For the primary time since 2009, the Celtics will start their season with a banner being raised to the rafters and the gamers receiving their 2024 Championship rings. After that, they should get right down to enterprise as they face the retooled New York Knicks of their season opener. With the addition of Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Cities, the Knicks are being touted as the largest risk to a repeat championship for the Celtics.
Final season, the Celtics led the collection between these two groups, successful 4 video games and dropping only one. Within the preseason, each groups went 4-1, successful the primary 4 video games and dropping the ultimate recreation by 1 level. They may face one another 4 occasions this season starting with their season opener. They may also meet on February 9, February 23, and April 8. The Celtics are 304-190 total all time vs the Knicks and they’re 164-68 in video games performed at residence.
The Knicks made strikes this offseason with the aim of matching up higher with the Celtics. In Mikal Bridges, the Knicks added a wing defender who can counter the Celtics All Star wings and who also can unfold the ground. He additionally provides chemistry with Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart who received a championship in 2016 with Villanova. With the addition of Karl-Anthony Cities, they’ve addressed their weak spot at heart. Cities can match up with the Celtics facilities and also can hit the three, having received the three level contest in 2022.
The one query concerning the Knicks new roster is their depth. Having misplaced Donte DiVincenzo, Julius Randle, Keita Bates-Diop, Alec Burks, Bojan Bogdanovic, and Isaiah Hartenstein, the Knicks roster is at simply 12 gamers. They’re arduous capped and simply 3.58 million beneath the 2nd apron. Their roster will be beneath 14 gamers for simply 28 days over the season and not more than 14 days at a time. It has been rumored that they might go after Lonnie Walker IV after the Celtics waived him. or, they might convert a 2 means contract to the common roster.
The Celtics will probably be with out Kristaps Porzingis who’s recovering from ankle surgical procedure within the off season and isn’t anticipated again till a while in December. For the Knicks, heart Mitchell Robinson is out till no less than December after two procedures on his left ankle. Again up heart Treasured Achiuwa injured his hamstring within the closing preseason recreation and will probably be reevaluated in 2-4 weeks. Two Manner participant Kevin McCullar, Jr (knee) can also be out for this recreation.
Possible Celtics Starters
Grid View
PG: Jrue HolidaySG: Derrick WhiteSF: Jaylen BrownPF: Jayson TatumC: Al Horford
Celtics ReservesSam HauserLuke KornetPayton PritchardNeemias QuetaBaylor ScheiermanJaden SpringerXavier Tillman, SrJordan Walsh
2 Manner PlayersJD DavisonDrew PetersonAnton Watson
Accidents/OutKristaps Porzingis (ankle) out
Head CoachJoe Mazzulla
Possible Knicks Starters
Grid View
PG: Jalen BrunsonSG: Mikal BridgesSF: Josh HartPF: OG AnunobyC: Karl-Anthony Cities
Knicks ReservesPacome DadietCameron PayneMiles McBrideTyler KolekJericho Sims
2 Manner PlayersJacob Toppin Kevin McCullar, JrAriel Hukporti
Accidents/Out Treasured Achiuwa (hamstring) outMitchell Robinson (ankle) out Kevin McCullar, Jr (knee) out
Head Coach Tom Thibodeau
Key Matchups
Grid View
Jrue Vacation
Picture by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE through Getty Pictures
Jalen Brunson
Picture by Evan Bernstein/Getty Pictures
Jrue Vacation vs Jalen BrunsonKnicks’ All Star Jalen Brunson was fifth in MVP voting final season. Final season he averaged 28.7 factors, 3.6 rebounds, and 6.7 assists whereas taking pictures 47.9% from the sector and 40.1% from past the arc. Within the preseason, in 22.7 mpg, he averaged 21.5 factors, 2.9 rebounds, and 4.3 assists whereas taking pictures 57% from the sector and 43.8% from past the arc. This ought to be matchup.
