The Heat is on, ECF here we come!

HomeRunBaker

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It's hard to disagree with Draymond at this point, but he's essentially proposing that the Celtics go back to what most people thought they should avoid at the start of this series - switching the pick and roll, which will lead to Miami hunting mismatches. It'll result in lots of possessions with Butler going at Kemba or Dragic putting Theis/Grant on skates. At this point though, Butler has been so passive, maybe it's worth trying to force him to take 25 shots.
The problem with switching/not switching is that if the screener and the ball handler execute properly the switch is created by the offense.....and not dictated by the defense. If you don’t switch the alternative is to allow the ballhandler to beat you off the dribble into the paint which creates worse problems. We saw Dragic execute this perfectly in identifying that he can easily get his step-back off over Theis on consecutive 4Q possessions......and there really isn’t anything the defense can do except change personnel.
 

Captaincoop

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I really don’t want it to get lost just how fucking lazy that Kemba pass was that Butler deflected and saved. Up 3 with 3:44 to go and our $34M PG is making HS level passes at crucial moments. Just infuriating.

Tatum has been good but he doesn’t quite have the vet closing skills just yet. So close. The league will be in trouble once he figures it out.
Absolutely correct, and not only that, but rewatching it confirmed how ridiculous it was that after he gave up the ball, he somehow couldn't even get a hand on Butler's blind toss from out of bounds OR be any kind of impediment to the other Heat player once he grabbed it. It was like he wasn't present on the floor.
 

BigSoxFan

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Brad can't be someone he isn't. Also, if he decides to yell he better be sure it will work. If he kicks over a chair and smashes a water cooler and they still lose then what does he have left?
Yeah. He can’t be a phony. He just needs to focus on the strategic issues and that’s where my disappointments with Brad rest. He’s losing the chess match and we almost always win so it’s kind of jarring to see.

I think Ainge has some work to do on this bench this offseason. Really want a vet wing who can actually shoot.
 

PedroKsBambino

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Brad can't be someone he isn't. Also, if he decides to yell he better be sure it will work. If he kicks over a chair and smashes a water cooler and they still lose then what does he have left?
Agreed. I think Brad should be more willing to tactically enage the refs, but I also recognize his style (and belief about tone/emotion) will never fit a Nurse-style lobbying campaign. And it shouldn't, he has to be what he is.

I do think range---the ability to adapt in a specific situation to what is needed---is important and his may be narrower than some.

I still think he's an upper-tier coach. There is, I think, a little big of a question of whether he can take you over the top of the hill or not but there's no one likely available who is a better bet, so I certainly am not advocating for a change.
 

BaseballJones

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Yeah. He can’t be a phony. He just needs to focus on the strategic issues and that’s where my disappointments with Brad rest. He’s losing the chess match and we almost always win so it’s kind of jarring to see.

I think Ainge has some work to do on this bench this offseason. Really want a vet wing who can actually shoot.
How good would JJ Redick be on this squad?

But to the point...Hayward is the answer. A veteran, a wing, he can shoot, and do a bunch of other things. Sadly...he's also been hurt a ton. But he's the guy you're looking for, and they already have him on the roster.
 

BigSoxFan

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How good would JJ Redick be on this squad?

But to the point...Hayward is the answer. A veteran, a wing, he can shoot, and do a bunch of other things. Sadly...he's also been hurt a ton. But he's the guy you're looking for, and they already have him on the roster.
True on Hayward. But since we can’t ever rely on his health, I want another :)

Reddick would be awesome for this bench
 

Jed Zeppelin

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I have no problem with Stevens not being someone he isn’t wrt throwing tantrums and such. I don’t, however, think it is too much to ask for a mid-possession “showing my disgust” timeout the first or second time the team responds to the zone by standing around. They have had many chances to work through it on their own and almost every time it has resulted in a timeout anyway, except only after a huge run by the opponent.
 

RedOctober3829

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View: https://twitter.com/shamscharania/status/1306958377856139266?s=21

Shams Charania: Sources: Boston’s Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown had heated confrontation after Game 2 loss, needed to be separated.
Here is what The Athletic learned went on behind those doors.

Boston Celtics’ Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown had a heated confrontation inside that locker room after the Game 2 loss and needed to be separated by teammates, multiple sources told The Athletic. Smart, who is widely regarded as Boston’s emotional leader, was heard shouting inside the postgame locker room after the Celtics’ loss to Miami.

