The Boston Celtics face off against their old foe, the Philadelphia 76ers, tonight as it marks the first return of old friend Al Horford to TD Garden since decamping to his new team over summer.
The rematch of Boston’s opening night stumble will be a bittersweet one even if revenge is had for the 107-93 loss, as Horford is still beloved by many Celtics fans, though from tip to buzzer the nostalgia will be forgotten.
Mostly.
But for the most part, it figures to be a David-versus-Goliath sort of a matchup, with Philadelphia’s greater size and length pitted against Boston’s speed and athleticism.
Jaylen on Horford’s Boston return: “I think he should be celebrated…he was a great leader.”
— Adam Himmelsbach (@AdamHimmelsbach) December 12, 2019
Can the Celtics’ switchy defense stop such a chunky starting five? The shortest starter, Josh Richardson at shooting guard, is 6-foot-5, and the average overall height of the starting five is just under 6-foot-9.
That’s a full inch taller than Boston’s usual starter at center, Daniel Theis (6-foot-8), meaning we’ll likely be seeing more of big man Enes Kanter than usual.
The Turkish center has been averaging just under 16 minutes per game with the team this season.
With Jaylen Brown playing much better most nights than the relatively tepid season debut he had against Philly on opening night, a win for the Celtics likely hinges on the health of two players.
Guard Marcus Smart has been battling an eye infection among several maladies, and forward Gordon Hayward was hit in the face late in Wednesday night’s loss to the Indiana Pacers.
If Boston can field both in close to good health, they have a chance against their giant opponents.
Gordon Hayward tells reporters in Indy he didn’t break his nose, he’s got a headache, and will see how he feels Thursday morning.
— Chris Forsberg (@ChrisForsberg_) December 12, 2019
With Smart’s ability to defend players much bigger than himself and the additional gravity Hayward provides that creates cover for the Jay Team, as Brown and swingman Jayson Tatum are called, the Celtics’ superior speed and shooting are their best weapons.
Philadelphia, while a challenging opponent, has not been the runaway favorites in the East many predicted, mostly due to a lack of shooting and a definitive closer.
Though rookie Matisse Thybulle has surprised many with his accuracy from deep at 46.3 %, his attempts per game are still low.
Only Richardson is shooting from beyond the arc with any kind of frequency, leaving the 76ers’ offense a relatively crowded and inefficient affair.
With all that size and a top-five defense, Philadelphia nonetheless remains a matchup problem for Boston, who will need to come out guns ablaze (and accurate) to win.