Boston Celtics vs. Detroit Pistons preview, injury report, and info - February 16, 2022
MassLive
The Boston Celtics head back home to take on the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night. Boston is looking to win their tenth game in a row, while the Pistons are hoping to snap an eight-game losing streak.
How to Watch
Location: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Time: 7:30 p.m. (EST)
Channel(s): NBC Sports Boston
Injury Report
The Celtics have two players on the injury report ahead of Wednesday’s game. Robert Williams (calf tightness) and Marcus Smart (ankle sprain) are both listed as doubtful. Smart sprained his ankle during Boston’s win over the Philadelphia 7ers on Tuesday night. However, the fact that is only listed as doubtful should be considered a good sign for the future, in regard to his recovery time.
For the Pistons, three players are listed as out - Frank Jackson, Isaiah Livers, and Jamorko Pickett.
Boston Celtics Breakdown
A lot of fans criticized Boston’s winning ways, saying that they were just beating up on bad teams. Well, after demolishing the 76ers by 48 points, most of those critics have revised their sentiments on the matter. Boston is now nine games above .500 and has the second-best defense in the NBA on the season. They have held opponents to under 100 points in nine of their last 12 games, going 11-1 in those games.
It’s been a team effort on that side of the ball. Obviously, Smart and Robert Williams have made a massive impact, but so has everyone else. In fact, according to Basketball-Reference, Jayson Tatum leads the NBA in Defensive Win Shares. And on top of that, all five of the Celtics’ regular starters are in the top-16 for that stat. Their defense is legit.
Detroit Pistons Breakdown
As the eight-game losing streak would imply, the Pistons have had a rough go of things this year. They are fully committed to a rebuild and are doing so around first-overall pick Cade Cunningham. The rookie has played well since returning from an injury that held him out to start the season, and Detroit has some solid complementary pieces around him, too - Saddiq Bey, Isaiah Stewart, and now Marvin Bagley III.
Jerami Grant is the team’s leading scorer, though. While most expected him to be traded at the deadline, the Pistons hung onto him and he is still the main focal point of their offense. That being said, this is the same Pistons team that the Celtics beat earlier on in their win streak, 102-93.
Keys to the Game
With Smart and Williams likely out, Boston will have to focus on maintaining their defensive prowess. As mentioned, everyone on their roster is a great defender, but those two certainly stand out amongst the bunch. Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Al Horford will likely be joined by Grant Williams and Derrick White in the starting lineup. That group is still elite on the defensive side of the ball.
Secondly, and probably most importantly, the Celtics need to continue with their “nameless, faceless opponents” mentality. Just as they should treat top-tier teams as if their success is irrelevant, they should treat bottom-tier teams as if their lack of success is irrelevant. Just because the Pistons are struggling this year doesn’t mean the Cs’ should take their foot off the gas.
Finally, the last time Boston took on Detroit, they almost blew a lead at the end of the game. But it wasn’t the starters - it was the closers. Once the young kids came in, the lead slowly dwindled, and the Celtics only ended up winning by nine points. That cannot happen again. Boston’s youngsters need to be prepared to hold a lead, just as they did against the Sixers on Tuesday night.
Pregame Show
Make sure to tune in to our live pregame show, “The Banner Town Build Up.” We are live 30 minutes before every Celtics game at @GuyBostonSports on YouTube and Facebook. See you there at 7:00 p.m. (EST) tonight!
