Preseason Game 4 Preview: Boston Celtics (1-4) at Brooklyn Nets (3-0)

Andray Blatche going up for a lay-up against the Celtics on Tuesday. The summer pick-up has been great for the Nets so far in the preseason coming off the bench, averaging 17 ppg and 7.3 rpg so far in three games.

Update: MarShon Brooks is likely to play tonight to make his preseason debut, according to Tim Bontemps of the New York Post.
  
When: 8:00 pm; Thursday, October 18th, 2012

Where: Barclays Center; Brooklyn, NY

TV: TNT

Radio: None

The Nets, holding an unlikely 3-0 record in the preseason as of right now, look to extend that wonderful mark in the 2nd-game of a home-and-home with the Celtics tonight at the Prudential Barclays Center in Newark Brooklyn. The starters, after a one game respite, will be back in the starting lineup facing off against a Celtics starting-five that is a veteran, but scary, bunch of players. Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett may be 35 and 36 years old respectively, but that isn't even close to meaning that they won't continue to kill the Nets this year and they seemingly do every time these two teams face each other on the court.

Last game, the Nets' back-ups managed to do a pretty decent job of guarding the talented Celtics starters, with the only major exception being Paul Pierce, who scored 29 points on the game with 20 of those coming in the 1st half. The defense did a solid job on Tuesday of getting hands in the face of Boston shooters, much better than they did on Monday against the Wizards. Holding a contending team like the Celtics to under 100 points when none of your five starters enter the game is a very hard thing to do, regardless of whether the game is played in the preseason or in the regular season.


Tonight, I'm looking forward to seeing some better shot selection from Mirza Teletovic, a little more from Tyshawn Taylor on the offensive end, and continued effectiveness and production from Andray Blatche. 

Not including Monday's game in which he was a non-factor, Mirza has shot 8-30 from the field so far in the preseason, hitting only 6-21 from beyond in the arc in those games as well. I understand he has no lack of confidence in his game, but in order to make that 3-year contract he signed with the Nets worth it, he has to temper down his shot quantity and get better at picking the right times to shot, not just every time he has daylight between him the basket from long-distance.

Tyshawn Taylor made his Nets debut on against Boston on Tuesday coming back from a quad injury and scored 6 points and dished out 5 assists in his 17 minutes of play, shooting 2-6 from the field. Coming off an injury to make your NBA debut is difficult so I want to see what the rookie can do when he's a little healthier and the nerves of a first-career NBA game are gone.

Finally, the revelation of the preseason, Andray Blatche. As mentioned above in the picture, the Nets signed Blatche this summer after the Wizards amnestied him and that move is looking better all the time. Firmly entrenched in his role of back-up to Brook Lopez at the 5, Andray has shown incredible activity around the court and has made a few explosive plays that just make you think how shrewd a signing by Billy King he could turn out to be. He continues his great play into a 4th game, and then maybe it becomes less of a sample size issue and more of a giving credit where it's due kind of deal for Blatche.

Probable Lineups 
BOS- Rondo (PG), Courtney Lee (SG), Pierce (SF), Sullinger (PF), Garnett (C)
NETS- D-Will (PG), Joe Johnson (SG), Wallace (SF), Humphries (PF), Lopez (C)

Final Thoughts
I don't have much else to say but I want to see this team start off its existence at 4-0. I don't care if it's preseason or not, wins are wins and two in-a-row against the Celtics is something to note.

Random Prediction: In front of the home crowd, Deron will make up for his poor shooting night on Monday and will score 20 points, with four three-pointers of course. As you can tell, I'm feeling pretty optimistic about this team right now.