Raptors (0-1) at Celtics (1-0) 12/21

[FLCeltsFan]

Toronto Raptors (0‐1) at Boston Celtics (1‐0)
Preseason Game #2 – Home Game #1
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
7:30 PM ET
TV: CSNNE
Radio: WEEI (850AM)
TD Garden  



Probable Starters

PG:  Rajon Rondo
SG: Ray Allen
SF:  Marquis Daniels  
PF:  Kevin Garnett
C:   Jermaine O'Neal

Celtics Reserves
Avery Bradley
Chris Wilcox
Brandon Bass
Keyon Dooling
E'twaun Moore
Greg Stiemsma
JaJuan Johnson
Gilbert Brown
Michael Sweetney
Sasha Pavlovic
Jamaal Sampson

Injuries
Paul Pierce  (heel)  day to day
Sasha Pavlovic (wrist) day to day




Probable Starters

PG: Jose Calderon
SG:  DeMar DeRozan
SF:  James Johnson
PF:   Andrea Bargnani
C:   Jamaal Magloire

Raptors Reserves
Solomon Alabi
Jerryd Bayless
Rasual Butler
Anthony Carter
Ed Davis
Gary Forbes
Aaron Gray
Amir Johnson
Linas Kleiza

Injuries
None

Team Connections
Rajon Rondo, Raptors Head Coach Dwane Casey and Jamaal Magloire all attended the University of
Kentucky
Jermaine O’Neal played in Toronto during the 2008‐09 season
Linas Kleiza and Keyon Dooling both went to the University of Missouri
Keyon Dooling and Rasual Butler were teammates on the Miami Heat during the 2004‐05 season
Rasual Butler and Brandon Bass were teammates in New Orleans from 2005‐07
Brandon Bass and Jamaal Magloire were teammates in Dallas during the 2007‐08 season.

Game Notes
Unless Paul Pierce's heel injury is more serious than the team is saying, I expect Paul Pierce to play in this game.  I would think that Doc would like to get his starting 5 at least a few minutes playing together before the first game of the season.  However, the game notes have Quisy in the starting lineup again so I've put him there.  I'll change it if I hear anything different.  

We will probably see plenty of the young guys again as Doc will have to depend on his bench a lot this season to avoid burning out the starters and he needs to get them some experience.   Doc may try to play the guys with training camp contracts like Stiemsma, Sweetney, Brown, and Sampson in order to give them some playing time as well as to evaluate them.  Of the 4,  I see Stiemsma having the best chance of sticking, although both Danny and Doc are high on Brown.  

The Raptors will more than likely play their starters and regular rotation once again.  Doc has said that he isn't concerned about winning the preseason games and he showed that in the first game by playing the young guys down the stretch.   Hopefully the Celtics will get the win, even with heavy minutes by the younger guys, and go into the season on a winning streak.  

Keys to the Game
Improve conditioning
Improve chemistry
Don't get injured

[Celtics18]

Thanks FL,

Another game thread, another tommy point.

My biggest wish is to see lots of JJ and lots of Avery Bradley.  And, of course, even though it's a preseason game, to get a win. 

[TA9]

Hope he doesnt play the starters more than 15-18 mins today!
I would like to see our bench play the majority of the game

[ACF]

TP. Go Celtics!

[Evantime34]

Hope he doesnt play the starters more than 15-18 mins today!
I would like to see our bench play the majority of the game

I agree, I can't wait for JJ to play a ton score 20 and then have everyone gush over how he is the next KG. That is just the thing we need to kick the preseason Pierce is hurt depression that is permeating this blog.

[Surferdad]

Unlike a few posters here, I don't really care about the win, except they should not lose to a bunch of chumps like the Raptors.

I really hope Doc doesn't play guys they intend to cut.  Sometimes coaches do that as a favor to them so give them exposure for their next job.

Go E'Twan and JJJ!

[jgod213]

Yeah it's all about the boilermakers tonight.

I didnt get to watch a ton of the game up in toronto, so i'll be very interested to see if e'tuwan can carve out a role for himself by continuing to showcase a terrific pace control.

Since Doc seems to be warming quickly, i'll also keep an eye on keyon dooling. i was verrrrry dissapointed to know that delonte wouldn't be back and still havent warmed up to dooling quite yet.

[Snakehead]

Since Doc seems to be warming quickly, i'll also keep an eye on keyon dooling. i was verrrrry dissapointed to know that delonte wouldn't be back and still havent warmed up to dooling quite yet.

Yeah I wanted Delonte back too but that Herald article has me excited, especially the part about Dooling really making an effort to challenge Rondo.  That can only be a good thing.



I am with everyone else in saying play the young guys.  So true that one good game from JJJ would result in the similar sort of swooning that occured over Moore when he hit two long jump shots the last game.  But I really do hope JJJ gets quality time, he didn't get much in the last game and I'm sure its tough to want to make an impact and prove yourself but get so little time.

[slamtheking]

TP FL. missed these threads.

hope to see some real minutes for the bench and youngsters tonight.  Would really like to see more of Moore and at least some real minutes for JJJ

[thenotoriousjts]

Two games against Toronto in a row, we're pretty much rivals now, right?

[ImShakHeIsShaq]

TY kindly!

[barefacedmonk]

TP. Go Celtics!

Ditto.

[clover]

“You can see, pretty much, there will be a couple of positions that will still be at play,” said Rivers. “For the most part there’s eight [players], without me saying them, that you know they’re going to play. Then there’s two where guys are going to have to fight for spots.”

I take this to be Doc's respecting Sasha as a veteran to suggest he's in the running for Pierce's first backup, though we know Daniels has that spot.

http://www.nba.com/celtics/game_preview/122111-raptors-celtics.html

[CelticSooner]

My Just game thread of the season. 

[CelticSooner]

What do you guys make of what Donnie Marshall said about Rondo still being on the chopping block? Potentially traded out west.