Why Celtics Face Positive Challenge In Victor Wembanyama

BOSTON — The Celtics have one final game before the All-Star break and face a tall task (literally) Wednesday night at TD Garden.

The San Antonio Spurs visit Boston with young star Victor Wembanyama as the main attraction, who has more help after the team brought in De’Aaron Fox in a blockbuster deal with the Sacramento Kings.

The reigning Rookie of the Year averages a double-double with 24.4 points per game and 11.0 rebounds per game. He also leads the NBA with 3.9 blocks per game as a defensive force at a 7-foot-3 frame.

The early months of the calendar and the middle of the season can force lulls around the NBA. The Celtics gain an opportunity to reinforce the right offensive values in order to neutralize Wembanyama’s elite shot-blocking abilities.

“You have to be very cognizant of what the spacing is,” Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla told reporters at TD Garden. “You have to make sure you fight for the right spacing. When you have the right spacing, … it also messes up the timing of the defender. Regardless of who we’re playing, we need to make sure we fight for our spacing.”

Boston enters with the NBA’s fourth-best offensive rating (119.8) and look to head to the break with a win over the sub-.500 Spurs.

The Celtics earn eight days off after Wednesday’s contest while sending multiple representatives to the Bay Area for All-Star Weekend.