Boston Celtics: 2 break-in candidates for tonight’s game

The Boston Celtics have gotten off to a less-than-ideal start to their 2021-22 season. After a potential game of the year loss to the New York Knicks, the Cs laid an egg in their home opener to a rebuilding Raptors team, causing the boo-birds to reveal themselves early on.

Yesterday they got their first win against the Houston Rockets on the road on the first night of a back-to-back. Jayson Tatum figured out his scoring, and a couple of other Celtics had big break-in games like Dennis Schroder and Al Horford.

The Cs will be taking on the 3-0 Charlotte Hornets, who are coming off a statement win against the powerhouse Brooklyn Nets. The Hornets play with great pace, energy, and creativity, so they’ll be a tough test for a Celtics team that got ‘punked’ a few days ago by a rugged Raptors unit.

Between LaMelo Ball, Terry Rozier, James Bouknight, Miles Bridges, and PJ Washington, the Boston Celtics will have their work cut out for them on defense. Tonight is no night to get caught sleeping off the ball.

However, a challenge like the Hornets poses a unique opportunity for specific Boston Celtics to have so-called “break-in” games. These are games where guys that had high expectations coming into the season, who have so far underperformed, can get people back on their bandwagon with a good performance. Let’s look at a few of those guys before tonight’s face-off.

Aaron Nesmith and Payton Pritchard are my two ‘break-in’ candidates for the Boston Celtics tonight.

As far as their preseason expectations go, they’ve been relatively quiet through the first couple of games of the Boston Celtics season. Given the context of their roles, it’s understandable that they may be off to a slower start, but tonight is not going to be the kind of night where they can afford to lag behind the play.

I had high hopes for Aaron Nesmith coming into this season, and I am holding firm on all of my takes regarding his sophomore form. However, he’s been a bit more rigid than I’d like these last few games. He hasn’t made a shot this season, and his minutes are starting to reflect his failure to produce. With Josh Richardson and Romeo Langford playing the way they’ve been playing, there’s no sense in putting in Nesmith if his best skillset is nonexistent.

Against the Hornets, I’d like to see Nesmith’s chaotic playstyle a little more. Yeah, he’s 0/10 to start the season, but nine of those misses have been threes. At six-foot-six and 215 lbs with a near seven-foot wingspan, there’s no reason Nesmith can’t find a way to get to the basket and make a play.

I loved what I saw from him as a shot creator and playmaker in the summer league and preseason. Now it’s time for that to carry over into the games that matter.

Payton Pritchard being in a tight spot this season shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. I would’ve loved to see Pritchard’s touches ramp up after such a successful rookie season, but with the acquisition of Richardson and Dennis Schroder, it’s not possible. For now, Pritchard is just going to have to make an impact when he can and do a lot with little.

Through three games, Pritchard has struggled to do so. He’s shooting an abysmal 30% from three and, even worse, 23% from the floor. I don’t think either of those values is sustainable. Pritchard’s ability to score the ball isn’t a question.

The question is whether or not he can find a way to impact the game while he gets his feet under him. His passing has been particularly impressive so far, so maybe tonight we see him put the ball on the floor and make a play instead of looking for his shot.

Last season Pritchard found great success letting the game flow through him, and it’s time he gets back to that before he’s phased out of the rotation.