7 takeaways from the Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks season opener
HardwoodHoudini.com
The Boston Celtics opened up their season last night vs. the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. In what would end up being one of the most exciting opening-night games of all time, Boston fell to New York in double overtime, 138-134.
The Knicks were the better team for the majority of the game, and if it weren’t for the heroics of Jaylen Brown, they would have won the contest outright. With all that being said, what are some of the takeaways from the first game of Boston’s season?
Takeaways from the Boston Celtics season opener vs. the New York Knicks
1. Jaylen Brown
That’s the entire takeaway. Jaylen Brown. He put up the most points ever by a Celtic in a season opener last night with 46. Brown added nine rebounds, six assists, and three steals on top of that, leading the way for the Celtics all night. He scored 20 points in the first quarter alone and clearly did not slow down much from there. If it weren’t for Brown, the Celtics would have gotten blown out by the Knicks. Luckily, he decided to put on the performance of his life.
2. Something is wrong with Jayson Tatum
As of now, Jayson Tatum is not playing like Jayson Tatum. He struggled all preseason long and then followed it up with one of the worst games of his career last night. He ended the game with 20 points, but he shot 7-30 (23.3%) from the field and 2-15 (13.3%) from three-point range. If he even shoots 30% from the field or 20% from deep the Celtics probably would have won last night.
He was easily the biggest issue for the C’s. Could things have gone smoother on the defensive end? Sure. But if Tatum is making even a couple more of his shots, the Celtics could have taken home the win.
3. Full-time Robert Williams is a monster
Before last night, Robert Williams’ career-high in minutes played was 32 minutes. He played nearly 45 minutes vs. the Knicks. He did everything that the Celtics will want from him. He ended the game with 16 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, three steals, and five blocks. If he can put up those numbers every night, which will be nearly impossible, then the C’s are in for a great year.
Williams also did a stellar job guarding Julius Randle at the end of the game. Randle was on fire all night long, but Williams found some success guarding him, and Ime Udoka even adjusted the game plan so he could stay on him. Great job by Rob.
4. Switch everything defense might not be the solution
Sure, it ended up being a close game, but the switch everything defense Ime Udoka likes to run caused issues at times. Whenever the Knicks brought Mitchell Robinson out to the perimeter to set a screen, Robert Williams would end up on the point guard, and Marcus Smart or some other smaller player would end up on Robinson. This was fine until a shot was taken. If that shot didn’t go in, the Celtics had what looked like a 10% chance of getting the rebound.
Boston actually ended up winning the rebound battle last night, but Robinson finished the game with 17 total rebounds and five offensive boards. Maybe the theory is that giving up twos is better than threes, but the defensive scheme seems like it could use some adjusting.
5. Stop hating on Grant Williams
When the game got underway, Grant Williams was guarding Julius Randle. To be quite frank, Randle was balling out. That being said, Williams was right in Randle’s face every single time; Randle just happened to be hitting his shots. When an All-NBA player as talented as Randle is on fire, there’s not much that can be done to stop it. The same could be said for Jaylen Brown last night.
Williams played solid defense all night, but the highlight of his game came towards the end of regulation. Williams hit three crucial three-point shots that helped keep the C’s in the game. If it weren’t for him, they wouldn’t have gone to overtime in the first place. People need to stop being so negative about Williams. He’s a great role player and spot starter on this team.
6. The Celtics missed Al Horford
Al Horford was not available to play last night, as he is still recovering from COVID-19. Unfortunately, last night was the perfect example of a game where they could have really used him. The Knicks were playing bully ball all night long. Whether it was with Randle or Robinson, having a big, strong body like Horford would have been a huge help. His defense might have been a key in getting a win last night.
7. Ime Udoka runs a tight ship
Last season, Brad Stevens would end up playing 10, maybe even 11 guys in a single game. He’d test out rotations, see what worked, and there was a ton of fluidity throughout the game. Not Ime Udoka, though. He only played nine players last night, and four different players ended up playing over 40 minutes. Now, a big part of that is because the game went into overtime, but still. Udoka did not reach down into his bench. He stuck with the guys at the top of the rotation and played them for the majority of the game. Is this a better philosophy? Only time will tell. The point is, Udoka’s coaching style is already fairly different from Stevens’.
8. Basketball is amazing
It would have been great to get the win, but last night was amazing. The Knicks played great, the Celtics came in clutch towards the end, and it showed why basketball is truly one of the best sports in the world. If you didn’t have fun watching the game last night, then I don’t know what you were watching. There’s a long season ahead, don’t get too caught up in the first game.
The Boston Celtics travel back to Boston to play their first game at TD Garden this season tomorrow, October 22 at 7:30 p.m. They will be taking on the Toronto Raptors in that one. The game will be aired on NBC Sports Boston and NBA League Pass.
