteside could force the Celtics into becoming a jump shooting team.

As difficult as it may be to account for Whiteside, the Celtics have more than enough options to make up for that discrepancy. The Celtics will run into trouble if they try to win this game with their jump shooting, but they have proven they can win in more ways this season.

Boston’s ball movement and ball security has been as good as it gets in the NBA, and that is how they need to neutralize Whiteside. Things could be difficult for Isaiah Thomas if he is looking to drive to the rim too often. Thomas needs to a pass first point guard in the matchup, and make sure that they are generating extra uncontested opportunities, in order to make up for Whiteside’s ability to contest almost anything that is around the rim.

Horford’s ability to stretch the floor could be the key to Boston’s offense. It remains a difficult individual matchup for Horford, but if he is able to draw him away while deferring to anyone else who will not have to deal with Whiteside, the Celtics should have no problem scoring on an otherwise underwhelming team.

The Celtics will have to accept that they do not have anyone that can compare to Whiteside on the boards, and the key will be limiting the second chance opportunities. The Celtics do not have a lot of offensive firepower to account for on the Heat, but Whiteisde could have a huge impact by generating those extra opportunities. If the Celtics are strong in other areas that will not be enough, but it could be a difference maker if the Celtics struggle to get the ball moving on offense.

Both the Heat and the Celtics have negative turnover differentials this season. That is a battle that the Celtics must win. The Heat have not been a disruptive defense, and the Celtics need to be able to move the ball and generate the kind of assists that have made their offense its best this season. The Heat do not generate a lot of turnovers, but they also allow the second fewest assists per game in the NBA, and that is where pace will become a key factor in the game. The Celtics want to run and they want to play fast, and that should keep the Heat out of their comfort zone. The Celtics do not want to allow the Heat to muck up this game, and prevent them from getting the offensive rhythm they need.

The Heat are also bottom five in the league in their own assists per game. The Heat do not have great ball movement, and that should allow the guards of Boston to feast on defense. With Horford and Crowder back in the lineup, the Celtics do not have individual match ups that can be exploited. The Heat do not have an advantage that they can look to exploit on the defensive end, and they have no chance of winning with their poor ball movement against guards that will apply the kind of pressure that they cannot handle. Goran Dragic and Tyler Johnson are nothing for Boston’s back court to fear right now, and they need to have a distinct advantage in the back court.

The Heat are one of the lowest scoring teams in the league, but they also allow the fourth fewest points. The Heat want to bog down the Celtics and make this a half court game. The Celtics need to impose their small ball and if they do that, the Heat will not be able to keep up on either end. With two guard Dion Waiters leading the team in assists, the Heat will need multiple players to step up on offense to score enough with a Celtics team that is running with fast pace, and that has not happened much for them this season.

Next: Boston's Small Ball Lineup

The Celtics have started to look a lot more like a contenders in the East now that they are healthy, but they cannot play down to their competition in this one. If the Heat manage to dictate the pace and terms of the game, the Celtics could end up too far out of their comfort zone to take the victory. The Celtics cannot afford to be dropping games to teams that are looking like they have a chance at a top five lottery pick, and that is what the Heat have been so far this season.