Don’t look now, but the Celtics have quietly won three straight, are above .500 for the first time and are firmly in the Eastern Conference playoff picture.
It’s a long season, and one that will inevitably
feature many ebbs and flows, but this version of the Celtics (8-7) appears to be one that’s fully capable of doing some damage.
They’ll try to keep it rolling against the sputtering Nets (2-12), this Friday at 7:30 p.m. at TD Garden. Boston defeated Brooklyn, 113-99, on Tuesday, and has now beaten the Grizzlies, Clippers and Nets in a span of a week.
Here are three things to look for in tonight’s NBA Cup game:
Can Payton Pritchard keep it rolling?
It’s no secret that the Celtics are a different team when Payton Pritchard is cooking. He can take this particular roster from slightly above average to firmly above average when he’s feeling it.
After a somewhat inconsistent start, by his standards, Pritchard has turned a corner and appears to be figuring it out. In his last three games, he’s averaged 25.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game, while shooting 51.1 percent from the floor, 51.4 percent from 3-point range and 90.9 percent from the line.
Pritchard puts a lot of pressure on himself, but the reality is, this team often goes as he goes.
In wins this season, Pritchard is averaging 17.8 points and 6.1 assists, while shooting 35.2 percent from 3-point range and 88.2 percent from the line. In losses? 15.6 points, 3.7 assists, 30 percent from distance and 78.3 percent from the line.
The assist number there is the most telling. Hitting shots is great, obviously, but Pritchard is at his best when he’s a true dual threat as a scorer and facilitator. Being “aggressive” doesn’t always equate to taking tons of shots.
Can they get the assists up?
That assist mentality is true for the whole team. Somewhat surprisingly, the Celtics are 26th in the NBA in assists as of Thursday afternoon (24.3 per game). It feels like they’re moving the ball pretty well overall eye-test-wise, but stats-wise, those extra passes aren’t necessarily resulting in assists.
During their mini win streak, however, that number has increased. They had 34 against the Grizzlies (including nine from Pritchard and seven from Anfernee Simons), 26 against the Clippers (nine for Derrick White) and 25 against the Nets.
One unique attribute of this team is that there isn’t a clear-cut No. 1 distributor, as White, Pritchard and Jaylen Brown share those duties. The positive is that everyone is a threat to pass. The negative is that each facilitator also naturally plays off the ball and is wired to score as well.
It doesn’t matter where they come from, but generally speaking, the Celtics’ odds of winning increase significantly when they rack up the assists.
Can they keep Michael Porter Jr. in check?
In case you missed it, Michael Porter Jr. is now on the Nets. He got his ring as the third or fourth option on the Nuggets, and now he’s amid a career year with a bad Brooklyn team (24.2 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 3.2 APG). When he’s not making controversial statements on podcasts, he can often be found playing excellent basketball.
Jayson Tatum is significantly better and more versatile, but in my opinion, he’s the closest to Tatum in the league from a skill set, physique and stylistic standpoint.
Porter Jr. dropped 34 against the Wizards on Sunday and 25 against the Celtics on Tuesday. He’s playing with confidence, freedom and a total green light.
He’s going to score, but keeping him relatively in check could go a long way in helping the Celtics earn their fourth consecutive win.