Sources told The Athletic that Smart stormed into the Celtics postgame locker room saying that other players needed to be held accountable and not simply point the finger toward him when things are going wrong. As Smart continued and his voice grew louder, sources said Brown snapped back and shouted that Celtics players must stay together and that their actions must come as a team, not individually, and that Smart needed to cool off. Those sources added Smart had verbal exchanges with a couple of the assistant coaches during the game.

Smart and Brown had a tense interaction inside the locker room, with objects thrown around. Teammates diffused the situation before any physical altercation could take place, sources told The Athletic.

Smart and Brown have smoothed tensions over since the verbal spat, and one source said the Celtics would learn from it and move on from the episode Friday ahead of a pivotal Game 3 on Saturday.

“They will move past this and focus on the task,” a source said late Thursday.
 

DannyDarwinism

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These were Jaylen’s comments about Marcus after the incident:

“That’s why we love him,” Brown said. “He plays with passion, he’s full of fire, and that’s what I love about him most to be honest. He has that desire and that will, and we need him to continue to have that. ... Who Marcus is, I love him for it. We’ve got to get ready to come back with that same fire and add it to Game 3.”

Jaylen’s an incredibly mature dude and that does not sound like someone who’s going to turn this into a negative energy thing. I have no concerns over this.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.masslive.com/celtics/2020/09/boston-celtics-jaylen-brown-on-marcus-smarts-locker-room-outburst-who-marcus-is-i-love-him-for-it.html?outputType=amp
 

CreightonGubanich

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The problem with switching/not switching is that if the screener and the ball handler execute properly the switch is created by the offense.....and not dictated by the defense. If you don’t switch the alternative is to allow the ballhandler to beat you off the dribble into the paint which creates worse problems. We saw Dragic execute this perfectly in identifying that he can easily get his step-back off over Theis on consecutive 4Q possessions......and there really isn’t anything the defense can do except change personnel.
True, but there are ways to avoid switching while not conceding open drives to the rim. Trapping is one, though that doesn't make any sense here. Going under the screen is another - conceding open jumpers behind the screen, but making sure you wall off the driving lane. That might make sense against a Butler pick-and-roll, but less so with Dragic.
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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Zone looks aside, Miami's defenders were all decent to very good in game two. Robinson and even Herro held their own based on the numbers as well as the eye test. Interestingly enough, the Cs contested 57 shots to Miami's 41 which seems odd given the outcome. But when you factor in overall FG attempts it makes more sense. Boston shot 72 total FG so Miami was contesting at a pretty high level which is not a surprise as they were top five (Cs at #2) this year. The point is, as expected, they mucked Boston's offense up again even with Smart assuming more of the ballhandling duties and Kemba hunting shots.

Going forward, it obviously seems like Boston needs a better way to check Bam. It will be interesting to see how or if they can address this problem but if they can just slow him a bit on both ends, there is delta here.

On offense, Kemba off ball worked tonight but the key here seems obvious in Tatum. The Heat are making him grind on both ends. Seems like the Cs are going to have to figure out how to free him up.

So, easy stuff. Stay more attached to Bam while getting Tatum more involved. Its possible but its going to require some creativity.

Edit: Draymond's thought about using Granite more on Bam is kind of logical but I wonder if that would actually work on a sustained basis. That is a lot to ask of Williams but he has the capability, if not the experience.
 
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Steve Dillard

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I very superficial fan from a technical point of view, but it seemed the best success they had in breaking down the zone and the trap was having a receiver at the high free throw line, and giving that guy the option to force a collapse on him and a pass out. Instead, they just pass it around the perimiter of the three point line.

I can't remember the personnel, whether you want Brown there instead of at the three is an issue.
I also wonder about exploiting matchups on D, for a kid like Robinson, who seems like a one-trick pony on O, but could be posted up or forced away from the perimeter. They tried a post up with Smart one really bad time, but I wonder if they can focus more on mismatches rather than Walker to Tatum and some form of Pick by Thies to start the plays. Once inside, but not too deep under the basket where they are getting stuffed, it seems to open up shots on the kick back out.


As to the emotion, good for them. I remember one shot in the second quarter maybe third (celts shooting at left basket) where Tatum was going one on one and Brown was in corner near benches, and demonstrably yelled for the ball. He got it and made the shot, but essentially demanding the shot from Tatum doing his one on one was interesting.
 

