Pregame Post-Ups: Philly Brings New-Look Squad to Boston for Christmas Showdown

BOSTON – Only 10 weeks have passed since the Celtics’ last matchup against the 76ers, but in that short period of time, Philadelphia has transformed into a much different team.

The 76ers made a blockbuster trade on Nov. 12, sending two of their starters – Robert Covington and Dario Saric – to Minnesota in exchange for superstar wing Jimmy Butler. One week later, starting shooting guard Markelle Fultz was sidelined indefinitely with neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome, leaving Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons as Philadelphia’s only remaining starters from Opening Night.

“When you consider the level of team that they are and the level of team that they were last year too,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said ahead of the 5:30 p.m. tip-off at TD Garden. “To have three different starters on Christmas Day than you did on opening day is quite a change.”

The roster shakeup also has made quite a change to the way Philadelphia has performed. Prior to the trade, the 76ers were 8-6. They have gone 13-5 since the move, and two of those losses came without Butler in the lineup.

“He’s definitely brought a lot to their team,” Celtics forward and Philly native Marcus Morris said ahead of the game. “He’s another veteran that can score, defend, and another guy that they can get the ball to so he can iso and make plays for everybody else. So, I definitely think that his addition to that team has been great.”

Philadelphia coach Brett Brown says Butler’s attitude has completely altered the team’s culture, while his skill set has added a new dimension to the way they can play.

“He’s highly competitive. He wears his heart on his sleeve. From just an attitude standpoint, those two things come to mind,” said Brown, a New England native. “From a skill-package standpoint, he’s somebody that we have never really had, where you can give the ball on the perimeter and just let him go find a bucket.”

The Celtics won the Opening Night matchup handedly, 105-87, but the addition of Butler should make for a much more competitive Christmas Day game. Still, the C’s like the advantage they have in playing in front of their home crowd.

“It’s definitely going to be a dogfight,” said Morris, who tallied 16 points and 10 rebounds during the first matchup. “But they’ve gotta come in the Garden and play, so it’s going to be a tough one.”

- Taylor Snow