How will Boston respond after the Knicks defeat?
Some of Boston’s best performances come after a loss. Whether it’s the team needing a loss to refocus or Joe Mazzulla fixing the issues, the Celtics rarely go on a losing streak and have a great opportunity to get back on track with the Chicago Bulls coming to town.
The Bulls are currently on a five-game losing streak, with their most recent loss coming Monday against the Brooklyn Nets. This is a game the Celtics should be winning comfortably, as the new-look Bulls are still finding their identity after making multiple trades before the NBA deadline.
I expect Boston’s leaders, Jaylen Brown and Derrick White, to set the tone from the jump, and for those two in particular to get off to a strong start. The Celtics are 1-1 against the Bulls so far this season. Most recently, back in January, the Celtics lost in Chicago 114-111 when the Bulls had eight players score in double figures. The other matchup came on January 5, when Boston took care of business 115-101 in a game where Anfernee Simons dropped 27 points en route to the win.
Who will guard Anfernee Simons?
It’s safe to say that Simons won’t be getting a tribute video on his return to TD Garden, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t have an impact during his short tenure in Boston. Simons, who was acquired in the offseason, started slow as he adjusted to a new team—one that focuses heavily on defense. Prior to being traded to Boston, Simons was known as a scoring threat who can get buckets at all three levels, but he struggled defensively. Over time, he adjusted to the defensive rotations and was able to hold his own, which led to more playing time and ultimately a sixth-man role.
Now the question is: who will be tasked with guarding Simons after great start with the Bulls? Whether it’s Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Jordan Walsh, or even Hugo González, the Celtics have played against Simons plenty in practice, but now he’s returning with a new team, and he’s been playing well in his new threads.
Since his move to Chicago, Simons is averaging 20 points, 5.3 assists, and three rebounds in three games while shooting an impressive 48.9% from the floor. He’s a scorer who can take over a game, especially if he’s hitting shots early, so it’s important that Boston forces him into contested looks from the jump. He may be looking to score a little revenge after the C’s traded him.
In his two games in Celtics green, Nikola Vučević is averaging 11 points and nine rebounds off the bench. There have been flashes of what he can bring to Boston, particularly with his passing and post-up game. Similar to when Simons first arrived, it will take Vučević some time to fully understand the defensive rotations and what Mazzulla wants from him. However, as a veteran player, he shouldn’t take too long to adapt.
With that said, this could be the perfect breakout game for Vučević against his former team. Going up against players he spent years playing with, Vučević will know their tendencies and, hopefully, be able to exploit them.
Boston will need Vučević’s scoring and presence in the paint if they want a successful campaign, and there’s no better game to kick it off than against a struggling Chicago team.