Captaincoop

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I'd like to see them take it at Bam more early and see if you can get him to 3 fouls. They had good success early the few times Kemba, JT, and Brown put it on the deck and went hard to the rim, and it's not like Bam is the most seasoned and disciplined player. He's going to try and block some shots.
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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Also, this is likely to make many people unhappy but I can see Stevens using Ojeleye more too. He is a negative on offense but he can credibly stay with anyone the Heat trot out there. I don't expect him to play 20 minutes but I can see them trying him for another few minutes to slow Adebayo and counter their ever changing PnRs.
 

128

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Also, this is likely to make many people unhappy but I can see Stevens using Ojeleye more too. He is a negative on offense but he can credibly stay with anyone the Heat trot out there. I don't expect him to play 20 minutes but I can see them trying him for another few minutes to slow Adebayo and counter their ever changing PnRs.
If Semi could resume hitting 3-pointers at a decent rate, that would be an excellent option. When his shot is not falling, though, he's such a liability on offense that it almost negates anything good he does at the other end.
 

RedOctober3829

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Zone looks aside, Miami's defenders were all decent to very good in game two. Robinson and even Herro held their own based on the numbers as well as the eye test. Interestingly enough, the Cs contested 57 shots to Miami's 41 which seems odd given the outcome. But when you factor in overall FG attempts it makes more sense. Boston shot 72 total FG so Miami was contesting at a pretty high level which is not a surprise as they were top five (Cs at #2) this year. The point is, as expected, they mucked Boston's offense up again even with Smart assuming more of the ballhandling duties and Kemba hunting shots.

Going forward, it obviously seems like Boston needs a better way to check Bam. It will be interesting to see how or if they can address this problem but if they can just slow him a bit on both ends, there is delta here.

On offense, Kemba off ball worked tonight but the key here seems obvious in Tatum. The Heat are making him grind on both ends. Seems like the Cs are going to have to figure out how to free him up.

So, easy stuff. Stay more attached to Bam while getting Tatum more involved. Its possible but its going to require some creativity.

Edit: Draymond's thought about using Granite more on Bam is kind of logical but I wonder if that would actually work on a sustained basis. That is a lot to ask of Williams but he has the capability, if not the experience.
With Bam rolling to the rim, last night a few times Jaylen did not help off of Robinson in the corner so nobody else was around to help Theis as he went to help on the drive.
 

PedroKsBambino

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In theory TL can be helpful against Bam but I understand the concerns. Felt like some useful flashes there to me, and he’s a great for athletically. But, we know he struggles with parts of the team defense which is pretty worrisome against the Heat and he also is a foul risk

Grant may in the end be more realistic, but he’s giving up a bunch of height/leaping so he’s not going to stop the short list game or, I suspect, the alley oops. He can help vs the high post sets but Bam can see over him there too.
 

benhogan

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If Semi could resume hitting 3-pointers at a decent rate, that would be an excellent option. When his shot is not falling, though, he's such a liability on offense that it almost negates anything good he does at the other end.
Semi is and would continue to be a terrible option in this series. He adds nothing sitting in the corner against a zone.

I agree with Tjarks/Draymond on Granite. Without Hayward, I'd expect Grant to take Semi's minutes (and some of Theis minutes). Not only is GW a better defender (against Bam) then Semi but Grant has the ability to distribute within the interior of a zone defense, set picks, and rebound offensively (Semi does none of that)
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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That doesn't pass the eye test. He was consistently losing people last night. He looked confused and slow.
The defensive data doesn't support the eye test even though I want to be clear that Semi is not your ideal solution to any basketball problem. He is a net negative. At this point, he is a blunt object to be used for one purpose only. I think Stevens favors Williams as he should but it seems like the Celtics are worried about him being exposed with more run against Miami. That is why I am prepared to see a few more Semi minutes in game three. I think the Celtics coaching likes to create solutions that give them options and alternating these guys gives them a bunch on the defensive side.
 

Jed Zeppelin

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I very superficial fan from a technical point of view, but it seemed the best success they had in breaking down the zone and the trap was having a receiver at the high free throw line, and giving that guy the option to force a collapse on him and a pass out. Instead, they just pass it around the perimiter of the three point line.

