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After having his season cut short last year with a horrific leg injury, Gordon Hayward is back on the court. But tonight he will also be back in the arena where he started his NBA career, in Salt Lake City.
The Boston Celtics continue their West coast swing tonight against the Utah Jazz in a prime-time matchup of two of the NBA’s best teams. But all eyes will be on Hayward as he makes his first return to Utah, one of the league’s loudest and most difficult places to play. Hayward left the Jazz in the 2017 offseason, opting to sign with Boston and be reunited with his former college coach Brad Stevens.
Both teams, who coming into the season were touted as top ten in the league, have gone through their share of struggles. Utah’s normally stout defense is middling this season so far, ranking 16th in the NBA in defensive rating. The Celtics, who have a plethora of weapons on offense, have the fourth-worst offensive rating in the league. In fact, in terms of rating, Utah has a better offense and Boston has a better defense. The scripts have flipped.
Statistically, things will even out. That trend back to the mean may even start tonight.
Jazz star Donovan Mitchell, who replaced Hayward in the hearts of Jazz fans, is back and healthy. Mitchell missed two games with an ankle injury but came back last game against the Mavericks. He put up 23 points, five rebounds, and seven assists in the victory, also ending Utah’s four-game losing streak.
Kyrie Irving has been declared out for the game tonight due to personal matters. This comes on the heels of a thrilling comeback victory against the Suns, where Irving scored 18 points in the fourth quarter. That explosive offensive output will be difficult to replicate.
That means the wildcard could be Gordon Hayward. The nerves of coming back to Utah may have been quelled some when he endured a gruesome injury and missed all of last season. How will he play? He is being eased back into action and has not played more than 27 minutes in his first ten games this season, so there is no telling how much of an impact he has. Hayward has only scored in double-figures five times this season and has not had more than ten points in five of the last seven games. The Celtics have the top defensive in the league in terms of rating, so his presence may be felt more on that end than offensively.
What to Watch For: Rudy Gobert
Gobert is one of the NBA’s premier defenders in the paint, but this year he has morphed a bit. After boasting a 97.4 defensive rating last season, the Stifle Tower has eased up on the suffocating so far. He has a 105.4 defensive rating this season, a significant downgrade for a team that relies on a stiff defense. But Gobert has made up for it with an improved offensive game. His 110.0 offensive rating so far is a career high, as are his 16.4 points per game and 71 shooting percentage.
And while the league emphasizes high-powered offenses, what made the Jazz different was their ability to crush opposing teams defensively. Utah’s pedestrian 5-6 record is not all because of Rudy Gobert, but the team’s average defense in the first 11 games plays a part. And Gobert is the heart of that defense.
Featured Pick #1: Will either team lead at the end of every quarter? (No)
The Boston Celtics are a second-half team, so it is unlikely that they will lead at the end of every quarter. Utah should be very amped up and the crowd will be extra loud for Hayward and his return to now enemy territory. I expect Utah to lead at throughout the first half and Boston to do what do best (lately, at least) and claw back into this game in the second half.
Featured Pick #2: Who will score the most points? (Donovan Mitchell)
With Kyrie Irving is not playing tonight, the easy choice is Mitchell. He has microwave potential to get hot quickly and stay hot for long stretches of time. While the Celtics defense is stout, they gave up 38 points to Devin Booker and another 48 to Nuggets guard Jamal Murray in the last two games. Mitchell played 33 minutes in his first game back in action and appears to be fully healthy. The fans will help keep the hype up in the Hayward return game and Mitchell should feed off of that. Plus, the Celtics will likely have a spread-out offensive attack without Irving.
Featured Pick #3: How many points will be scored total? (Less than 203)
Boston has the number one defense. Utah has an average defense but should have a top defense. Kyrie Irving is not playing. I think defense makes its presence felt and, with no Irving, Brad Stevens goes back to the stingy lineups that carried the Celtics to within one game of the NBA Finals last season. Jayson Tatum has underwhelmed so far, but he will get many more touches tonight. The Celtics are 28th in the league in field goal percentage and, up until now, have left much to be desired offensively.
The Jazz have played three of their last four games against teams with top-ten defensive ratings. They lost all three of those games, averaging less than 100 points in those contests. Tonight, they get to face the top defense.
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