Game thread: Celtics vs. Raptors

The season is officially underway, and the Celtics head out on the road to face another Eastern Conference rival. They will take on the Toronto Raptors with the new addition of Kawhi Leonard on the roster.

After getting a dominant win against the 76ers, the Celtics start the season in positive fashion. They now head to the North to face off against another team that they may have to see down the road in the playoffs. The Raptors were the #1-seed last season and were knocked out of the playoffs by the Cleveland Cavaliers.

It is going to be a great test early in the season to see how the Celtics can compete against these new look Raptors. Toronto won their first game with Leonard putting up 24 points and 12 rebounds. Leonard and Kyle Lowry will be the two focal points of ways of winning this game for the Celtics. If they can limit their production, it will be key to any success they have on the night.

The Celtics looked solid in their season opener. Tatum led the team in points with Kyrie and Hayward still knocking the rust off from last season. These two will need time to get some tread back their tires. This game in Toronto could be a good opportunity for that. The luxury, as seen in the season opener, is that Boston has talent all around the roster to pick up this slack while Kyrie and Hayward come back strong.

The Celtics do not seem to have any surprise injuries after game one. There are not any absences other than Jabari Bird who still is missing time waiting for the NBA to rule in his personal matter. For the Raptors, they look mostly healthy with the only question mark coming with Delon Wright having a thigh injury. It will be a great showcase of two of the deepest rosters in the league.

The starters should stay the same from Tuesday night. It will be a lineup which faces off well against Toronto. Like we saw against Philadelphia, Aron Baynes may need to be ready to come in for a greater role against Jonas Valanciunas. He is another big bruiser in the paint that has had success against the Celtics in the past. Stevens will have to monitor the situation to see if Baynes is necessary to come in on defense.

Projected Starters

PG - Kyrie Irving - Kyle Lowry

SG - Jaylen Brown - Danny Green

SF - Gordon Hayward - Kawhi Leonard

PF - Jayson Tatum - Pascal Siakam

C - Al Horford - Jonas Valanciunas

Injuries

Boston - Jabari Bird (personal)

Toronto- Delon Wright (Thigh)

How to Watch

Time - 8:00 PM EST

TV - ESPN

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