With just a few games played in the current NBA season, now would really not be the time for teams to start panicking. That is what common sense tells you, but it’s hard to maintain that when you are a fan of a team as iconic as the Boston Celtics. The panic button has not yet been pushed in Beantown, but there are plenty of people with their hands poised over said button. The Celtics have another tough game to look forward to on Friday when they host the Washington Wizards. Boston is set as a -2.5 favorite at MyBookie.ag
Perhaps the expectations for the Celtics this season were set a little too high, as those expectations were based on a very good second half to close out last season. If you listen to the Celtic players talk about their 1-3 start, you will hear all the right things. They are talking about confidence still being very high in the locker room, but the question that has to be asked is how long it will stay high if Boston continues to lose. Brad Stevens has been doing a lot of shuffling with his starting rotation, as it seems he is struggling to find the one that will eventually quick. You get the sense that it will happen sooner rather than later, as this is a squad that is both deep and talented. Turnovers and rebounding has been an issue for the Celtics so far, and they will need to get that those facets of their game sorted out as they move forward.
There has been no such panic to be found in Washington, where the Wizards are off to a 3-1 start. It could have been a whole lot different, though, if Bradley Beal had not sunk a game winning 3-point buzzer beater against the Spurs on Wednesday night. Beal is starting to make a habit of being “the man” for the Wizards, as he leads the team with 25.2 points per game. He and John Wall are going to have to be very good this year if the defense is going to continue giving up points at the rate they are doing so now. Team rebounding is also an issue, and the Wizards are down near the bottom of the pack in that stat. The Wizards are a perfect 2-0 on the road to start the season, but that record will be put to the test this weekend with visits to Boston and Atlanta on the calendar.
It was the Wizards who won the season series last year, but only 1 of the 3 games were really close. I don’t expect that trend to follow, as this one should be tight. I like the Wizards to get the road win by less than 5 points.
