Preview: Boston Celtics vs. Toronto Raptors preseason preview, injury report, and info - October 9, 2021
Photo by Ashley Landis-Pool | Getty Images
The Boston Celtics are back tonight for their second game of the preseason. They will be taking on the Toronto Raptors in hopes of starting the year 2-0 in the preseason.
How to Watch
Location: TD Garden, Boston, Mass.
Time: 7:00 p.m. (EST)
Channel(s): NBC Sports Boston, NBA League Pass
Player Breakdown
The Boston Celtics played fairly well in their first preseason game. Jaylen Brown (25) led the way in the scoring column but did so by jacking up 12 threes in the game. Jayson Tatum finished second in that regard (18 points) but did not shoot very efficiently on the night. Past that, Aaron Nesmith (10 points) had a fairly impressive outing. He was hitting shots and making all the hustle plays he has become known for. Other standout players include Payton Pritchard and Grant Williams.
Meanwhile, Marcus Smart struggled at the start of the game. It just seemed as though he was trying too hard to be the point guard and ended up making some unnecessary passes. Robert Williams also played poorly, shooting 0-7 on the night. Boston as a whole ended up having a fairly poor performance in regard to their field goal percentage (35.2%).
The Toronto Raptors have been led by OG Anunoby this preseason. He is averaging 21.5 points per game on roughly 58-70-100 shooting splits. Rookie Justin Champagne (13.5 points) and Svi Mykhailiuk (12 points) have also looked solid. Toronto is 1-1 on the year through their two games.
Injury Report
Only two players are currently listed on Boston’s injury report. Juwan Morgan is still listed as out from when he missed Boston’s game vs. Orlando. He may be back tonight, though, depending on how his injury has progressed. Jaylen Brown is the major player who will miss tonight’s contest. He tested positive for COVID-19 and will enter quarantine.
There are four players listed on Toronto’s injury report for tonight. Yuta Watanabe (calf) and Khem Birch (COVID-19 protocols) are both confirmed to be out. Chris Boucher recently underwent surgery on a dislocated left middle finger, so he will be out as well. Lastly, Pascal Siakam still remains sidelined due to shoulder surgery and has not yet been cleared for contact.
Keys to the Game
Based on the Celtics’ first game, there are definitely a few things they can improve upon. First and foremost they need to figure things out on the defensive end. Orlando got way too many easy shots in the paint, so they really need to clamp down on that. Ime Udoka also has to figure out early on whether or not the “switch everything” defense will work, because that killed them vs. the Magic.
Secondly, Boston needs to do a better job at finishing around the rim themselves. As mentioned, they shot only 35.2% from the field last game and considering they shot 35% from deep, a lot of the shots they missed were inside the arc. Robert Williams shooting 0-7 definitely contributed to that, but overall, they just need to find some better looks inside the paint.
Lastly, it would be nice to see Jayson Tatum really show flashes of what he can really do. He played alright last game, but seeing him come out of the gates hot would be great. He doesn’t even have to play that many minutes. All that he needs to do is make the most of the playing time he does get.
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 6:30 p.m. (EST) tonight!
