Each preseason game is sort of like a pin on a map. With only one pin so far, it’s pretty hard to figure out which direction the Celtics are going.
So we enter the Saturday night matchup with the Toronto Raptors looking for what next steps this team is taking. Here are a few things I’m looking for.
A MORE SETTLED OFFENSE
Looking back at the first preseason game, it felt like a few old habits dying hard while simultaneously trying to follow the coach’s direction, all while trying to integrate unfamiliar players.
The Celtics want to play with a good pace, but they played too fast against Orlando.
It’s not really a problem at the moment, but it is one of the areas of concern coming into the season, so the sooner we see progress on this, the better we’ll all feel about it.
To that end, here’s a little of what I’d like to see:
More of Marcus Smart, point guard in control of the offense: I’d like to see him take a little control of the offense from time to time. When things are falling out of sync, I’d like to see him settle things down. If the Celtics are going to count on Smart to be a floor general, I’d like to see him lead.
Passes with purpose: The Celtics threw a few too many passes that seemed to be for the sake of passing. That was actually to be expected in the first game with a new ball-movement edict. Now let’s see them actually move the ball and make cuts so the passes have purpose. I want to see the guy who just passed the ball do something more than stand there.
Better individual decisions: Okay fine, Robert Williams, try a mid-range shot from time to time. Finding that range and trying to be a threat from further out may ultimately be helpful. However, Ime Udoka was right when he said “He did miss some easy shots, but also settled for some mid-rangers he didn't have to. We told him obviously we want to get back to what you do well, and which is a hard roller and being a lob threat, catching those pocket passes. He got an opportunity to do that where he kind of got stuck in the middle ground, so we stressed that to him like, sprinting up with speed, getting out quick, being the threat he is and then setting screens. He slipped out of a lot of screens and we really wanted him to set those, cause a mismatch 2-on-1 on the backside and then he can get up to his rolls.”
THE NEXT DEFENSIVE FOCUS
The Orlando game felt like a bit of immersion therapy for the Celtics. They needed to learn Udoka’s switching style so they took it to an extreme. Everyone who got into the game had to do the same thing, so there is plenty of film on each player by the end of the game to break down for the week of practices.
Will they continue that and continue to work on it, or will they move on to another defensive principle and hammer that lesson home? Will they just play zone the entire game, or will they start chasing over the top of screens and playing the bigs in drop coverage?
It says as much about Udoka’s style as it does what they prioritize scheme-wise. I’m as curious as to how Udoka teaches as I am what he teaches.
SPECIFIC PLAYER COMBINATIONS
Who does Udoka prioritize together? We’ve seen Al Horford and Dennis Schröder paired in the first substitution, but will the coach continue with that combo?
And while Udoka has said we shouldn’t read too much into the starting lineups, it would be nice to see it in action.
Will Aaron Nesmith get even more run with the regulars? Where does Josh Richardson get most of his minutes? How much time do Smart and Schröder spend together this time around?
All of these combinations will shed some light on the in-season combos we’ll see.
CAN SOME SHOTS FALL?
If for nothing else, just for the confidence of the group. Nothing about the 35% shooting in the first game bothered me because the priority right now is simply getting the good shots. And hopefully the stuff I mentioned earlier can get more of those.
Still, it’s nice to see shots fall after a tough night, especially for the guys whose shooting is a bit questionable. We don’t need any slumped shoulders right now.
I’ll even contradict myself a little here and say that one reason making shots is actually important is that players won’t be distracted by any sort of prolonged slump. Making shots keeps players minds off the misses so they can focus on learning the important elements of Udoka’s system.
