For the primary time since 2009, the Celtics will start their season with a banner being raised to the rafters and the gamers receiving their 2024 Championship rings. After that, they must get all the way down to enterprise as they face the retooled New York Knicks of their season opener. With the addition of Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Cities, the Knicks are being touted as the most important menace to a repeat championship for the Celtics.
Final season, the Celtics led the collection between these two groups, successful 4 video games and dropping only one. Within the preseason, each groups went 4-1, successful the primary 4 video games and dropping the ultimate sport by 1 level. They may face one another 4 occasions this season starting with their season opener. They can even meet on February 9, February 23, and April 8. The Celtics are 304-190 total all time vs the Knicks and they’re 164-68 in video games performed at dwelling.
The Knicks made strikes this offseason with the aim of matching up higher with the Celtics. In Mikal Bridges, the Knicks added a wing defender who can counter the Celtics All Star wings and who may also unfold the ground. He additionally provides chemistry with Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart who gained a championship in 2016 with Villanova. With the addition of Karl-Anthony Cities, they’ve addressed their weak spot at middle. Cities can match up with the Celtics facilities and may also hit the three, having gained the three level contest in 2022.
The one query concerning the Knicks new roster is their depth. Having misplaced Donte DiVincenzo, Julius Randle, Keita Bates-Diop, Alec Burks, Bojan Bogdanovic, and Isaiah Hartenstein, the Knicks roster is at simply 12 gamers. They’re laborious capped and simply 3.58 million under the 2nd apron. Their roster could be under 14 gamers for simply 28 days over the season and not more than 14 days at a time. It has been rumored that they could go after Lonnie Walker IV after the Celtics waived him. or, they could convert a 2 method contract to the common roster.
The Celtics might be with out Kristaps Porzingis who’s recovering from ankle surgical procedure within the off season and isn’t anticipated again till a while in December. For the Knicks, middle Mitchell Robinson is out till at the least December after two procedures on his left ankle. Again up middle Valuable Achiuwa injured his hamstring within the last preseason sport and might be reevaluated in 2-4 weeks. Two Approach participant Kevin McCullar, Jr (knee) can also be out for this sport.
Possible Celtics Starters
PG: Jrue Vacation
SG: Derrick White
SF: Jaylen Brown
PF: Jayson Tatum
C: Al Horford
Celtics Reserves
Sam Hauser
Luke Kornet
Payton Pritchard
Neemias Queta
Baylor Scheierman
Jaden Springer
Xavier Tillman, Sr
Jordan Walsh
2 Approach Gamers
JD Davison
Drew Peterson
Anton Watson
Accidents/Out
Kristaps Porzingis (ankle) out
Head Coach
Joe Mazzulla
Possible Knicks Starters
PG: Jalen Brunson
SG: Mikal Bridges
SF: Josh Hart
PF: OG Anunoby
C: Karl-Anthony Cities
Knicks Reserves
Pacome Dadiet
Cameron Payne
Miles McBride
Tyler Kolek
Jericho Sims
2 Approach Gamers
Jacob Toppin
Kevin McCullar, Jr
Ariel Hukporti
Accidents/Out
Valuable Achiuwa (hamstring) out
Mitchell Robinson (ankle) out
Kevin McCullar, Jr (knee) out
Head Coach
Tom Thibodeau
Key Matchups
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Jrue Vacation
Photograph by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE through Getty Photographs
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Jalen Brunson
Photograph by Evan Bernstein/Getty Photographs
Jrue Vacation vs Jalen Brunson
Knicks’ All Star Jalen Brunson was fifth in MVP voting final season. Final season he averaged 28.7 factors, 3.6 rebounds, and 6.7 assists whereas taking pictures 47.9% from the sector and 40.1% from past the arc. Within the preseason, in 22.7 mpg, he averaged 21.5 factors, 2.9 rebounds, and 4.3 assists whereas taking pictures 57% from the sector and 43.8% from past the arc. This ought to be a superb matchup.
