4 things to watch for in Celtics-Raptors showdown

The first showdown of the year between the Celtics' biggest threat in the Eastern Conference deserves some extra attention. Let's take a closer look at a few areas to watch ahead of the nationally televised matchup on Friday night.

1. A new starting look for the Raptors? Toronto has the bulk to match up big upfront with Jonas Valancunias but they too seem to be trending towards small ball on a regular basis with their starters. New head coach Nick Nurse hinted that the Raptors would be going with a different lineup than opening night. Part of that is likely including OG Anunoby in the starting five (he was inactive due to injury against the Cavs) in place of Pascal Siakam, but the bigger shift would be starting Serge Ibaka over Valacunias. The veteran forward has been a pest in pressuring Al Horford all over the floor in recent matchups and the guess here is the Raptors want to keep that pattern will creating an incredibly versatile defensive lineup 1-5. 

2. Who gets Kawhi duty on both ends? There will be no easy choices for Brad Stevens on the defensive end. Leonard deserves the most attention offensively, but Kyle Lowry is a close second at the point and Danny Green is a tough cover running around screens as well. The guess here is that Hayward starts on Leonard but it wouldn't surprise me to see this get mixed up a lot based on switches and different lineup combinations. Brown, Tatum, Marcus Morris and Marcus Smart should all get a crack at him at some point. Tatum should be in for a tall task on the offensive end as well, since he will likely get Leonard thrown on him out of the gate, an indication of who the Raptors think the C's biggest threat is in their frontcourt.

3. Can C's snap their Toronto road woes? Playing up north has been a nightmare for the C's during the Brad Stevens era, even as they have turned into an elite road team in the Eastern Conference. Boston has dropped six straight in Canada and 10 of their last 11 overall. While the matchups are different this time around with a healthy Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving in the fold, the pressure will be amped up as Irving acknowledges.

"It’s going to be special," Irving said. "It’s great to go through challenges like this in the beginning of the season, on the road, against Toronto. Jurassic Park is going to be crazy. I’ve been able to play there a few times but now that they have a veteran group, a veteran starting 5 with Danny Green, Kawhi, and obviously Kyle and Serge and all the other young guys -- Siakam and OG Anunoby coming off the bench. Those guys are lethal when they get up and down. We’ll be prepared for a track meet, but as well as managing the game very well from my end."

4. What wrinkles will new head coach Nick Nurse throw in the mix? Outside of swapping out DeMar DeRozan and Jakob Poeltl for Kawhi Leonard, virtually the entire core is back for the Raptors for the 2018-19. The biggest adjustment for the C's, outside of Leonard, will be dealing with a new lieutenant in Nurse, who was promoted to the head gig after Dwane Casey was fired last postseason. Unlike Stevens, it's been a long winding road for him to land his first head coaching gig and he still has a lot to prove to remove himself from Casey's show. He clearly knows the personnel well on both sides so it will be intriguing to see what he has up his sleeves against the top competitors in the East. This will be the first chance to make a name for himself on a national stage so Stevens and the C's will have to be on guard for a few curveballs in the gameplan.