The Boston Celtics and the
Denver Nuggets played two games in the Middle East for the NBA Abu
Dhabi Games 2024 and here are some key observations from both teams
after their first two preseason games.
Celtics vs Nuggets: Battle of the Champs
In a matchup between the past
two NBA champions, the Celtics (2024 winners) prevailed twice over
the Nuggets (2023 winners). The first one was a thriller, 107-103,
while the second one was a blowout, 130-104.
Despite it still being the
preseason, the Celtics showed their ability to win in both kinds of
games, whether it was close or blowout. They proved their caliber
against a fellow NBA champion that was hypothetically a matchup to
watch out for, especially with the two teams being from different
conferences.
The Celtics are really, really good – they did not miss
a beat
The Celtics are back and are
looking more dangerous than ever – at least from what they’ve shown
in these two games. They are really, really good and they mean
business this year. This seems impossible after coming off a
championship, but the Celtics appear to be hungrier for a chip than
they’ve ever been and they’re looking to prove everyone wrong after
a somewhat question-mark season last year, with all the injuries
their opponents have endured. The Celtics ought to prove that the
championship win was not a fluke, and this starts in the preseason
by showing their usual dominant selves.
No championship hangover for these Celtics
The Celtics mean business, and
when I say business, that’s Jaylen Brown gesturing a too-small sign
on Jamal Murray after scoring a tough bucket inside over
him.
Jaylen Brown is back better than
ever, and after that intense underwater basketball workouts and at
just 28 years old, the Finals MVP is firmly in his prime and should
play his best basketball ahead of him.
Jayson Tatum comes in with an
edge after the Olympics run where he did not play twice, and
gunning for the Finals MVP he did not win.
Jrue Holiday and Derrick White
are Boston’s ever-reliable do-it-all guys and they’re gonna do
everything that’s asked of them.
The whole Boston core, with big
men Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis, along with crucial bench
pieces Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser, just appear to be ready for
this title defense.
Mazzulla ball is in full effect – even if it’s just the
preseason
The Celtics under Joe Mazzulla
make it to a point to shoot as many open threes as they could, and
in Game 1 vs the Nuggets, they shot a whopping 61 attempts, making
20 of them; and in Game 2, shot 47 attempts with 18 makes – a
respectable 38 percent clip.
This style of play has brought
them a championship and should be rightfully used as such until
teams find a way to counter Boston’s offense. This is the kind of
game that Mazzulla wants to play for the Celtics and they have the
roster and the men to do it – a loaded roster of shooters and floor
spacers.
The Celtics still have room for improvement – and that’s
scary
“Defensively, just got to be a
little more tighter on that end,” Derrick White said post-game.
“With some of our communication and the things that we’re doing,
and I think that comes with time. Offensively, just continue to
make the right read and make the right play.”
This should be bad news for the
rest of the NBA as the defending champions themselves feel they
still have something to fix and improve as the season goes on – a
never-ending learning and lessons that can only be taught through
game experiences.
Nikola Jokic is still really good
This should be another MVP type
of season is on the horizon for the 3-time MVP as he has shown no
signs of slowing down and is getting even better and smarter with
each game that he plays.
In two games vs Boston, the
Joker averaged over 20 points and 8 rebounds in just a little over
18 minutes of playing time. The Celtics haven’t found a solution
against Jokic inside and that resonates with the entire NBA as
well.
Jokic’s MVP campaign this season
could come from him having to carry this roster more with some key
departures from the team. He will have more responsibility on the
offensive end and Jokic should just be dominant and assert himself
to lead Denver to the upper echelon of the West.
Life after Bruce Brown and KCP for Denver
The Nuggets have now lost two
key figures in their championship run in back-to-back offseasons,
and if this is any indication, the past champs that lost their key
role players struggled in the seasons to come. Brown and KCP’s
skillset should be replaceable but their chemistry with the team
especially with MVP Jokic has been vital and Denver could take a
step back on that end without those two.
Following their departures, the
Nuggets have yet to replace them and will rely on young Christian
Braun to replicate their success, or from a veteran like Vlatko
Cancar who just recently returned from injury.
Denver’s bench is suspect
Denver has no one off the bench
who is legitimately an offensive threat or someone who can create
his shot, so Michael Malone should probably stagger Jokic and
Murray’s minutes more, and lean on Michael Porter Jr for more
offensive creation. This was exposed against the Celtics as the
Nuggets struggled to have some offensive flow within their second
units. Westbrook looked to be the answer for that problem but with
his age he could not be tasked alone anymore to carry the offensive
load for the bench.
Unless Denver makes a big FA
signing or a splash before the trade deadline, expect their bench
to struggle at times and they could be relying on their starters
more often than not to supply all the scoring.
Westbrook’s role
Newcomer Russell Westbrook has
looked good at times for Denver in these two games. He was pushing
the pace, driving and drawing the defense, and kicking it out to
shooters which was a good sign for Denver as he figured out to be
their backup point guard behind Jamal Murray, or even play
alongside him at times to slot Murray at the 2. Westbrook at this
point of his career does not need to do much on the offensive end,
especially with an all-timer like Jokic in his prime. He could just
provide energy off the bench for quality minutes and should be a
big piece in Denver’s rotation.
Jamal Murray’s health
Perhaps the biggest factor out
of them all, Jamal Murray’s health is the biggest concern for
Denver and should be their main priority heading into the season.
Murray did not look right in their series against the Minnesota
Timberwolves and Canada’s Olympic run, and he was not able to find
his groove yet in two games vs Boston.
With teams scheming against
Jokic every single night, Murray has to come in and set the tone
for the Nuggets as their primary secondary option and draw the
defense away from the MVP.
