Post by FLCeltsFan on Jul 9, 2016 20:42:50 GMT -5
vs 
Boston Celtics (0-1) vs Phoenix Suns (1-0)
Sunday, July 10, 2016
10:30 PM ET
Las Vegas Summer League Game 2
TV: ESPN 2
Stream: ESPN 3
Thomas and Mack Center
Celtics Summer League Roster
Player..... Number
Ben Bentil 50
Jaylen Brown 9
RJ Hunter 28
Demetrius Jackson 26
Jordan Mickey 55
Malcolm Miller 48
Abdel Nader 51
Jayvaughn Pinkston 52
Terry Rozier 12
Marcus Thornton 27
Corey Walden 46
Guerschon Yabusele 30
Mouphtaou Yarou 63
James Young 13
Coach: Micah Shrewsberry
Possible Starting 5
Terry Rozier
James Young
Jaylen Brown
Guerschon Yabusele
Jordan Mickey
Suns Summer League Roster
Player Number
Dragan Bender 3
Askia Booker 29
Devin Booker 1
Alec Brown 10
Michael Bryson 25
Marquese Chriss 0
Derek Cooke 22
Kyle Kuric 18
Shannon Scott 19
Richard Solomon 32
Tyler Ulis 8
Alan Williams 15
Troy Williams 16
Coach: Nate Bjorkgren
Possible Starting 5
Tyler Ulis
Devin Booker
Marquese Chriss
Alan Williams
Dragan Bender
Game Notes
Both teams have played one game in the Vegas Summer League so far and both are playing back to back. The Celtics are coming off a loss to the Bulls while the Suns are coming off a win over Portland.
The Suns have some good players on their team and will be a challenge for the Celtics. Devin Booker is coming off a very successful rookie year where he made the All Rookie team. They also feature 3 rookies including Dragan Bender, Marquese Chriss and Tyler Ulis. Both Bender and Chriss were predicted on many of the mocks to be picked by the Celtics.
Askia Booker and Derek Cooke both played for the Suns' D-League team. Alec Brown was a 2014 second round pick of the Suns and played for the C's D-League team last season as well. Kyle Kuric is an interesting story. He underwent surgery in November to remove a brain tumor with two follow up surgeries as well. He played 3 years in the Spanish league.
Once again, the Celtics will have a height disadvantage. The Celtics tallest player is 6'9" while the Suns have two players who are 7'1" (Bender, Brown) and Marquese Chriss who is 6'10" and Richard Solomon, who is 6'11".
Players to Watch
Terry Rozier continues to play well for the Celtics. He is averaging 19 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.0 assists over the 4 games so far. He finished with 13 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals against the Bulls. The Celtics need Rozier to play well and especially to hit his shots if they expect to get a win.
Jordan Mickey made his long awaited debut after missing all 3 games in Utah. He looked like a player who hadn't played for awhile. He finished with 5 points, 7 rebounds 2 steals and 1 block along with 6 personal fouls. Hopefully he will look better now that he has one game under his belt.
Jaylen Brown also returned after missing the final two games in Utah with a knee injury. Brown also looked like a player just coming back from an injury. He finished with 9 points and 1 rebound and looked a step slow for the most part. Hopefully he can get his aggressiveness back and make a difference in this game.
Booker is coming off a big rookie season in which he made the All Rookie Team. He finished the Suns win over the Blazers with 28 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1 block. The Celtics will definitely need to keep a body on him.
Bender was the player most though the Celtics would take at [HASH]3. It will be interesting to see how he develops compared to Jaylen Brown. Bender has the size at 7'1" and as the old saying goes, you can't teach size. But, he will need to put on some muscle to play in the NBA. He finished his first game with 12 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 steals.
Alan Williams started for the Suns at Power Forward against the Blazers. He finished with 13 points, 12 rebounds, and 2 assists. The Celtics will need to box him out and keep him off the boards.
Keys to the Game
Rebound - Because of the Celtics lack of size, they have struggled on the boards. They were out rebounded by the Bulls 46-28. The Celtics must box out and put in extra effort on the boards in order to make up for their lack of size.
Defense - Defense is always a key to every game, whether it is Summer League, regular season or the playoffs. The Celtics must get stops and especially keep the Suns out of the paint where they scored 36 points against the Blazers.
Be Aggressive - The Celtics must be the more aggressive team in going after loose balls, in rebounding, on defense, and they must play harder than the other team. They have to want it more.