I can't remember the personnel, whether you want Brown there instead of at the three is an issue.
I also wonder about exploiting matchups on D, for a kid like Robinson, who seems like a one-trick pony on O, but could be posted up or forced away from the perimeter. They tried a post up with Smart one really bad time, but I wonder if they can focus more on mismatches rather than Walker to Tatum and some form of Pick by Thies to start the plays. Once inside, but not too deep under the basket where they are getting stuffed, it seems to open up shots on the kick back out.


As to the emotion, good for them. I remember one shot in the second quarter maybe third (celts shooting at left basket) where Tatum was going one on one and Brown was in corner near benches, and demonstrably yelled for the ball. He got it and made the shot, but essentially demanding the shot from Tatum doing his one on one was interesting.
Usually the ideal zone breaker at the FT is someone with size who can pass, but in this case, pending Gordon’s health, I might stick Marcus there instead as a willing passer but also someone not afraid to take it to the rack, put up a shot, or draw a foul (the versatility in that FT slot is key).
That doesn't pass the eye test. He was consistently losing people last night. He looked confused and slow.
You can also just shoot over him because he doesn’t contest shots. Unless he is in a shooter’s shorts I do not like the matchup here.
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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You can also just shoot over him because he doesn’t contest shots. Unless he is in a shooter’s shorts I do not like the matchup here.
Below is Bam's shot-chart. He isn't "shooting over" anyone. Semi is exposed against other players but defensive metrics, such as they are, show him to be a decent defender all the way around. More importantly, the Celtics use of him suggests they see him that way too. The point is, as much as everyone loves Grant Williams, he is a rookie and the Heat will find a way to exploit that. If Stevens and his staff aren't ready for that, they should be removed immediately per all the people in the game-thread. But their choices aren't great here and if they had peak Rodman, we wouldn't even be having this discussion.

34290
 

RedOctober3829

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Below is Bam's shot-chart. He isn't "shooting over" anyone. Semi is exposed against other players but defensive metrics, such as they are, show him to be a decent defender all the way around. More importantly, the Celtics use of him suggests they see him that way too. The point is, as much as everyone loves Grant Williams, he is a rookie and the Heat will find a way to exploit that. If Stevens and his staff aren't ready for that, they should be removed immediately per all the people in the game-thread. But their choices aren't great here and if they had peak Rodman, we wouldn't even be having this discussion.

View attachment 34290
This is why the biggest concern coming into this series was Bam. They really have no good answer for him.
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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This is why the biggest concern coming into this series was Bam. They really have no good answer for him.
I agree with this. He was fantastic during the Bucks series and ideally they would have another three and D wing with some veteran savvy to get up into him. Even someone like Mook would help a bit in this instance.

You can really never have too many wings, especially savvy veteran ones.
 

Captaincoop

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Tatum looks flat-out afraid of Bam. He refused to provide help when it looked like he might get dunked on in a key spot last night. One of the more infuriating moments of an infuriating game.
 

Euclis20

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Tatum looks flat-out afraid of Bam. He refused to provide help when it looked like he might get dunked on in a key spot last night. One of the more infuriating moments of an infuriating game.
Gotta disagree here. I think I know the play you're talking about, and Tatum was flatfooted and never had a shot at blocking the shot. Getting out of the way of the dunk wasn't just a business decision, it was a [correct] calculation that the best case scenario for him was to foul Bam and put him on the line, with an and 1 a very strong possibility. He wasn't going to bother that shot enough to make him miss without fouling.

Additionally, he DID dunk on Bam with about 5 minutes left in the 4th quarter, a welcome sign:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_uqSmjGy2w


Go to 4:12 of this video. Tatum seemed tentative last night but I don't think it had anything to do with Bam (he just seemed lost because dribbling into the zone wasn't getting anything).
 

Auger34

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So Jaylen is the one on the "bulls***"?
Stephen A Smith provided a bit more context on this. Apparently Smart was upset because he was given “a talking to” after his ill advised 3 and thought that he was being singled out while other players were doing the same thing and getting away with it (while pointing out who the players were taking the bad shots)
JB yelled back at him essentially saying that we need to stick together and not single each other out.
After the initial reporting the whole thing seems kind of tame honestly
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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This is either alarming or reassuring (assuming Brad can do something about it).
That video is pretty encouraging actually - watching it is probably more worthwhile than imagining what sort of relationship Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart have right now - in that it shows the C's missing a bunch of open looks and holding the ball. If one more bucket falls, who knows how this game turns out. That said, its pretty clear they need to keep the ball moving to avoid the Heat to keep resetting their zones. The video clearly shows several instances where the Cs were tentative with the ball rather than trying to stress the zone. Miami is just too disciplined to fall apart so the C's have to put more pressure on them.