Grid View
Al Horford
Picture by Adam Glanzman/Getty Pictures
Karl-Anthony Cities
Picture by Scott Taetsch/Getty Pictures
Al Horford vs Karl-Anthony Cities Cities will give the Knicks a powerful presence within the paint together with the power to unfold the ground. Final season, Cities averaged 21.8 factors, 8.3 rebounds, and three.0 assists. He shot 50.4% from the sector and 41.6% from past the arc. Within the preseason, he averaged 18.3 factors, 11.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.5 steals per recreation. He struggled together with his shot, taking pictures simply 37.5% from the sector and 17.4% from past the arc. Luke Kornet began 4 of the 5 video games within the preseason for the Celtics and will begin this recreation, however I’m guessing that Horford will get the beginning.
Honorable MentionDerrick White vs Mikal Bridges The Knicks are hoping that Bridges will give them a leg up towards the Celtics. He is an efficient 2 means participant who can decelerate the Celtics star wings and in addition make them work on the defensive finish. Final season, Bridges averaged 19.6 factors, 4.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1 steal per recreation. He shot 43.6% from the sector and 37.2% from past the arc. Within the preseason, like Cities, he struggled together with his shot and averaged 10.8 factors, 3.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists whereas taking pictures 41% from the sector and simply 10.5% from past the arc.
Keys to the Sport Protection – Protection is the important thing to successful each recreation. Within the preseason, the Celtics have been 2nd with 121.8 factors per recreation whereas the Knicks have been seventh with 114.2 factors per recreation. The Celtics has a defensive ranking of 104.6 (twelfth) whereas the Knicks has a defensive ranking of 102.5 (eighth). The Knicks introduced in gamers within the off season to spice up their protection. The Celtics’ protection final season was prime 2 and they should make protection a precedence once more this season in the event that they hope to repeat as champions.
Rebound – The Celtics can’t rating in the event that they don’t have the ball, and the easiest way to get the ball is the seize rebounds. The Celtics have to rebound as a crew with each Celtic battling on the boards. The Celtics have been seventeenth within the preseason with 45.6 rebounds per recreation whereas the Knicks have been twelfth within the preseason with 46.8 rebounds per recreation. Rebounding takes effort and so the Celtics must put out extra effort to beat the Knicks on the boards.
3 Level Capturing – The Celtics led the league in 3 pointers tried per recreation final season and upped their 3 level recreation within the preseason, taking 52.6 threes per recreation. The Knicks have been twelfth taking 41 threes per recreation. When the Celtics are hitting their 3’s, they’re powerful to beat. However, when their threes aren’t falling, then they battle and provides the opponent an edge. If the threes aren’t falling, they should get into the paint to attain in different methods.
Depth and Chemistry – The Celtics introduced again just about the identical crew as they fielded final season Whereas the Knicks overhauled their roster to attempt to match up higher with the Celtics. The Celtics are a deep crew and so they have had 2 years beneath Joe Mazzulla to develop chemistry, get comfy of their roles, and develop into a nicely oiled machine. The Knicks, then again are incorporating 2 new gamers into their beginning lineup and are nonetheless engaged on their chemistry. Additionally, their depth took successful after they made the trades and so the Celtics 2nd unit ought to have a bonus.
X-Components Ring Evening – The Celtics will probably be getting their rings and elevating Banner 18 to the rafters earlier than the sport. They are going to be excited and presumably distracted. However, the Knicks are available in hungry and targeted on beating the Celtics this season and getting their very own rings a 12 months from now. Will the Celtics have the ability to put the joy of getting their rings and hanging the banner behind them and deal with the sport?
Dwelling Sport – Each groups are nicely rested, though the Celtics have been off per week whereas the Knicks have simply been off since Friday. The Celtics have to benefit from residence court docket and the increase their followers can provide them. The Knicks will face a hostile crowd and an unfamiliar enviornment together with journey which can hopefully give the Celtics the sting.
Officiating – Officiating all the time has the potential to be an x-factor. Every officiating crew calls the sport in a different way. Some refs name it tight and always name fouls whereas others allow them to play with few fouls referred to as. The Celtics want to regulate to how the refs are calling the sport and never permit dangerous calls or no calls to remove their focus. The Celtics can’t afford to permit the opposite crew to go on taking part in whereas Celtics gamers are hanging again and complaining about calls.
And ensure to take a look at CelticsBlog’s Playback stream for a dwell dialog concerning the recreation. To take part, simply create a free account, join your LP sub in case you have it, and be a part of our neighborhood.
