Celtics vs Nets NBA Handicapping
It kind of sucks to be Doc Rivers these days.
His team has showed little sign of life as it meanders through the first third on the NBA schedule, the new players brought on board to give the team depth haven’t come close to performing the way anyone in Boston thought they would, and on Christmas Day the Celts start a 4-game road trip in Brooklyn and includes three games on the West Coast.
Boston Celtics (13-13) at Brooklyn Nets (14-12)
Tuesday, Dec. 25
Barclays Center, Brooklyn
Noon EST
Odds from Bovada
Odds: Nets -4.5
Total: 189
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A team with two guaranteed Hall of Famers and one possible Hall of Famer has sleep-walked to a 13-13 record and four losses in its last five games. Now one of the few players playing at 100 percent capacity, reserve big Chris Wilcox, is out for the next month or so after suffering a sprained thumb.
There was some talk that rookie center Fab Melo, who is dominating against smaller players in the D-League, might be called up to bolster the weak front line. But Melo appears far from ready, so the Celtics are hoping that the impending return of Avery Bradley can at least strengthen the backcourt.
Bradley hurt both shoulders early in Boston’s playoff run to the Eastern Conference finals last season, and his absence from the lineup has exposed Boston’s defensive problems on the perimeter.
Rajon Rondo gambles continually trying to make steals, which makes the Celtics vulnerable to guard-oriented offensive teams like the Bucks, who have beaten Celts three times this season (twice in Boston).
Bradley will likely make his return on the Coast (they play the Clippers, Warriors and Kings in a span of four days), and he’ll cut into the playing time of slumping newcomers Courtney Lee and Jason Terry.
“You just have to be patient,” says Rivers.[ad-6571516]
“Obviously we need another big with Chris out, but I don’t know if we’ll get another big on this trip.”
First up, though, is the Nets, who hammered the Celtics in late November, going wire-to-wire in a 95-83 win that wasn’t even that close. Brooklyn shook off the poo from a three-game losing streak by beating the 76ers, and the front line should be improved now that Brook Lopez is back from an injury.
While Lopez is back, there are questions about Kris Humphries’ role. Humphries’s minutes have gradually declined, and he recorded a dreaded DNP-CD in Brooklyn’s win over the Sixers.
THE PICK – With its two-guard not getting the job done and other core players (Garnett, Pierce) on and off, Boston needs to dominate at the point to beat good teams. Rajon Rondo’s key numbers are all up a bit from last season, but the whole just doesn’t seem to equal the sum of its parts.
But he does get up for national TV games and high-profile PG opponents.
So . . . BOSTON 97, BROOKLYN 92.
