Boston Celtics key to victory No. 2) Contain Trae Young
This one is easier said than done.
“Ice Trae” enters the game averaging 27.8 points, 9.3 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game. Young is a top player in the NBA and, as seen in their win against Toronto, when he’s on the Hawks generally win.
Atlanta is surprisingly 2-1 against the Boston Celtics this season and Young has been a big factor in those victories.
In these wins, young is averaging 19.5 points and 8.5 assists. While Boston has held the two-time All-Star well under his season averages, he’s still been able to play-make and knock down shots when needed.
The addition of Derrick White should help to slow Young down.
In the last meeting between the two teams, White logged 29 minutes of action. While he’s still finding some offensive consistency in Boston, his defensive energy and effort should be on full display on TNT Tuesday night.
Although he’s been playing at a high level the last two games, Payton Pritchard could see a decrease in minutes during this outing. Pritchard has guarded well in recent games, but Young can be a difficult task to handle, even for the league’s elite defenders.
It can be nearly impossible to slow down Young some nights, especially when he pulls up and converts his attempts from ten feet behind the 3-point line.
The Celtics may benefit by having Smart and White on the court together at the same time. This duo may be their best chance at slowing down Young.