Post Game: Celtics 101 Raptors 82

So 7 down 1 to go before it really matters. I'm not going to lie, I chose not to watch too far into the fourth quarter. I personally can't bare to see the combination of replacement referee's and players that would never get meaningful time in a meaningful game closing things out. This particular one had a similar feel to a regular season game than the rest have, with both teams tightening their rotations.

So, I think Garnett's knees are alright. Good news for the Celtics. He was running the transition and diving for balls like a new man. They will dominate us throughout the season. I do however think the guys are just dying to beat this team. Garnett knows how to get under an opponents skin during play. He is a ferocious presence and his defensive pressure gets under my skin when I watch him play. They are by far the best team defensively in the entire league. They just shut things down whenever they need to. Any of the Raptors with time on the bench should have a pen and notepad handy to take notes. In the first quarter the Celtics shot 76% from the field. The defense was non-existent. They did however get it together for the next two quarters. It could have gotten quite ugly on the scoreboard.

Hedo Turkoglu had his best game of the preseason. He scored a team high 16points and took in 5rebounds. I really enjoy the game when he is on the court. Although his turnover rate will be high this year, the offense is by far more exciting to watch when he has the ball. Anything can happen while Turkoglu is setting up. His court vision just gives this offense a lot of options. I'm positive he will have much success on the court with any combination of players. He meshes well with any style and draws so much attention whether he has the ball or not.

Well we know Weems should never take a jumper. It is an extremely weak part of his game. I do feel like he could contribute something on the court when things get rolling but it also makes him very easy to cover when you can give him the room to shoot.

Man, do we need Reggie Evans when we play the Celtics this year. We need him to impose his will in the paint. He is the guy that's gonna make the front court rotation of the Celtics work.

Triano has some time to make tweaks and changes to the line-up. I'm sure he has a pretty good idea of how he will use the pieces on this team. It is crucial they hammer down this new defensive strategy. If they keep their heads up during the tough opening month of the season this team has a chance to make some noise.

There isn't much more to say about these guys during preseason play. They play Minnesota on Friday and open the season against the Cavaliers on the 28th. I'm counting down the days until it all matters.

Cool Hand Luke