Celtics brace for a trip to battered Texas

If the worst that happens to the Celtics next week is that their Tuesday game in Dallas is postponed due to the hardship brought on Texas by record-low temperatures, it will be miniscule compared to the misery that’s befallen residents.

But as of now, the trip, which begins in New Orleans on Sunday and concludes in Atlanta on Wednesday, is still on.

“We have not been told yet. I actually asked that question, but we have not been told that yet,” said Brad Stevens. “I feel so bad for the people down there. Sounds awful and obviously I hope it warms up soon and power gets restored and everything else, but we have not been told anything about our travel yet. We assume we’re going to New Orleans tomorrow.”

Brown gets green light

Though Jaylen Brown was listed as questionable for Friday’s game due to a flare-up of soreness in his left knee, the Celtics wing recovered well enough to have his status upgraded to available.

“I think Jaylen was just a typical look at and make sure he feels great coming off the back-to-back,” said Stevens. “Probably was a little bit more sore, as to be expected after the back-to-back but then felt much better this morning and good enough to play.”

Target on his back

Payton Pritchard got another look Friday night at Atlanta’s Trae Young, one of the league’s great young perimeter talents, and was likely to once again get targeted. The Celtics rookie finished Wednesday’s loss to the Hawks with five fouls — something to be expected from a newcomer guarding Young.

“Every game you kind of get targeted as a rookie, if you’re new in the league,” said Pritchard. “For me it’s just trying to find ways not to pick up those early fouls. Hope I do better.

“You know obviously trying not to foul him,” he said of Young, who scored 40 points Wednesday. “That’s a big thing, he draws a lot of fouls, so with our defense, when they get to the line, that’s an easy shot. So that’ll probably be the biggest thing is to eliminate fouls, but honestly just making them hit tough shots.”

Guarding pick-and-roll players in general can be a challenge for a rookie.

“Well there’s more — 3-point line’s farther back and then there’s nobody, nobody can sit in the lane, as a help side, so there’s more room to operate,” said Pritchard. “And then obviously guys are just more talented and the centers are bigger so it’s just harder to get around, but that’s probably the biggest difference (from college).”

Looking elsewhere

He’d help if he could, but Stevens can’t vote for his own young all-star candidates — Brown and Jayson Tatum — when NBA coaches vote for all-star reserves.

But he understands that simply due to the parity in the NBA this season, more players will have a claim on those cherished spots this year.

“Well, we’re certainly hopeful they both make it — I think they both certainly deserve it,” said Stevens. “I think that I will look at it a little bit differently from my own perspective this year, just simply because each of these teams and all of the players around the East have all had different challenges that their teams have dealt with, right?

“Maybe in the past, it stands out when the top four or five, six teams have two or three players that are really carrying a load. Those people are in the highest contention for all-star spots. This year, it’s a little bit more difficult to discern that just because (many teams) are at .500 or a couple games below .500, with all that some of these teams have gone through is pretty damn impressive. And I think that I have to weigh that in when voting and when looking at it. There’s a lot of good players. It’s going to be tough to choose seven. I don’t get to vote for our two guys. I’m not allowed to. Otherwise obviously I think they both should be in it and certainly deserving of it.”

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/3bpS1qz