National Basketball Association

Preview: Boston Celtics vs Charlotte Hornets

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Previewing the third game of the season for the Boston Celtics against the Charlotte Hornets

The Boston Celtics will look to bounce back after a tough loss to the Chicago Bulls, and they get to do it against another strong Eastern Conference team in the Charlotte Hornets. This showdown features one of the best point guard match ups in the East between Isaiah Thomas and Kemba Walker, and they should set the tone in what should be an exciting matchup.

The Hornets are coming into this game having won their first two games, and both of those wins put their depth on display. Their first victory against the Bucks was a great showcase for the starters who all saw double digit scoring except for one. Then, in a great comeback victory against the Heat, their bench took over with four players in double digit scoring, mounting a double digit comeback. The Celtics have already seen a glimpse of a collapse, and that should be enough to make sure it doesn’t happen again against the Hornets.

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That second unit could be problematic for the Celtics. There has been a lot to like from their young bench so far, especially out of Terry Rozier, Tyler Zeller and Jaylen Brown, but they still cannot be trusted with the game in their hands. The Celtics realize how much they will need to lean on their starters, and they may need that more than ever against the Hornets.

The two biggest match ups for the Celtics will be Walker and Nicolas Batum. Fortunately, they have players that they certainly trust to defend them. Avery Bradley will draw the assignment of Walker and he could destroy the game for the Hornets if he can shut down their point guard. Jae Crowder will then spend the majority of his time on Batum, and that could eliminate Walker’s best option on the offensive end..

The Celtics also look quite overmatched on the boards. Horford has not magically fixed their rebounding issues, and in a small sample size the Hornets have been a top 10 rebounding team this season. Offensive rebounds is what killed the Celtics against the Bulls, and they cannot hope to win too many games when they are out rebounded by 19 on the game. The status of Hibbert could have a big impact in that area, but even without him the Hornets get the advantage.

The Celtics can feel confident that their defense will win them a lot of games this year, but there is only so much they can do when they are giving their opponent so many more opportunities. The Celtics always look to set the tone and pace and rebounding can be a big part of that.

A massive wildcard in this game is going to be Roy Hibbert, who is still dealing with an injury. He is the Hornets’ best chance to slow down one of the most aggressive teams in the paint, and he presents the toughest matchup for Horford, if he manages to get into the lineup.

Hibbert does not pose too many problems as a scorer, but the way he clogs up the paint could be extremely problematic. Fortunately, Horford is exactly what they need to neutralize him. The Celtics need to get that floor spacing from their bigs in order to keep Hibbert away from the area he can destroy the game. Hibbert has the size to hold his own against Horford in the paint, but does not have the mobility to keep up with him on the outside.

Horford will be the key to opening things up for Thomas, who will look to keep up his great start to the season. There have been some bad spots for the Celtics in these first two games, but Thomas has picked up right where he left off last year. Thomas continues to run the offense exactly how he needs to, and the presence of Horford is already being felt for him. Thomas has been getting more open looks and with his aggressiveness, he has been hitting the majority of those shots.

Oct 27, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas (4) dribbles against Chicago Bulls guard Isaiah Canaan (0) during the first half at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

Horford has been phenomenal for the Celtics on both ends, but this could be the game they start to run more of the offense through him. Horford has been efficient and his passing ability has been on full display. That being said, the Celtics need to see what they can get out of him when he is in more of an attack mode.

Disrupting Hibbert’s impact in the paint will be a key part of the game, and it will be an interesting test to see if the Celtics choose to avoid the big man, or try and exploit the fact that Horford is able to stretch the floor from the center position.

The Celtics knew that they were going to have a challenging start to the season, and with a meeting against the Cleveland Cavaliers just around the corner, they need to find a way to get out of Charlotte with a victory.

The Hornets should also be the best three point shooting team the Celtics have played so far. It was unexpected, but both the Nets and the Bulls got an advantage with their three point shooting. The Celtics ran into two teams that got hot at the right time from beyond the arc, and now they will be facing a team that has much more shooting depth.

The Celtics are yet to get a truly dominant performance from their defense, and if that does not change the three point shot could continue to be their undoing. Walker will be able to generate offense, even with a defender as great as Bradley on him. That being said, the Celtics have the players to matchup and, if they play their best, they should be able to win this game on the defensive end.

In a matchup that features two teams looking to make the leap as contenders in the Eastern Conference, the Celtics know that they need to find a way to win these games if they have their sights set on a top two seed.

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