The Celtics start the preseason with 2 video games towards the Denver Nuggets in Abu Dhabi. The final 2 NBA Champions will start play after a brief off season for the Celtics, who performed into June earlier than successful their 18th Championship. The Nuggets had a barely longer off season as they misplaced in 7 video games to the Timberwolves, ending the season on Might 19. Each groups had gamers within the Olympics with Jokic and Murray of the Denver Nuggets and Tatum, Vacation and White of the Celtics collaborating within the Video games.
That is the second time in 3 months that Tatum, White, Vacation, Jokic and Murray have been to Abu Dhabi to play basketball. They had been there for the USA Basketball Showcase main as much as the Paris Olympics. Murray, on crew Canada, Group Canada exited within the quarterfinals whereas Group USA went on to win Gold and the Serbian nationwide crew completed with the Bronze medal.
That is the third 12 months in a row that the NBA has scheduled preseason video games in Abu Dhabi. In 2022, the Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks confronted off in 2 video games in Abu Dhabi with the Hawks successful each video games. In 2023, The Minnesota Timberwolves and Dallas Mavericks traveled to Abu Dhabi for a pair of exhibition video games. This was a preview of the Western Convention Finals. The Timberwolves gained each video games within the preseason, nevertheless it was Dallas that gained within the WCF.
The Celtics misplaced the sequence to the Nuggets 0-2 final season, shedding 109-115 in Denver and 100-102 in Boston. The Nuggets had been the one crew that the Celtics didn’t beat within the common season final 12 months. The Celtics return final 12 months’s crew principally intact, shedding simply Svi Mykhailiuk and Oshae Brissett. Key additions are Baylor Scheierman and Anton Walker by means of the draft and Lonnie Walker IV as a free agent on a coaching camp contract.
The Nuggets misplaced their beginning two guard, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to the Orlando Magic in free company. In addition they misplaced Reggie Jackson and Justin Vacation. They’ve added a few very key gamers in Russell Westbrook and Dario Saric together with DaRon Holmes II. Westbrook is a horrible quantity shooter and generally is a defensive legal responsibility however he brings vitality and is an explosive playmaker. They anticipate Saric to be a distinction maker off the bench for them.
The most important query for the Nuggets is who will inherit the beginning capturing guard spot with Caldwell-Pope gone. Most imagine that Christian Braun will fill that spot however Malone might go along with Julian Strawther, and even Russell Westbrook. We’ll doubtless see Michael Malone experimenting with that place in these preseason video games except he has already made that call.
The most important query for the Celtics would be the heart rotation with Kristaps Porzingis out till December. Xavier Tillman has been getting reward in coaching camp. Luke Kornet was very constant in his minutes final season and Neemias Queta brings vitality. I anticipate Al Horford to get the beginning on this recreation however Joe Mazzulla will doubtless be watching every of these gamers to see which of them earn extra taking part in time.
Kristaps Porzingis is the one participant on the harm listing for the Celtics. He’s out after having ankle surgical procedure after the playoffs and is predicted to be out till at the very least December. For the Nuggets, Peyton Watson is out with a hamstring harm. The harm just isn’t critical however he’s anticipated to overlook at the very least the primary two preseason matchups. DaRon Holmes is out after tearing his Achilles tendon in Summer season League
Possible Celtics Starters
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Celtics ReservesSam HauserLuke KornetPayton PritchardNeemias Queta Baylor ScheiermanJaden SpringerXavier Tillman, SrJordan Walsh
2 Means PlayersJD DavisonDrew PetersonAnton Watson
Coaching Camp ContractsTristan EnarunaRon Harper, JrDmytro SkapintsevLonnie Walker IV
Accidents/OutKristaps Porzingis (ankle) out
Head CoachJoe Mazzulla
Possible Nuggets Starters
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Nuggets Reserves Vlatko CancarDeAndre JordanZeke NnajiJalen PickettDario SaricJulian StrawtherHunter TysonRussell Westbrook
2 Means PlayersTrey AlexanderPJ HallSpencer Jones
Coaching Camp Contracts Gabe McGlothanJaylin Williams Jahmir Younger
Out/Accidents DaRon Holmes II (Achilles) out Peyton Watson (hamstring) out
Head Coach Michael Malone
Key Matchups
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Al Horford
Photograph by Adam Glanzman/Getty Pictures
Nikola Jokic
Photograph by Matthew Stockman/Getty Pictures
Al Horford vs Nikola JokicJokic is has gained again to again MVP’s and is within the dialog for MVP each season for a motive. He averaged 26.4 factors, 12.4 rebounds, and 9.0 assists final season. He shot 58.3% from the sphere and 35.9% from past the arc. In opposition to the Celtics final season, he averaged 33 factors, 12 rebounds and 10 assists whereas capturing 61% from the sphere and 50% from past the arc. In January, when these groups performed, Malone had Jokic defend Jrue Vacation and he held him to 3-8 capturing, so Jokic is an issue for the Celtics on each ends of the court docket. I don’t anticipate the starters from both crew to play large minutes.
