Post by FLCeltsFan on Jul 14, 2016 22:27:23 GMT -5
vs 
Boston Celtics (1-3) vs Portland Trail Blazers (1-3)
Friday, July 15, 2016
6:00 PM ET
TV: ?
Stream: ESPN 3
Cox Pavilion
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: Jamie Young
Possible Starting 5
Terry Rozier
James Young
Jaylen Brown
Guerschon Yabusele
Jordan Mickey
Trail Blazers Summer League Roster
Player Number
Cliff Alexander 34
Jordan Bachynski 19
Pat Connaughton 5
CJ Fair 16
Pierre Jackson 55
Chris Johnson 27
Omari Johnson 1
Jake Layman 10
Luis Montero 44
Shabazz Napier 6
Scotty Hopson 18
Russ Smith 28
Noah Vonleh 21
Possible Starting 5
Pierre Jackson
Pat Connaughton
Jake Layman
Noah Vonleh
Jordan Bachynski
Game Notes
The Celtics final game in Vegas is a consolation game between two one win teams. The Celtics will face off against the Portland Trail Blazers. The Blazers have lost to the Suns, Spurs and Jazz and they beat the Jazz on a buzzer beating 3 pointer by Pat Connaughton.
The Blazers feature 3 players who are entering their second season with the Blazers including Cliff Alexander, Pat Connaughton, and Luis Montero. They also have Noah Vonleh, who will be entering his third season in the league. Also playing is their only draft pick, Jake Layman, who was the 47th pick in this year's draft.
They also have 30 year old center Chris Johnson, who played in 30 games for the Blazers from 2010-2012 and has played in Puerto Rico since. The rest of the team is made up of various D-League players and players who have spent time in Europe or Asia. Omair Johnson played for the Celtics' D-League in Maine.
As with the other teams that the Celtics have played, the Trail Blazers have a height advantage over the Celtics. They have 3 players 6'10 inches or over where the Celtics tallest player is 6'9" and they play a lot of small ball out of necessity.
As of my posting this, there was no information posted as to where this game will be televised. It won't be televised on NBA-TV as they have the top teams scheduled. I checked ESPN, ESPN 2 and ESPN U and none of them had this game on their schedule as of now. It may be televised on NBA TV on Saturday morning, but again, it isn't listed as of now. If they post a channel for it, I will amend this thread. It should be streamed on ESPN 3, however.
Players to Watch
Jaylen Brown has shown improvement with each game the Celtics have played. He should continue that trend and have a big game in this one as it is his last game to impress in Summer League.
Terry Rozier has been the best player for the Celtics in the Summer League. Danny Ainge has said that he is playing himself into the rotation of the Celtics. It will be fun to watch him one more time as he continues to dominate the game.
Jordan Mickey was expected to do great things in Summer League but a shoulder injury derailed him and he hasn't seemed to get back on track. It would be nice to see him have a big game here.
Honorable Mention: James Young has hit some big shots but has yet to play good consistent basketball. The Celtics need to see more from him going into his 3rd year with the team.
Pat Connaughton is entering his second season with Portland. He is averaging 12.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists in Summer League. He also hit a buzzer beater to give Portland their only win.
Pierre Jackson was considered one of the top prospects in the D-League where he played for the Iowa Stampede. He is averaging 12.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.0 steals in Summer League for the Blazers.
Like James Young for the Celtics, Vonleh is entering his 3rd NBA season. He is averaging 12.0 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 0.8 blocks in Summer League.
Honorable Mention: Jordan Bachynski - He's 7'2" tall and that's enough to keep an eye on him.
Keys to the Game
Rebound - The Celtics were out-rebounded by a large margin in their first two losses. It wasn't a coincidence that they out-rebounded the Mavericks and won the game. They did out rebound the Cavaliers, but let other things slip in that game. It takes extra effort to rebound the ball and when they put out that extra effort to do so, it carries over to the rest of their game.
Defense - Defense is always key to winning whether it is in Summer League, in the regular season or in the playoffs. The Celtics need to work on the defensive end to get stops and keep the Blazers from getting easy points, especially in the paint. They allowed way too many uncontested layuups against the Cavaliers.
Play as a Team - The Celtics need to play as a team. They have tended to play too much one on one and hero ball so far in Vegas. They need to move the ball and find the open man.
X-Factor
Last Chance - This is the last chance for the Celtics (and the Blazers) to get a win and leave Vegas feeling good about themselves. Which team will have the motivation to play the hardest and get the win?
