Roster - Boston Celtics

News · Roster · Patch · Statistics · Units · Ratings · Schedule · Transactions · NBA Stats · TbT

Celtics Update

Two weeks have passed of the NLL season and the Boston Celtics sit at 5-3. Considering the tumultuous nature of the NLL at the beginning of this season, one might say this can be considered a solid pass mark. Here, we discuss the talking points from the first fortnight of Celtics basketball!

Durant down, but to return for week three

Kevin Durant missed all of week two with a foot ailment but will be back - fully healthy, for week three. Durant has been his usual dominant self to start the season, averaging 29 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists and 2.3 steals per game, but NLL fans almost take these kind of lines from him for granted, which shows you what a talent he is.

‘I am just a baller, man’ says Durant.

‘I just want to make an impact, want to make plays.’

Philadelphia GM vt was asked what he thought about Durant, ahead of the week three matchup:

‘He is a once in a generation player, and one of my favourite to watch. There is nothing he can’t do. And he’s a great guy, too. I wish we had him here in Philadelphia.’

Brook Lopez’s dominant start

Brook Lopez has gotten off to a blistering start and is just one of a number of big men to do so during this big man friendly 2017 season to date. Teams have been eager to dump the ball in low and let the bigs bang and post up, a far cry from the usual wing-dominant schemes of years gone by. Will it last? Will teams figure out how to run the bigs off the block and have them watching the plays instead of being so involved? Time will tell. But until then, we will have plenty of Brook Lopez highlights to look forward to, and here is what he has done thus far:

26.5 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.8 SPG, 2.3 BPG on 54% FG and 85% FT on 10 attempts per game, with a PER of 30+ and a TS% of .63+.

They are all star numbers, without a doubt. He may regress somewhat, but it is clear he is a focal point of the Celtics offense.

But how many centres can an All-Star team have?

Iguodala to the bench?

Ahead of week three, coach Brad Stevens is wanting to test out a new starting lineup, the third starting lineup of this season in as many weeks. Veteran swingman Andre Iguodala will head to the bench and Tyreke Evans, who has looked fit, strong and ultra sharp, will get his chance with the starting unit.

Upon being asked why Evans, who is playing a terrific sixth man role, and whose style of play fits with leading the bench unit, was being moved into the starting five which features many players who need touches, he said the following:

‘Tyreke has worked so hard these past two years to get his knee right, and to equip himself with a body that can withstand the rigours of a full NLL season. He has been incredible so far, for a guy that was somewhat written off and has missed the best part of two years. We just wanted to see what the first unit looks like with an extra playmaker. He is shooting much better and he is getting to the hole whenever he wants. We are excited to add that to an already strong and versatile offense.

Andre and Tyreke will still get plenty of minutes, we just wanted to see what Ty could do. We know Andre just wants to win and he has played roles like this before, and is a true pro. His versatility will assure he is only the floor for plenty of meaningful minutes.’

Thus far, Tyreke Evans has averaged a very 6MOTY like 16.6 PPG, 4.4 APG, 2.6 RPG and a steal, on 53% FG.

Expect his touches to go down, and possibly his scoring, in this experimental move for week three.

The week ahead:

Phi – The 76ers will be without two of their big three, Kawhi Leonard (quad) and Rudy Gobert (knee).

@ Tor – The Raptors get Rajon Rondo back for the first time this season, and look very formidable.

NY – The Knicks are waaay toooo gooood to slump for very long and they have reeled off four wins in a row. One of the best.

@ Mia – Miami could be the ultimate surprise team in a fortnight of shocks and surprises. This rag-tag collection of out-casts and castaways, along with King Kuz and JJ Redick, have only lost twice in eight games.

Previous Article	Page 61/111 2017-11-20 00:16:15	Next Article