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Jrue Vacation
Photograph by Stacy Revere/Getty Pictures
Jamal Murray
Photograph by C. Morgan Engel/Getty Pictures
Jrue Vacation vs Jamal MurrayMurray averaged 21.2 factors, 4.1 rebounds and 6.5 assists final season. He shot 48.1% from the sphere and 42.5% from past the arc. In January towards the Celtics, he put up 35 factors on 71% capturing to go along with 8 rebounds and 5 assists. Though Murray struggled within the playoffs and the Olympics, he’s anticipated to be wholesome and able to play on this recreation.
Honorable MentionJaylen Brown vs Michael Porter, Jr.Porter averaged 16.7 factors, 7.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists. He shot 48.1% from the sphere and 39.7% from past the arc. This ought to be a superb matchup and it’s Jaylen Brown’s first alternative to point out his added motivation from the snubs this summer season.
Keys to the Recreation Protection – Whether or not it’s preseason, common season or submit season, protection will all the time be the important thing to successful video games. Final season, the Celtics had been first within the league with a defensive score of 108.2 and the Nuggets had been fifth with a defensive score of 110.9. The Celtics have to make protection a precedence as soon as once more this season in the event that they wish to repeat as champions.
Rebounding – Rebounding is one other key to successful each recreation. Final season, the Celtics had been 1st within the league, averaging 46.3 rebounds per recreation. The Nuggets had been 2nd within the league with 44.4 rebounds per recreation. Rebounding takes effort and the Celtics need to work more durable to seize rebounds to restrict the Nuggets second probability factors and quick breaks. The Celtics can’t permit the Nuggets to outwork them on the boards.
Effort and Power for 48 Minutes – I do know it’s simply preseason, however the Celtics have to be aggressive. They need to combat for unfastened balls, defend aggressively, be aggressive in driving to the basket, and simply play more durable than the Nuggets for your complete recreation. They need to be the crew that desires it extra and play prefer it. I anticipate the reserves and camp guys to be taking part in fairly a couple of minutes and they need to all present additional effort as they attempt to earn taking part in time or a roster spot.
3 Level Taking pictures – The Celtics relied on capturing threes final season. They had been first within the league, taking 43.5 three pointers per recreation. They had been additionally 1st within the league, making 16.5 threes a recreation. Michael Malone has mentioned that he needs his crew to shoot extra threes this season. Final season they had been tenth in 3 level share with 37.4% however they had been thirtieth in 3 level makes an attempt with simply 31.2 per recreation. We might even see quite a lot of 3s taken on this recreation by each groups.
X-Components Rust – That is the primary preseason recreation for each groups. Each groups have 4 of their starters from final season within the line ups that I’m assuming will begin. Each have been practising since September 27. Will they each present rust to start the sport or will they’ve shaken off the rust in coaching camp?
On the Street – This recreation takes taking part in on the highway to extremes. Will the gamers have jet lag or journey fatigue? The Celtics had been 27-14 on the highway final season whereas the Nuggets had been 24-17 on the highway. The Nuggets have among the best residence court docket benefits as they play at excessive altitude. On this recreation no crew has the benefit.
Officiating – I do know that I say this each recreation, however the officiating can all the time be an x-factor even within the preseason and even in Abu Dhabi. Each crew calls the sport in a different way whether or not they name each little ticky tack foul or they let quite a lot of contact go and let the groups play. The refs are of their preseason additionally, so it’s arduous to know the way they are going to name this one. The Celtics have gotten to regulate to the way in which the sport is being referred to as and never let the calls have an effect on their focus or their play.
