Boston Celtics: What To Watch For On Opening Night
The Boston Celtics will start the 2013-14 regular season with a new coach and almost an entirely new playing group after general manager Danny Ainge made some drastic changes in the offseason to rebuild the franchise. When they open the season on Oct. 30 against the Toronto Raptors, the Celtics will have just five players from last season’s roster available to play. Many have moved on or been traded, Rajon Rondo is out indefinitely due to injury and big man Jared Sullinger will serve a one-game suspension due to a domestic incident (despite charges having been dropped). With all the changes, all the new faces and the excitement of a new season, the Celtics remain one of the league’s biggest question marks this season. Will they surprise and contend for a low playoff spot or will Ainge blatantly “tank” the season to get a high draft pick in a loaded 2014 class? As opening night looms, we take a look at five things to watch for as the 2013-14 Boston Celtics season opens.
5. The Starting Five
Just a day away from the opener and no one has been able to confirm who the starting five for the Celtics is going to be. Rondo leaves a gaping hole at point guard, while Sullinger would also seemingly be a sure-fire starter if he was not returning from injury himself (and serving his suspension). Jeff Green and Avery Bradley are two of the familiar faces on the roster and both have proven themselves as capable starters in the past, beyond these two certainties we still do not know who Coach Brad Stevens will put on the floor.
It was a mixed bag in preseason. In the frontcourt, rookie Kelly Olynyk showed flashes of offensive brilliance, but his defense and rebounding are not yet up to standard. Brandon Bass, Gerald Wallace and Kris Humphries are all proven veterans in the NBA and are more than capable of starting if required. The biggest surprise was perhaps the play of Brazilian rookie Vitor Faverani, who is the only true center on the roster and provides an interior defensive presence that the rest of the roster lacks.
In the backcourt, partnering Bradley for large stretches in the preseason was Jordan Crawford. Still a streaky shooter with questionable shot selection, Crawford at least is a capable ball handler and showed some passing ability. Rookie Phil Pressey looks like he can stick in the NBA but is unlikely to be thrown into the starting lineup right away. Keith Bogans and MarShon Brooks provide other options, while recently it appears Stevens has been leaning towards going with a big lineup, having Green and Wallace at the 2 and 3. Regardless, it will be interesting to see who Stevens throws on the floor to start game one.
Jeff Green is poised for a breakout year in 2013-14. (NBA.com photo)
4. Will Jeff Green Take Control?
With Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett relocating to Brooklyn, Jeff Green seemingly has an opportunity to have a career year while the Celtics begin the rebuilding process. Green has been solid, but not spectacular throughout his NBA career thus far, but the Celtics believe in his ability and there has never been a question over his talent. It is Green’s attitude and focus that need to change in order for him to become the offensive weapon the Celtics need this season. Too often, alongside star teammates Green would float in and out of games offensively, showing the ability to dominate but also go missing for minutes on end. This season, the Celtics need Green to be assertive and aim to break the 20-point mark each and every night.
The first game will provide a solid test for Green. Rudy Gay, DeMar DeRozan and Terrence Ross make up a talented, athletic wing group in Toronto on a team hoping for major improvements. They will be out to make a statement and Green will be required to not only lead the Celtics offensively, but lock down the Raptors’ talented swingmen. This is Green’s opportunity to set the tone for a big season individually and show the rest of his teammates he can be a leader.
3. What Will The Rotation Look Like?
Beyond the starting lineup, how Stevens manages his rotation will be a good indicator of exactly what he and Ainge envision for the Celtics this season. Does he play his veterans big minutes and try to squeeze every win out of the roster he possibly can, or will he allow his young players the court time to develop at the risk of some games slipping away? While the talent isn’t overwhelming, the number of options at Stevens’ disposal is. Fans always want to see their new, young players on the court and for a rebuilding team the excitement of playing the young rookies usually provides some welcome positivity. Stevens however, has always been known as someone who gets the most out of the talent on his roster and you should expect to see big minutes for the Celtics’ veterans, at least early in the season.
We will learn a lot about Brad Stevens’ hopes for the Celtics on opening night. (Wikimedia Commons/Bradjward)
2. What System Will They Play Offensively?
We know that when healthy, Rajon Rondo is the commander of the Celtics’ offense. He has led the league in assists twice running, controlling the show despite playing alongside superstar teammates. Now, without Rondo for a large portion to start the season, the Celtics will need to find new ways to create offense despite the lack of an established NBA point guard on the roster. As with the rotation, we saw a lot of experiments in the preseason when it came to the offense and without a real organiser on the roster it will be up to Coach Stevens and the veterans on the roster to promote ball movement, off the ball cutting and find ways to get open looks.
Jeff Green should be the focal point on the wings, while there are a number of scoring options in the frontcourt. It will however, be interesting to see how the team creates those opportunities from the backcourt. Avery Bradley has done a great deal of ball handling in the preseason but is still far from being a real point guard. The team, at times looked its best offensively with rookie Phil Pressey on the floor but his inexperience will hurt him in other areas which will prevent him getting extended minutes from the get-go. If the Celtics aim to match it night-in night-out with the NBA’s finest, they will need to hustle, run the floor, convert easy looks and find a way to consistently create opportunities despite Rondo’s absence.
1. Are They As Bad As Most People Expect?
After so much movement in the offseason, finally, the Celtics new group will get a chance to hit the floor and get back to just playing basketball. For the players it must be a welcome relief after months of interviews, press conferences and articles about the departure of franchise greats. Most expect the team to struggle this season, and well they might, but we don’t know until we see them play in a game that matters. Stevens has routinely overachieved with his personnel in the NCAA with his Butler program and one would expect he hopes to achieve the same in the NBA. Whether that is Danny Ainge’s plan for this season remains to be seen.
The Raptors provide a solid first test for the new-look Celtics. Toronto is a team on the upswing and are expecting a return to the playoffs this season. It will give us a measure of exactly where Boston is at after all the changes and how much cohesiveness they have been able to build over the past few weeks. While it may take time to adjust and there will be many more changes throughout the season, it is our first real chance to assess how the Celtics will play this season and just how competitive they will be in a strong Eastern Conference.
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