I don't know if they will win four games this series but the Celtics can still pull this out with the right adjustments.
 

Mueller's Twin Grannies

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One of the unfortunate hallmarks of Brad Stevens-led teams (since his NBA coaching tenure began) is their seeming inability to get back up for the third quarter after sitting around for a few minutes during halftime. It's so consistent that one has to wonder if the problem is what happens during halftime. Do guys just sit too long and lose the adrenalin? Is there a flask being passed around? Something else being passed around? Group yoga?

What are they doing that makes them, almost without fail, completely lose their edge in the third? Or is it a situation where they think they've got it in the bag and assume the other team won't make any adjustments? Is it the definition of insanity?

Maybe the next halftime Brad should keep guys in the tunnel and tell them to jog lightly in place or do jumping jacks so their heart rate doesn't go down.

But it has to be something to do with the halftime period. It's the only thing that makes sense since they rarely come out flat in the 1st and are usually back in it by the 4th. Or is it just hubris?
 

jezza1918

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One of the unfortunate hallmarks of Brad Stevens-led teams (since his NBA coaching tenure began) is their seeming inability to get back up for the third quarter after sitting around for a few minutes during halftime. It's so consistent that one has to wonder if the problem is what happens during halftime. Do guys just sit too long and lose the adrenalin? Is there a flask being passed around? Something else being passed around? Group yoga?

What are they doing that makes them, almost without fail, completely lose their edge in the third? Or is it a situation where they think they've got it in the bag and assume the other team won't make any adjustments? Is it the definition of insanity?

Maybe the next halftime Brad should keep guys in the tunnel and tell them to jog lightly in place or do jumping jacks so their heart rate doesn't go down.

But it has to be something to do with the halftime period. It's the only thing that makes sense since they rarely come out flat in the 1st and are usually back in it by the 4th. Or is it just hubris?
It seems to be the case, but stat wise their margin in the 3rd quarter this season has been second best in basketball - https://www.teamrankings.com/nba/stat/average-3rd-quarter-margin
Before last night's game they were actually the best but the clusterf*ck that was the third quarter set them back.
Not only that, going into last night's game it was their best overall quarter by scoring margin (which has now been supplanted by the 2nd quarter by a .1 point margin)
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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It seems to be the case, but stat wise their margin in the 3rd quarter this season has been second best in basketball - https://www.teamrankings.com/nba/stat/average-3rd-quarter-margin
Before last night's game they were actually the best but the clusterf*ck that was the third quarter set them back.
Not only that, going into last night's game it was their best overall quarter by scoring margin (which has now been supplanted by the 2nd quarter by a .1 point margin)
Indeed. Its funny - if you go by Twitter takes, every team seems to struggle in the third quarter. Its worth noting that the actual hallmark of a Brad Stevens team for four out of the past five years has been to be in the top ten in terms third quarter margin.
 

BigSoxFan

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It seems to be the case, but stat wise their margin in the 3rd quarter this season has been second best in basketball - https://www.teamrankings.com/nba/stat/average-3rd-quarter-margin
Before last night's game they were actually the best but the clusterf*ck that was the third quarter set them back.
Not only that, going into last night's game it was their best overall quarter by scoring margin (which has now been supplanted by the 2nd quarter by a .1 point margin)
Yeah, I was curious about this so I ran some numbers. Broken down by Pre-Bubble, Bubble (Including Playoffs) and Just Playoffs:

Pre-Bubble
Record: 39-22-3
Point Differential: +203
Average Point Diff: +3.17
# of Games with -5 Pt Diff: 10
% of Games with -5 Pt Diff: 16%

Bubble (Including Playoffs)
Record: 9-12-0
Point Differential: -5
Average Point Diff: -0.24
# of Games with -5 Pt Diff: 8
% of Games with -5 Pt Diff: 38%