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Al Horford
Photograph by Adam Glanzman/Getty Photographs
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Karl-Anthony Cities
Photograph by Scott Taetsch/Getty Photographs
Al Horford vs Karl-Anthony Cities
Cities will give the Knicks a robust presence within the paint together with the power to unfold the ground. Final season, Cities averaged 21.8 factors, 8.3 rebounds, and three.0 assists. He shot 50.4% from the sector and 41.6% from past the arc. Within the preseason, he averaged 18.3 factors, 11.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.5 steals per sport. He struggled together with his shot, taking pictures simply 37.5% from the sector and 17.4% from past the arc. Luke Kornet began 4 of the 5 video games within the preseason for the Celtics and should begin this sport, however I’m guessing that Horford will get the beginning.
Honorable Point out
Derrick White vs Mikal Bridges
The Knicks are hoping that Bridges will give them a leg up towards the Celtics. He is an effective 2 method participant who can decelerate the Celtics star wings and likewise make them work on the defensive finish. Final season, Bridges averaged 19.6 factors, 4.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1 steal per sport. He shot 43.6% from the sector and 37.2% from past the arc. Within the preseason, like Cities, he struggled together with his shot and averaged 10.8 factors, 3.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists whereas taking pictures 41% from the sector and simply 10.5% from past the arc.
Keys to the Recreation
Protection – Protection is the important thing to successful each sport. Within the preseason, the Celtics have been 2nd with 121.8 factors per sport whereas the Knicks have been seventh with 114.2 factors per sport. The Celtics has a defensive ranking of 104.6 (twelfth) whereas the Knicks has a defensive ranking of 102.5 (eighth). The Knicks introduced in gamers within the off season to spice up their protection. The Celtics’ protection final season was high 2 and they should make protection a precedence once more this season in the event that they hope to repeat as champions.
Rebound – The Celtics can’t rating in the event that they don’t have the ball, and one of the best ways to get the ball is the seize rebounds. The Celtics have to rebound as a group with each Celtic battling on the boards. The Celtics have been seventeenth within the preseason with 45.6 rebounds per sport whereas the Knicks have been twelfth within the preseason with 46.8 rebounds per sport. Rebounding takes effort and so the Celtics should put out extra effort to beat the Knicks on the boards.
3 Level Capturing – The Celtics led the league in 3 pointers tried per sport final season and upped their 3 level sport within the preseason, taking 52.6 threes per sport. The Knicks have been twelfth taking 41 threes per sport. When the Celtics are hitting their 3’s, they’re robust to beat. However, when their threes aren’t falling, then they battle and provides the opponent an edge. If the threes aren’t falling, they should get into the paint to attain in different methods.
Depth and Chemistry – The Celtics introduced again just about the identical group as they fielded final season Whereas the Knicks overhauled their roster to attempt to match up higher with the Celtics. The Celtics are a deep group and so they have had 2 years underneath Joe Mazzulla to develop chemistry, get snug of their roles, and turn into a properly oiled machine. The Knicks, then again are incorporating 2 new gamers into their beginning lineup and are nonetheless engaged on their chemistry. Additionally, their depth took successful once they made the trades and so the Celtics 2nd unit ought to have a bonus.
X-Elements
Ring Evening – The Celtics might be getting their rings and elevating Banner 18 to the rafters earlier than the sport. They are going to be excited and presumably distracted. Then again, the Knicks are available hungry and targeted on beating the Celtics this season and getting their very own rings a 12 months from now. Will the Celtics have the ability to put the thrill of getting their rings and hanging the banner behind them and deal with the sport?
Residence Recreation – Each groups are properly rested, though the Celtics have been off every week whereas the Knicks have simply been off since Friday. The Celtics have to make the most of dwelling courtroom and the enhance their followers may give them. The Knicks will face a hostile crowd and an unfamiliar area together with journey which is able to hopefully give the Celtics the sting.
Officiating – Officiating all the time has the potential to be an x-factor. Every officiating crew calls the sport in another way. Some refs name it tight and continually name fouls whereas others allow them to play with few fouls known as. The Celtics want to regulate to how the refs are calling the sport and never enable dangerous calls or no calls to remove their focus. The Celtics can’t afford to permit the opposite group to go on enjoying whereas Celtics gamers are hanging again and complaining about calls.
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