The attention will be heavy as the Celtics and Knicks tip off the NBA season Tuesday night. The matchup, however, may be but an appetizer for the main course to come months later.
Adding spice to the culinary experience is the fact there are those who think New York may well be poised to make the Celts a one-year wonder of sorts.
“I think the Knicks are the kind of team that could give Boston real trouble in the playoffs. That first five is good enough to beat them in a series if they can make it a fistfight,” a league executive told Heavy Sports.
“Philly? I mean, what are the odds (Joel) Embiid and PG (Paul George) are in good enough health by the playoffs? I just wonder if New York has the depth they’re going to need. But that’s miles away. We can’t get ahead of ourselves …
“But we will,” he added with a laugh.
Tuesday is for pomp and circumstance, a banner and jewelry. The sound and fury of the well-produced ceremony will signify very little when we get to next April.
“This one’s for fun,” said one very interested opposing coach. “This will give us something to talk about. Everyone’s kind of interested to see how Boston comes out — if they have that same mental edge they had last season after they get their rings (during the pregame festivities).
“I think they’ll be fine. … I don’t think I’ve ever seen a team with that many good players who know what their role is and are happy with it. Oh, you may have (Jayson) Tatum and (Jaylen) Brown pushing the individual stuff a bit, but you kind of want that from your stars. Those kind of guys should be pushing the envelope.”
Celtics Are the Target in New York
In New York, pushing is actually a concern. The Knicks have some bench issues, particularly with Mitchell Robinson and Precious Achiuwa out to start the season and Landry Shamet waived after injuring his shoulder (though he could be brought back when healthy). Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, Isaiah Hartenstein and Alec Burks are among those gone from last postseason’s run.
“The question is how much Thibs (coach Tom Thibodeau) is going to push his starters,” said a league personnel exec. “That’s always been a concern with him, and it’s going to an even bigger issue with them being shorthanded to start. …
“If he can get that team to the playoffs healthy and in reasonable condition, I think they’re set up to give Boston trouble in a tight series. They’ve got tough guys who are really good in a possession for possession game. If it’s a game where both teams have to use a lot of clock each time down, New York has guys who can make plays.
“That probably won’t matter if Boston plays to its ability, but they had trouble with that the two years before against Miami and the Warriors.”
Knicks Seeking to Find Rotation Answers
Of course, the Knicks still have to figure out how best their pieces fit. Mikal Bridges should be a seamless fit with his Villanova friends, and Karl-Anthony Towns may have benefited from going through a role change in Minnesota.
“Karl-Anthony Towns is not Batman,” one front office source told Heavy. “He spent the last five or six years trying to prove to people he was, and he’s not. Then all of a sudden they’ve got Anthony Edwards assuming the cape of Batman, and Karl-Anthony Towns finally found his role, at least mostly, as Robin.
“At some point he was going to become Alfred the butler in Minnesota, because the kid Jaden McDaniels was going to exceed him in terms of being consistently a more valuable guy because he can play both ways. Now in New York, Towns and everybody knows it’s Jalen Brunson’s team. KAT’s just going to have to be a factor every night and step up big when they need him to. That’s been an issue for him.
“But they have time to figure that out.”
As with all the top contenders, the alarm has been set for mid-April.
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Knicks-Celtics NBA Opening Night: Preview to a ‘Fistfight’?