Tragic news: two Boston Celtics players suffer terrible injuries during…
A devastating blow has been dealt to the Boston Celtics big man depth before their game against the Orlando Magic on December 15. Kristaps Porzingis is listed as doubtful, and Al Horford and Luke Kornet will miss the game, per the most recent injury report.
Neemias Queta would then be the only center on the Celtics roster. If the Celtics hadn’t waived Nathan Knight earlier in the week, he might have had a brief opportunity to play off the bench.
To exacerbate the situation, Boston may be lacking players in other areas of the court besides the center position. With an ankle injury that nearly prevented him from playing against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday and a hyperextended knee, Jaylen Brown is listed as questionable.
The Celtics have not fared well against the Magic lately. Since the end of the previous season, the Eastern Conference team that is rebuilding has defeated Joe Mazzulla’s team four times. Orlando has a talented, large, and long roster, so having a solid rim protector on the court is essential.
With Horford and (possibly) Porzingis out of the lineup, the Magic will probably try to press the rim whenever they can. Talented forwards Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner can both use their size to create mismatches and scoring opportunities at all three levels.
John Starks is a well-known professional basketball player, regardless of whether you love or hate him for his game-winning dunk in the 1993 playoffs or game 7 of the 1994 Finals. And to be honest, that wasn’t supposed to occur. By all measures—odds, logic, and expectations—Starks had no chance of making the NBA, much less succeeding there. Ask any of the coaches who saw him in high school, or Jr college, or even his first NBA coach Don Nelson. (okay technically, yes, Nelson thought Starks could make the NBA because he did give him a roster spot, but Nelson took that roster spot away as soon as he possibly could). To see John Starks before he was the New York Knicks’ John Starks, let’s look through the prism.
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Boston must be cautious of Queta’s propensity to foul and bite on pump fakes if he is placed in the starting lineup. Jayson Tatum might occasionally move into the middle of the court to offer some resistance around the rim with his size and defensive adaptability. Alternatively, Mazzulla could employ a series of small-ball rotations, a forceful switching scheme, and a bullish, confrontational style of defense to intimidate and outplay a young and inexperienced Magic team.
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