Boston Celtics: 3 things to watch on 2021 opening night
By Sam Minton
The Boston Celtics tipoff the 2020-21 season against the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday and here is what C’s fans should pay attention to.
It seems like just yesterday that the Boston Celtics were defeated by the Miami heat down in Disney. Now the 2020-21 season is about to tipoff.
This season is filled with intrigue for Celtics fans. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are poised for another year of amazing performances. Boston also brought in some veteran players like Tristan Thompson and Jeff Teague.
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With how the 2020 playoffs ended for the C’s, they will be looking to improve. The only way for them to do so is to make it to the NBA Finals.
The question is will Boston be able to do so without Gordon Hayward? They also will miss Kemba Walker to start the season. While there is plenty of reason for Celtics fans to be excited, there are a few hurdles that could trip them up in 2021.
The 2021 season has the potential to be a great one for green teamers. Winning the NBA Finals doesn’t seem like a pipedream. If anything it seems like the next logical step for the organization.
So what should C’s fans pay attention to on opening night? Here are three things to watch on Wednesday night?
Boston Celtics: 3 things to watch on 2021 opening night – No.1: How much will the rookies play?
In the preseason, we have seen a lot from Payton Pritchard and Aaron Nesmith. They are both the type of players that seem poised to make an impact off the bench.
Both Pritchard and Nesmith are impressive shooters. It’s an ability that the Celtics have desperately been missing.
But Brad Stevens hasn’t exactly thrown first-year players into the fire. Carsen Edwards, Romeo Langford, and Grant Williams didn’t play a decent amount of minutes throughout the season.
Pritchard seems like he could have the opportunity to see some decent minutes. In the preseason he showed that he can be a quality shooter in the NBA but can also drive to the rim. Also with Walker out, the Celtics will likely rely on Pritchard more than they probably expected to.
Still, I hope that Nesmith gets some decent playing time as well. he also seems like a guy that could bolster the second unit.
So will Stevens buck the trend and have his rookies play some significant minutes? Celtics fans will just have to wait and see.