Preview: Keys to Beat Celtics
By Wesley Robinson, bobcats.com
November 13, 2013
KEY MATCHUP vs. CELTICS: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist vs Jeff Green
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is averaging 12.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.43 blocks this season, but over the last three games is averaging 14.7 points on .680 shooting from the field (17-for-25) and .714 shooting from the free- throw line (10-for-14), to go with 6.7 rebounds, 2.3 blocks, 1.3 assists and 1.0 steal. Kidd-Gilchrist, who scored in double figures in all three games, tallied a season-high 16 points, a season-high-tying eight rebounds and a season-high three blocks on Nov. 5 against New York and followed that up with 14 points on Nov. 6 against Toronto before recording 14 points, a season-high-tying eight rebounds and a season-high-tying three blocks on Nov. 8 against New York. With his elite defense, Kidd-Gilchrist has the ability to force turnovers, leading to transition opportunities at the rim… MKG will be matched up with a player who plays very similar to his capabilities. After knocking down a game-winning 3-pointer to defeat last year’s NBA Champion Miami Heat on Nov. 9, Jeff Green has been the go-to guy for the Celtics this season. He leads his team in scoring (16.9 points) to go with 4.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 33 minutes of play. Offensively, Green is very aggressive when taking his man off the dribble and moves off the ball extremely well to help his teammates find open shots… An advantage Kidd-Gilchrist has is his ability to utilize his athleticism on both ends of the floor. Look for the Bobcats to set the tone early by creating turnovers to set up transition opportunities for him. Green will get his numbers offensively, but Kidd-Gilchrist’s job will be to make him work hard for them and force him to play defense.
SCOUTING THE BOBCATS (3-4)
After a loss on Nov. 11 to the Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte will be looking to rebound against the Boston Celtics. Despite the loss, the Bobcats have a lot to look forward to with Big man Al Jefferson back in the lineup. Jefferson debuted in his first home game in a Charlotte uniform this season after missing five of the Cats first six games with an ankle injury and scored all of his 10 points in the second half on 45 percent shooting. He added seven rebounds in 27 minutes of play… Josh McRoberts has given his team significant minutes to start the season. McRoberts scored a season-high 19 points against Atlanta, shooting 7-for-13 from the field, including 5-for-8 from beyond the 3-point line, marking a career high. McRoberts has scored in double figures in two of the last three games and is averaging 12.3 points, 5.0 assists and 4.7 rebounds during that span. He is ranked 34th in the NBA in 3-point percentage (.458).
SCOUTING THE CELTICS (4-4)
The Celtics are riding a four-game win streak after beginning the season winless in their first four games. When the Celtics won their fourth consecutive game on Nov. 11 against the Magic, Celtics Head Coach Brad Stevens joined some rare company. He became just the second head coach in NBA history to lose his first four (or more) games then immediately follow that with a winning streak that brought his win-loss record back to .500. The other coach to do so was Rick Adelman when he replaced Mike Schuler as Portland’s head coach in February 1989 when he lost his first four games and then won his next four… The Celtics went 51-for-85 from the field (60 percent) in their 120-105 win over the Magic on Nov. 11. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, that is the most shots the C’s have taken while shooting 60 percent or higher since the 1992-93 season. On Nov. 25, 1992, the Celtics beat the Washington Bullets, 150-112, when they made 62 of their 100 shots... Reggie Lewis was 14-for-17 in that contest, while Robert Parish was 8-for-11 and Dee Brown was 7-for-11.
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