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The Boston Celtics and New York Knicks will face off tonight in what will be the NBA's season curtain-opener for both teams. The Boston Celtics will be looking to navigate an ocean of change, having undergone substantial reconstructive surgery during the off-season - both on the playing and coaching staff.
Under coach Tom Thibodeau, the Knicks have become a stern prospect who relies on their bullish brand of defense to grind out wins. After adding former Celtics Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier during the off-season, the Knicks will be hoping that their scoring ability will now match the level of their defense - and then the Eastern Conference will need to watch out!
With the Boston Celtics vs. Knicks game just a few hours away, now is the time to start asking questions as we ponder lineups, matchups, and ultimately, who will end the game victorious.
Here are three burning questions for the Boston Celtics.
#1 How will Jaylen Brown play for the Boston Celtics tonight?
Jaylen Brown missed the second half of the Boston Celtics' preseason schedule due to testing positive for COVID, and has been quarantining ever since. As of yesterday, the Boston Celtics listed Brown as questionable. However, earlier today, Ime Udoka announced that Brown would be starting, and would "play in spurts."
The Boston Celtics will need as many play-finishers and on-ball defenders as possible if they wish to nullify a well-drilled Knicks team. The spacing and rim pressure that Brown provides is an enormous part of how the Boston Celtics like to create scoring opportunities, while also lightening the load on Jayson Tatum.
Brown will likely operate on a minute restriction as he works his way back to full fitness. It's worth remembering that Brown also missed the end of the Boston Celtics season due to a ligament injury in his wrist, and has only played one game of competitive basketball since recovering. Now the question becomes "How much of an impact can Brown make in limited minutes?" Luckily, there's only a few hours left until we find out.
#2 Will Marcus Smart start the Boston Celtics season opener?
We know that Marcus Smart has been handed the reigns as the team's starting point guard, and long-term that is surely the case. However, Marcus Smart was suspended for the game against the Miami Heat due to breaching team rules, and missed the Orlando Magic game two nights earlier.
With Smart still short on game fitness due to the Boston Celtics opting to discipline him, could Ime Udoka opt to give Dennis Schroder a start in the season opener? Stranger things have happened.
Both Schroder and Smart give the Celtics a combative defensive presence on the perimeter. While Schroder's defense isn't at the level of Smart's, allowing the latter to work back to fitness off the bench isn't the worst idea.
Furthermore, the Celtics will need a scoring punch from their back-court in this game. While Smart's three-point shot is undoubtedly improved over recent years, the instant offense Schroder provides could go a way to limiting the impact of Walker and Fournier.
Should Smart start the game on the bench, there will inevitably be more questions surrounding the point-guard position moving forwards. But for a player who has missed some of the preseason and has recently been disciplined by the team, easing him back into the starting lineup makes sense.
#3 How will Grant Williams cope with guarding the Knicks big men
Nerlens Noel and Mitchell Robinson are two of the more imposing centers in the Eastern Conference, and they both happen to reside on the New York Knicks roster. Granted, Noel is far more impactful on the defensive end, but his size and length can be a problem for smaller defenders to deal with in the paint.
Earlier today, Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka confirmed that Grant Williams will be in the starting line-up, most likely to replace Al Horford at center position and allow Robert Williams to come off the bench. Of course, Udoka could go with a "two-big" lineup and pair both Robert and Grant Williams together, but the question still remains the same: Is Grant Williams capable of defending the Knicks starting caliber players?
Last season was a step-back for Grant Williams in terms of production and defensive impact, something the third-year wing/big put down to his increased weight. After slimming down during the off-season, Williams has looked far more mobile and has shown a knack for timing his defensive rotations almost perfectly.
Williams has certainly shown enough during training camp and pre-season to earn Udoka's trust. Now he will be hoping to have a bounce back year for the Boston Celtics and cement himself a large role within the rotation moving forwards.
Guess the Lakers players!
