Celtics vs. Suns (Scrimmage): The Five Facts to Know
The Celtics looked much better in today’s scrimmage against the Phoenix Suns, and I’m glad to see that the rust has started to wear off a bit. Instead of giving a full run through of the game, since I assume most/all of the people reading this watched it, I’m going to cut it down to five key points to take away from the game. We’ll call it - The Five Facts to Know.
1. Jaylen Brown is Really Good
Brown played super well in the game against Oklahoma City, and continued that trend into the game against the Suns. He finished with 21 points and 7 rebounds on 7-13 from the field and 3-6 from deep. An efficient performance from a guy who’s playing like he never left. Not only did it seem like he couldn’t miss, but his defense was as elite as ever. Whether it was preventing Devin Booker from getting the ball or just playing great perimeter defense as usual, Brown was great. He’s making strides to be the secondary superstar on this team, and it’s that quiet rise to stardom that will allow him to surprise everyone when he gets there.
2. Jayson Tatum is Back
After Tatum’s struggles in the first game, a lot of people worried that he wouldn’t be able to continue the dominance he showed in February. Well at the start of the game against Phoenix, it looked like more of the same. However, it only took one step back three to get him back in a rhythm. After that he made his next two shots and silenced some of the doubters who reeked havoc on Twitter after Friday’s scrimmage. He put up 16 points and 6 rebounds while shooting 6-17 from the field and 2 for 5 from three. While the efficiency from the field could use some improvement, it was just good to see him get his legs under him a little bit more this game. I’m not worried about his ability to produce, he just needs time to adjust to the new setting.
3. Gordon Hayward in General
Hayward has turned into one of those guys who is looked at as overrated because his contract is so big. The reality is that he’s probably more underrated at this point because of it. In today’s game Hayward’s shot looked silky smooth from deep, where he shot 3-5, adding up to a shooting performance of 6-10 from the field. He was super efficient this season, and it looks like that trend is set to continue in the bubble. Speaking of trends continuing, Hayward’s playmaking ability hasn’t dwindled much either. There’s one play I specifically remember where Hayward drove to the basket and whipped the ball out to Brown for an easy three. It’s that type of court vision that makes Hayward so valuable to the Celtics. He’ll be a huge loss when he has to leave the bubble during the playoffs.
4. What About Kemba Walker’s Knee?
Okay so I know I’ve only talked about the starters thus far, but something had to be said about Walker’s knee. There had been this big concern about if Walker would be the same when and if he came back from his knee injury. Well he started the game today and to be perfectly honest, looked quicker than normal. Although he only ended up playing nine minutes and scoring six points, I think it calmed the nerves of a lot of Celtics fans. He looked as good as ever, in my opinion, and as I’ve said many times before, I don’t think the knee problems will prove to be a big deal.
5. The Rookie Point Gods
In the first scrimmage against the Thunder, Tremont Waters stole the show while Carsen Edwards underperformed. Well today, both rookies stole something else - my heart. Edwards saw the floor first and managed to hit the first three he took, which was a blessing in it’s own right. Then he continued his solid performance with a couple nice passes, as well as a tough finish at the rim. It may not be the elite scoring guard a lot of people were expecting to get with Edwards, but it’s a great step in the right direction.
As for Waters… I just love him. I mean the passing is beautiful. He always manages to find the open man whether it’s on a cut or in the corner. There were a couple possessions in a row where he dished it to Romeo Langford in spots where I didn’t even think it was possible to make a pass. His defense is super solid, too, which is usually the department undersized guards lack in. If he can manage to hit shots at an efficient rate, then the Celtics may have found a new backup point guard.
