Boston Celtics: Takeaways from the Second Preseason Game
By Andrew Fine
The Boston Celtics finished off their preseason campaign in Europe with a 111-96 victory over Real Madrid. The Celtics were not able to gain a commanding lead in the first quarter like they did in Tuesday’s game against Olimpia Milano. The Celtics only led by a basket after the first quarter, but built an 11-point lead by halftime. Here are a few highlights from Boston’s second preseason win.
It’s the Lee and Bradley show
David Lee and Avery Bradley were absolutely dominant for the second straight game. Lee had a double-double consisting of 13 points and 11 rebounds in 21 minutes. He also added four assists and connected with Bradley on a few backdoor cuts for easy baskets. Lee is a smart passer and has developed some chemistry with his teammates in his brief time with the Celtics.
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Bradley had another productive game, shooting the ball exceptionally well from behind the arc. He scored 17 points on 7-14 shooting from the field and was 3-4 from three-point range. When he wasn’t on fire from three, he was very active off the ball and was a workhorse on defense.
Rozier’s strong performance off the bench
Though he sat out the entire first half and entered with four minutes to play in the third quarter, Terry Rozier excelled coming off the bench for the Celtics. Rozier shot 6-8 from the field and scored 14 points in only 16 minutes.
He was a pesky defender and had two steals, but what was most impressive was his confidence running the point. He had four assists and appeared comfortable running the pick and roll with fellow rookie Jordan Mickey. Rozier is primed for a successful year if he can grow as a ball handler as Boston’s third point guard.
Crowder making his case
The battle for the starting small forward position is beginning to become interesting and Evan Turner has not even played a single preseason game yet. Jae Crowder had himself a nice game, filling the score sheet with 8 points, 6 assists, and four rebounds. The one pleasant surprise in Crowder’s stat line is his assist total.
Turner has had the upper hand in starting mainly because he is a proven distributor who can take over while Marcus Smart works on his ball handling. However, if Stevens uses this starting lineup Turner could find himself coming off the bench with David Lee’s effective playmaking, Smart’s new comfort running the point, and Crowder’s potentially improved facilitating.
Olynyk’s smooth moves
Playing for the Canadian National Team this summer seemed to help Kelly Olynyk. He’s looks more confident on the court and in the past two preseason games has showcased his dribbling ability. Opposing players better watch out or else they’ll get crossed up like this Real Madrid defender:
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