Game 10: Boston Celtics @ OKC Thunder Preview

Both teams coming off Friday night wins. Both teams rested. Boston comes in off a 106-93 win over the Atlanta Hawks. OKC enters with a 102-85 win over the Philadelphia 76’ers in their first game played without Kevin Durant since the strained hamstring injury. Boston is 4-4 after eight games played, OKC  is 6-3 and just behind the Spurs for the right to be the team from the West closest to the streaking 11-0 Golden State Warriors in the standings.

Boston is now in Year 3 of the Brad Stevens era in Boston. Year 1 was a 25 win season or so just like it was supposed to be. Year 2 showed some promise as the Celtics improved to 40-42, captured the No. 7 seed in the East and lost in the first round. But still, marked improvement with a young team on the rebuild with a former college coach in Brad Stevens making the transition from Butler to the Boston Celtics.

I’m a Brad Stevens fan and a believer if you can coach–you can coach whatever level. Stevens led Butler to a mark of 166-49 in his six years at Butler, plus two appearances in the NCAA National Championship Game. Brad Stevens can coach and a nice choice to steer a young team on the rebuild like the Celtics. What I particularly like about Stevens is his blending of an analytical approach to the old school approach where his human side in dealing with his players seems to never be hidden in his coaching personality.

I think if Brad Stevens hadn’t been in Year 2 of a six year deal with the Celtics–he would have been near the top on Sam Presti’s wish list to replace Scott Brooks last summer. In retrospect though—I think Presti would have been fine hiring any from a list of Brad Stevens, Billy Donovan, Fred Hoiberg or Kevin Ollie. All good coaching choices to lead a young team.

Boston’s roster is an interesting blend. Would guess the starters tonight will be Amir Johnson, Jae Crowder, Jared Sullinger,  former O State guard Marcus Smart, and Isaiah Thomas. Plenty of choices off the bench in Evan Turner, Kelly Olynyk, Jonas Jerebko, R.J. Hunter, Tyler Zeller and David Lee. Not sure what the health status is for guard Avery Bradley tonight. Wait and see situation. Fun team to watch if they’re on their game.

Game 2 for OKC without Durant this season due to the hamstring strain. Game 1 was a mixed bag of good and bad, but enough was there to beat a now 0-10 Sixer team which lost again last night in San Antonio. Westbrook and Ibaka both had off shooting nights, but the team rode Westbrook’s second consecutive triple double, a shutdown of rookie Jahlil Okafor, nice ball movement for the most part, solid rebounding–and the fact the Sixers are just an abysmal basketball team. This game should be much more revealing as to where OKC is right now in the present without Durant.

Anthony Morrow did a good job with the starters so I would expect him to start again. Otherwise–OKC needs Westbrook to be Westbrook, needs Serge Ibaka to hit those open looks he missed on Friday night, and again needs Waiters, Kanter, Collison, Augustin and Singler to score. Some makes by Singler in this one would be nice. Kyle Singler–relax and stroke the ball. With all these former college coaches on the floor tonight–just pretend it’s Duke versus Butler and Billy Donovan is filling in for Coach K.

I expect a good game tonight. Entertaining and much more revealing than the one played on Friday night. Westbrook going for his third consecutive triple double, but more importantly, another step towards Westbrook winning the NBA assist title a year after winning the NBA scoring championship.