Boston Celtics Gameday: 3 keys to beating Kawhi Leonard’s Toronto Raptors
Brad Stevens decision-making
Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens continues to take self-blame for the team’s inconsistency this season.
Besides possibly making a starting lineup change, Stevens has to recognize what lineups are working and not working during important stretches of the game, primarily in the second quarter when he inserts the bench.
One of those decisions may include limiting the minutes of Terry Rozier who has put in some poor shooting performances lately. It’s not much his poor shooting, but his shot selection that killed the team particularly in Saturday night’s loss to the Chicago Bulls.
Rozier is not the sole player to blame, but it’s up to Stevens to find the matchups that work instead of letting players stay in the game too long if they are struggling. That also goes for Gordon Hayward, Jaylen Brown or any other player coming off the bench.
Next. Boston Celtics: 5 crazy predictions for 2019 and beyond. dark
In all, it could be one of those games players like Kyrie Irving, Marcus Smart and Jayson Tatum play extended minutes due to what Irving and Tatum gives the team offensively and what Smart brings to the table defensively.
After what happened Saturday night in Chicago, it will be interesting to see how the Boston Celtics as a team responds in this big, nationally televised showdown.