The Toronto Raptors continue their title defense this Saturday in Boston. It’s a meeting between two Eastern Conference elites that are aiming to shut critics up, with the defending champs eager to prove they are still the team to beat post-Kawhi Leonard and Boston Celtics looking to regain more respect in the division.
Pascal Siakam came through, but can he be consistent?
Expectations were high for Pascal Siakam in Wednesday’s season-opener and he got it done. In the 130-122 overtime win over the New Orleans Pelicans, the league’s reigning Most Improved Player of the Year poured in a game-high 34 points, 18 rebounds, and five assists, including a handful of clutch plays that helped bring the game into an extra period.
Consistency will now be the challenge for Siakam, who’s being seen as the Raptors’ next franchise player. It will be interesting to see if he can fill the stat sheet consistently, especially on the road against a tougher defensive team. He was up-and-down against the Celtics in the 2018-19 season, scoring 4, 16, 6, and 25 points in the four meetings – it reflected the Raptors’ performance in the season series as they went 2-2.
Fred VanVleet is rising too
Fred VanVleet put defenses in notice with his superb showing in the Pelicans game. The former Wichita State Shocker picked up where he left off in the 2019 Finals and dropped a career-high 34 points on 12-for-18 shooting, while also dishing out seven assists. Look for him to be aggressive in the sequel to his big night.
The Celtics had a disappointing start, especially Kemba Walker
The Celtics got overwhelmed by the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday, 107-93. They shot an awful 36.7% from the floor, highlighted by Kemba Walker laying an egg in his Celtic debut with a 4-for-18 shooting night. Walker and the bench guys, who combined for a grand total of 15 points, should be looking to have a big bounce back game this Saturday.
It’s easy to expect that Walker can return to form. He just had a career-year in points and while with the Charlotte Hornets this past season, he averaged 23.3 points and 8.7 assists per game in three match-ups with the Raptors – that APG was his highest against any team in the 2018-19 campaign.
A couple of bright spots
Two Celtics looked good despite the loss – Jayson Tatum was quite decent with 21 points and 10 boards, while Gordon Hayward turned back the clock and scored a game-high 25 points.
Tatum is primed for a breakout year in scoring, and Hayward now has a better chance to create rhythm and hopefully become an All-Star caliber player again.
PREDICTION:
The Raptors win after an entertaining back-and-forth. Their poise and championship experience will be a good foil to Boston’s aggressive crowd.
