Game 1’s tend to be feel out games and even though the Celtics have faced the Heat in two out of the last three Eastern Conference Finals, these versions of the teams are different from years past.
The major players are the same. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are still Boston's headliners. Jimmy Butler and Marcus Smart are still members of each other's Mutual Admiration Club. Al Horford, Bam Adebayo, and Robert Williams are still wildcards in the frontcourt. Head coach Erik Spoelstra is still one of the greatest tacticians and motivators on an NBA sideline.
However, there is a new face on the Boston bench.