Ahhh, it's finally here, folks. It's like a nice long chug of cold spring water after running a marathon. The Boston Celtics are going to be back on the court against an opponent (Philadelphia 76ers) tomorrow night for the first time since... (we won't go there).
So far, nothing but positives have come out of training camp with this Celtics squad. They are gelling well, KG looks fantastic, Delonte is working hard, etc. We've heard it all but face it folks, not everything is going to be all sweet n' dandy all season long. There are going to be hurdles this team is going to have to face; it's just a matter of if they clear them, or get their feet tied up and fall flat on their face. I'm hoping it's the first of the two.
Anyways, enough negative thinking they haven't even played a game yet. Instead of dwelling on what may happen once the regular season actually starts, lets look at five questions we will look to find answers to in the Celtics first preseason game tomorrow night.
1. Who starts at center tomorrow night?
I'm pretty sure Doc will roll out his starting lineup to start the game tomorrow night. It's just a matter of looking at who ends up taking the tip at the center position. From the sounds of things with Jermaine O'Neal's (minor) injury, I would guess that Shaq will indeed start tomorrow night.
2. Who rolls out with the second unit?
For the majority of tomorrow night's game we will most likely be watching the Celtics second and third units. There's some speculation as to who will roll out with that second lineup, and who will fall back into the third unit. Glen "Big Baby" Davis, Marquis Daniels, Nate Robinson, and Jermaine/Shaq are probably solidified into that second unit, but who will play along with them? Delonte? Von Wafer? Harangody?
3. How good is Kevin Garnett during an actual game?
Well, it's not a regular season game but it's also not practice against your teammates. All we've heard about this offseason is how great KG looks and how explosive he's been. Now it's time to see if the can do the same thing against an opposing team. If he is as great as insiders are saying, I can't wait to see him play.
4. How involved are Doc's new assistants?
Last season, if you watched a Celtics game you probably noticed a guy not named Doc Rivers running up and down the sidelines with a suit and tie on. That guy was Tom Thibodeau. Well... he's gone now and Lawrence Frank is now his replacements. I'll be keeping a close eye on Frank to see how he approaches the players and the games he coaches.
5. Has Marquis Daniels regained his confidence?
Outside of the starting unit, Marquis Daniels may be the most important player for the Celtics this season. He is the only guy on this roster that has the skillset and size to backup Paul Pierce if anything was to happen. The Celtics are going to need the "first half of the season Marquis" in order to be more successful. We'll be keeping a close eye on Marquis tomorrow night to see if he's ready to accept the role of being Paul Pierce's backup. If he isn't, we may be in some trouble.
What are you going to be watching for during tomorrow night's game? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, or in the comment section below.
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