Two more games in the books for the Maine Celtics. They played host to the Westchester Knicks for a few days. The Knicks came into the games with a perfect record and had easily handled their previous opponents. They feature a lot of experience in players like T.J. Warren (yes, that T.J. Warren) and Moses Brown, and some good young players like Chuma Okeke (I was impressed) and Boo Buie III.

In the first of the two games, the boys from Maine looked embarrassingly bad. Passes were poorly timed and the entire offense looked out of sync. Too many possessions ended in turnovers, air-balls even on wide open shots, and missed layups. Everyone on the team was making bad passes, rushing shots, loosing the handle (or simply falling down), and trying to force plays that weren't there. The Celtics were out-rebounded, out-hustled, out-muscled and out-shot. The defensive end of things looked no better. They had no solution to the Buie/Brown PnR, while the Knicks shot 60% from beyond the arc in the first half. The Knicks' lead expanded to 51 in the third quarter and the Celtics emptied the bench. Admittedly, I was mostly checked out for the second half and the Maine "stay ready" group did bring energy and whittled away the deficit, but I was not giving them the attention they deserved.

The second game opened two days later, and while the Celtics looked like they came to avenge the 27 point beat down, the Knicks matched their energy and the first half was a well-fought battle. As the game went on, the Celtics finally settled down and took control of both ends of the floor.

In my last review I focused on individual impressions following the first two games. Here are additions/modifications and some impressions on other players:

Drew Peterson: This kid is 6'9", has a pretty good shot, a good handle, and good court vision. He is one step away from being a contributing rotation player on any NBA roster. That one step is decision making. He knows the game, but my impression is that he gets caught up in it, instead of dispassionately picking it apart. He finishes very well, but when a driving lane shuts down, instead of kicking the ball out or resetting, he tries to force his way through. Same for passing lanes. He has great energy and good skills, but he plays the game hot, when his skillset would serve him better as a cold-blooded assassin.

Anton Watson: Like everyone else on the team, his first game against Westchester was a little off. Despite that, he's looking more comfortable each game and his time is Maine is going to pay off both for him and the organization. He even spent a little time as a small-ball 5 in the second game. He has the skills to have a good ceiling and I suspect that in a re-draft, he'd already go a lot higher. For comparison, he's looking about as good as Walsh did last year.

Dmytro Skapintsev: Moses Brown was probably his worst/best case scenario. Worst because Brown is a little bigger, stronger and more experienced. He was a force in the paint. Best because to get better, you have to play against your toughest opponents. "Dee-mo" as his teammates call him, did just that; he got better. Big improvements in the second game. I did see him launch a 3-point shot in the first game, but he didn't look comfortable. But then, at the time, none of the Celtics players looked comfortable, and I think that everyone of them had thrown up an air-ball or two by then.

Ron Harper Jr.: I don't think he's fully recovered from an injury he suffered last year. Before he's done, he'll carve out a rotation role somewhere in the NBA. But, in that first game, he was trying to force what wasn't there.

JD Davison: As much as I loved his bully-ball, he needs to work on it. Bumping your defender a few feet might be entertaining and satisfying, but offensive fouls are unforced turnovers. He adjusted well in the second game. In the first, no one in a Celtic uniform could throw the ball close to the basket from outside, and Brown patrolled the paint inside. In game 2, Davison found the open slot in the mid-range and became a threat in the paint causing some defensive confusion among the Knicks' big men. Watch the second half of the second game for his highlight put-back slam; you'll replay it a few times.

Baylor Scheierman: There's very little middle ground with this young man. When he's hitting his shots, I wouldn't bet against him knocking one down from the logo while riding on the back of a galloping horse. But when he's not, he's not even close. He seems fairly rugged and plays with passion and conviction, and the game will eventually come to him. When it does, he's going to be a dog. Like others in Maine, he just needs to add a little patience to his game and he'll dominate in G-League.

Tristan Enaruna: Every team needs at least one of these guys. His transmission is locked in over-drive and his throttle is stuck open. He brings instant energy. He has a pretty good handle for his size and finishes well at the rim. He stands his ground defensively and his speed lets him be an effective help-defender. His weakest skill is his outside shot which is erratic (I suspect inconsistent footwork). If he can learn to set his feet (maybe he has too much energy?) and sight the basket, his stock will take a big jump... like he frequently does. He was probably the biggest reason that the Knick lead was cut from 51 to 27 by the end of the game.

Hason Ward: Speaking of jumping and energy... Ward continues to impress with his athleticism. More than once I've wondered, "What does the game look like from up there?" There's a lot to work with there, and you can see improvements every game. I think he currently leads the league in blocked shots even though he averages well under 30 minutes.

Jay Scrubb: Still trying to work his way back from his injury last year. His shot is beginning to come back and so is his handle, but he often forces shots/passes/drives (maybe it's contagious because most of the team has caught it). He did put in some good minutes in both games, but he can (and will) do better.

Jordan Schakel: His experience shows in that he's often one of the most settled players on the court. You can see that he's really trying to focus on his defense because he knows that's where a career is built. Microwave scorers get 10-day contracts, 3&D players make rosters.

The other players all made appearances in the first game, but I didn't give them enough attention to comment on their game beyond the fact that they certainly did bring energy. They definitely out-hustled the Knicks in the 4th quarter of game one. Apologies all around for allowing myself to be distracted by my work, but in my defense, losing by 51 points is hard to watch. Kudos to them for fighting their way back.

As always, I encourage everyone to watch these games, they're worth it. I wish I lived close enough to attend in person. There's something unique, impressive and exciting about these games. If you haven't watched one yet, do it. I think you'll get hooked.