Starting Fresh Against the Injury-Depleted Nets
Pierce’s return has made things much easier for Rajon Rondo
and the other Celtics on the offensive end, and so has has the eternal
precision of Allen’s jump shot. However,
with Allen likely missing tonight’s game with a mild sickness, Rondo and Keyon Dooling
will have to hustle to help spread the floor quickly and efficiently. Fortunately, Rondo appears to have finally
mastered the duality of his slashing ability, knowing precisely when to dish
and when to shoot, and has so far helped players such as Dooling, Bass, and
Stiemsma to look more adept on offense than many of us would have ever
expected. He will have to demonstrate
this ability tonight.
Jermaine O’Neal is also expected back tonight for the C’s
despite missing their last game due to a sore hamstring, and that does not bode
well for a New Jersey team that will be starting big men such as Mehmet Okur
and Shelden Williams. Rondo, Pierce, and
Garnett will frequently find themselves guarded by players who are incapable of
guarding them, and with Allen out, rookie guard E’Twaun Moore may get the
opportunity to show that he has already likely surpassed Avery Bradley on the
learning curve. Hopefully we don’t see too
much of Sasha.
The guy to watch out for is rookie MarShon Brooks, who is
starting in place of D-Will. Brooks is an
intriguing 6’5 guard who is quickly establishing himself as a legitimate
scoring threat in the NBA, and is coming off a 21 point and 7 rebound
performance against Indiana. Brooks can
put on a show, the same way other young athletic talents such as Iman Shumpert,
Norris Cole, and John Wall have against Boston.
However, one guy is never really enough to beat the Celtics, and solid
performances from Rondo, Pierce, and Bass will likely shape the outcome of this
game.
The Nets have lost five in a row, and that streak should be
extended tonight. Meanwhile, the Celtics
are well positioned to jump out to an early lead in the Atlantic Division. They will look to further establish their new
team chemistry and careful distribution of minutes this shortened season, as
they pursue yet another playoff berth.
Meanwhile the Nets (1-5) continue to struggle mightily, while the Knicks
(2-3) continue to win about half their games.
