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4 Bold Predictions for Preseason Game 2 vs 76ers:

Daniel Theis will start at center instead of Aron Baynes

This is something that most Celtic fans had to be thinking after the first game vs. the Hornets. Coach Stevens likes to switch up lineups throughout the season, as we could see during the ‘16-’17 campaign. I wouldn’t be surprised if he started experimenting with Theis in the starting lineup on Friday night. Theis only played 13 minutes on Monday night, and he made an immediate impact on the game, finishing as the team’s leading scorer (12 points) and rebounder (7). And, while most of the Celtics were struggling to knock down buckets, Theis was 5 for 8 from mid-range. He did a great job with put-backs under the rim, he made one three, and he made a great pass to Tatum for a layup. If Theis plays the same way he did vs. Hornets then we have a special player on the team if he can continue to produce those numbers. I see him being a fan favorite because of the way he plays. Baynes had similar stats, finishing with 10 points, 5 rebounds, and he also shot 5 for 8 from mid-range while playing 5 more minutes than Theis. Don’t get me wrong, Baynes is a great player and will start the vast majority of games this season. But this Game 1 performance by Theis has to give him a lot of confidence, especially because these were his first meaningful minutes since coming over from the Euroleague. It’s more likely that Theis will be used for energy off the bench this season, but the preseason is all about experimentation, so don’t be surprised if Coach Stevens rewards Theis for his Game 1 performance with a start on Friday night.

Tatum will outshine Fultz

When Danny drafted Jayson Tatum at #3, he said he thought that the Duke freshman was the best player in the draft. By passing on Fultz, Ainge was making his talent assessment very clear. And perhaps for this reason, Fultz and Tatum will always be compared in the minds of Celtics fans, even though they play different positions. Friday night is the first time we’ll see Tatum and Fultz match up with their full teams. The only recent gameplay that we can compare both these players is the Summer League. Tatum got the best of Fultz in the Summer League matchup. During the preseason - and most definitely the season - Tatum will take a seat on the Celtics bench behind the veterans while he learns the ropes of this high-level game, while Fultz continues to be up front and center on the 76ers roster. However, I predict Tatum will outshine Fultz in Friday night’s game. Tatum played 32 minutes in the game vs. the Hornets, finishing with a solid 9 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 blocks. Meanwhile, Fultz will have to handle Kyrie Irving, a match-up he will almost certainly lose, on a stage where his mistakes will be magnified. Combine this with Tatum’s motivation to show the crowd that the Celtics won the trade and the draft, and I predict he is going to outperform Fultz even though Fultz will get more minutes.

Bench Battle: Yabusele vs. Semi

To begin with, the Celtics bench looked very, very strong during the first game vs. the Hornets. We have some great young players coming off the bench like Yabusele, Semi, Rozier, Theis, and Nader, as well as veteran leadership from Shane Larkin. The bench battle between Yabusele vs. Semi is one to watch. While we shouldn’t put too much stock into the first game of the preseason, I thought Yabusele did not do much of anything offensively. He looked like the odd man out. He did not make a shot during the game, going 0 for 2 from mid range and 0 for 3 from behind the arc. Yabusele’s positive moments came when he crashed the boards, as he finished the game with 6 rebounds. He is a very buff and muscular guy, which makes it a little easier for him to get to the rim and pull down some rebounds. Now, he just needs to learn how to use his body on the other side of the court. Who knows, maybe by 2019 he’ll be the Celtics’ Draymond Green of the future. Semi, on the other hand, did not perform the greatest either even though he played the second-most minutes on the team, with 21. Disappointingly, he only scored 3 points on 3 shots and grabbed 2 rebounds. It’s possible that he just needed to get those first few minutes at the TD Garden under his belt to feel comfortable, but Celtics fans should expect greater things from Semi after an impressive preseason. Both Semi and Yabusele have similar builds and talent sets and will be great contributing players for the Celtics. Only time will tell how Brad will divvy up the playing time between these two, especially with so much talent in front of them. Even though they’ve had only one game to show the world what they have to offer, this is the bench battle to keep an eye on Friday night.

76ers will score less than 80 points

Our defense looked incredible vs. the Hornets. It is great that the Celtics started off the preseason with an impressive defensive performance, despite still trying to mesh together as a team. We had 11 total steals, 6 total blocks and 39 total defensive rebounds, beating Charlotte in all of those respective categories. Defense is first in Brad’s playbook, and it was reassuring to see the team start off in the right direction, especially with the well-documented concerns about their ability to rebound. In reality, we have many defensive minded weapons of all sizes, such as Rozier, Smart, Baynes, and Morris. Expect that same defensive energy from Monday night, and hopefully even more blocks, from the Celtics on Friday night. We all expect Baynes and Horford, the big men with the most minutes, to lead the team in protecting the rim; but also look for Tatum, Theis, and maybe even Yabusele, to get in the block party action. Now that Marcus Morris was acquitted, keep an eye on how Brad uses his size in match-ups (Lebron James, anyone?). Finally, we also saw glimpses of Boston’s defensive aggressiveness with steals by Tatum and Rozier in the game vs. the Hornets, and it would be awesome to see that against the young "Trust the Process" team. Afterall, "defense wins championships."

GO C’S

#BANNER18


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