A mix of analysis and observations after the Celtics lost 137-112 to the Rockets in their final scrimmage in Orlando
Box Score
THE BIG STORY: STARTERS GET THE NIGHT OFF
The Celtics made it through their final scrimmage with their core fully healthy. Brad Stevens made sure of that on Tuesday night after deciding to rest his top seven players (the starters plus Marcus Smart and Enes Kanter). The choice was an understandable one when it comes to avoiding injuries in meaningless situations. The Celtics starters (minus Kemba) got big minutes on Sunday night and after an injury-plagued first 65 games of the regular season for this team’s core, Stevens opted to play it safe rather than tempt fate.
The Rockets haven’t had a chance to play as much together over the past few weeks in Orlando due to late arrivals by Russell Westbrook and James Harden to the bubble, so Mike D'Antoni played his starters big minutes. That made this matchup a lopsided mismatch against Boston’s (mostly) third bench unit despite a 10-0 start by the C’s. Houston put on a show offensively with their 3-point shooting for the rest of the night but they also lost a starter to what looked to be an ankle injury (Eric Gordon). That unfortunate mishap was a reminder that Stevens exercising caution with his core shouldn’t be questioned in this scenario.
TWO UP
Grant Williams: The big man came off the bench but had arguably his best game in a Celtic uniform. He hit 4 of his first 5 shots, on his way to a team-high 14 points over his 24 minutes. A number of those attempts were contested in the midrange, along with a tough 3 at the top of the arc. Williams also added a team-high nine rebounds and a couple of nifty assists while providing his usual high IQ on the defensive end of the floor. The scoring upside is something the Celtics are going to need out of him whenever he does take the floor as a stretch center with the starters to punish teams helping off him. A performance like this should give him some added confidence heading into the seeding games.
Semi Ojeleye: Nothing overly special about this effort but he nailed two of his three attempts from beyond the arc, which helped him to post 12 points in just 23 minutes. He was a little more aggressive-looking for his shot without the starters on the court but he fared well offensively besides an ugly night at the free-throw line. He played his role well during these preseason games, solidifying a spot in the rotation for himself heading into the weekend.
TWO DOWN
Brad Wanamaker: The 30-year-old point guard was seeking out plenty of opportunity in this one but didn’t deliver. He shot just 4-of-11 from the field and coughed up four turnovers in 22 minutes. He also struggled mightily against the Rockets starting backcourt, lacking the quickness to stay in front of quick guards at the point of attack.
Playing centers against the Rockets: The Celtics only had seven non-center players on their roster against a team that doesn’t play any traditional bigs in Houston. That forced the C’s to play a defensive mismatch all night with one of Rob Williams, Tacko Fall or Vincent Poirier on the court at all times. Those guys weren’t able to stick with the Rockets shooters on the perimeter, which led the Rockets to post 111 points over the first three quarters alone. The Celtics won’t have to deal with the Rockets again this season (barring a surprise Finals matchup) but this game was a reminder of the perils of playing a traditional big against shooting bigs.
OTHER OBSERVATIONS
—Carsen Edwards may not be a Celtic next season but he will always be able to say he dunked on a former MVP in James Harden, adding to his reel of memorable preseason moments.
woah ? pic.twitter.com/WZpZqLMKeq
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) July 29, 2020