Playoffs
Record: 4-9-0
Point Differential: -28
Average Point Diff: -2.15
# of Games with -5 Pt Diff: 6
% of Games with -5 Pt Diff: 46%

So, the 3rd quarter was a decided strength in the regular season but, for whatever reason, it's been a very big problem in the Orlando setting, especially the playoffs. Obviously, you're playing better teams in the playoffs so you'd expect some regression but not to the extent we've seen. If this team ultimately gets bounced from the playoffs, which now seems imminent, the 3rd quarter issues will have played a very prominent role.
 

jezza1918

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Yeah, I was curious about this so I ran some numbers. Broken down by Pre-Bubble, Bubble (Including Playoffs) and Just Playoffs:

Pre-Bubble
Record: 39-22-3
Point Differential: +203
Average Point Diff: +3.17
# of Games with -5 Pt Diff: 10
% of Games with -5 Pt Diff: 16%

Bubble (Including Playoffs)
Record: 9-12-0
Point Differential: -5
Average Point Diff: -0.24
# of Games with -5 Pt Diff: 8
% of Games with -5 Pt Diff: 38%

Playoffs
Record: 4-9-0
Point Differential: -28
Average Point Diff: -2.15
# of Games with -5 Pt Diff: 6
% of Games with -5 Pt Diff: 46%

So, the 3rd quarter was a decided strength in the regular season but, for whatever reason, it's been a very big problem in the Orlando setting, especially the playoffs. Obviously, you're playing better teams in the playoffs so you'd expect some regression but not to the extent we've seen. If this team ultimately gets bounced from the playoffs, which now seems imminent, the 3rd quarter issues will have played a very prominent role.
100% on the 3rd quarter issues playing a prominent role. I just don’t think it’s been a hallmark of the Stevens era...it’s been said up thread but at the highest level I chalk a lot of these issues up to 22 year old alphas and not having a ton of championship success.
 

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That video is pretty encouraging actually - watching it is probably more worthwhile than imagining what sort of relationship Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart have right now - in that it shows the C's missing a bunch of open looks and holding the ball. If one more bucket falls, who knows how this game turns out. That said, its pretty clear they need to keep the ball moving to avoid the Heat to keep resetting their zones. The video clearly shows several instances where the Cs were tentative with the ball rather than trying to stress the zone. Miami is just too disciplined to fall apart so the C's have to put more pressure on them.

I don't know if they will win four games this series but the Celtics can still pull this out with the right adjustments.
Help me out here. Watching that zone defense video after having read about the Raptor's series - all I kept seeing were 3-second violations by Bam. I understand it's ok if he's defending a player within arm's length, but...are my eyes lying?
 

HomeRunBaker

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The problem with having a player flash to the FT line is that unless the player is accustomed to having the ball in a high post position they are being set up to fail. A zone defense should invite this pass and prepare to swarm the moment he puts the ball on the floor. It takes a quick reaction and Jaylen doesn’t seem to be the right guy for this as his strength is in iso or transition. Theis or Kanter would be the ones who could handle this spot and maybe Hayward as he is a quick enough decision maker to handle this as well.
 

The Gray Eagle

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That Heat zone sure looks a lot more like a 2-2-1 than a 2-3. The middle guys are guarding higher up than Adebayo, who is playing sweeper near the basket.

The Celtics have 2 men wide open in the corner for 3 almost anytime they want to move the ball there quickly, but they seem to spend half the shot clock dribbling in place or trying to drive into the zone from out front, and when they do pass to the corners, they don't do it fast enough and the Heat close down.

Hitting a few corner 3s in a row could force them out of that defense. But nothing will work on offense if they don't move the ball a lot more, and a lot quicker.

They have the ability to move the ball effectively, and do it for stretches in pretty much every game, then just go away from it, especially late in one-possession games.
 

djbayko

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 18, 2005
25,894
Los Angeles, CA
The problem with having a player flash to the FT line is that unless the player is accustomed to having the ball in a high post position they are being set up to fail. A zone defense should invite this pass and prepare to swarm the moment he puts the ball on the floor. It takes a quick reaction and Jaylen doesn’t seem to be the right guy for this as his strength is in iso or transition. Theis or Kanter would be the ones who could handle this spot and maybe Hayward as he is a quick enough decision maker to handle this as well.
I do agree with this. Although Smart handled it very well the couple of times they had him do it. They never end back to it for some reason.