OT: - NBA Playoffs | Page 18 | The Boneyard

OT: NBA Playoffs

Status
Not open for further replies.
This Heat team annihilated the Bucks who the Celtics have trouble against. This feels like it could be a sweep or a 5 game series. Blowing 2nd half leads does more psychological damage then getting blown out just look at the Clippers. I could also see the Celtics winning the next 2 and making this a series the Celtics are right there, well see which course of action they take.
 
Last edited:
Celtics lost this game by turning it over too often against the zone and having no answer for Adebayo vertical on the PnR. And then Butler made a couple special Marcus Smart-esque defensive plays in the 4Q.

They had to steal this one with Heat only hitting 32% from 3 (Herro 1-8).
 
Scoe said:
Heat are just better, more playoff veterans a title winning coach, better situational team, better defense.
Expand ...
The Heat are better but outside of Butler it's not exactly a veteran team. Dragic and Crowder have some but the rest of the team is kids.
 
The Celtics have struggled with the zone all year according to some athletic and ESPN articles heading into the playoffs.

I don’t think their personnel is the best fit to beat a zone.

But man some adjustments have to be made
 
superjohn said:
The Heat are better but outside of Butler it's not exactly a veteran team. Dragic and Crowder have some but the rest of the team is kids.
Expand ...

Right but around a veteran coaching staff and front office. Having Riley and Spolestra is like having Calhoun as your GM and Hurley as your HC.
 
.-.
Underrated turning point was Celtics up 8 in 3Q. Theis getting a loose ball on D with fairly low shot clock, trying to call timeout, refs not giving it, and calling a jump ball. But they reset the shot clock, which means they should have granted the timeout to Theis (he has to have clean possession for the clock to reset). Heat win the jump ball, Crowder hits a 3 and gets fouled for 4 point play.

Celtics get the timeout and the ball, maybe go down and score, suddenly they're back up 10+ and have stopped the bleeding.
 
Scoe said:
Right but around a veteran coaching staff and front office. Having Riley and Spolestra is like having Calhoun as your GM and Hurley as your HC.
Expand ...
Gotcha and agree, they are the best run organization in the NBA.
 
I don’t think it’s unfair to say that with a healthy hayward the Celtics are probably up 2-0. It’s been a close series the whole time. And his shot making and facilitating are needed, especially against a zone.

But still. Not good to keep collapsing like his.
 
Sounds like melt downs in the Boston locker room.



Twitter
 
.-.
I honestly can't understand how the Celtics are continually flummoxed by the zone. They try the dribble to sideline, then one contested pass back to middle 40' from the basket time after time. Finally late in the 4th they tried getting the ball to someone at the elbow, but it was mostly Smart who can only drive or pass from there. Seems like JBrown would be good there or Tatum. Surround Tatum with Walker, JBrown & Smart and have Theis run the baseline?! Should be easier if/when Hayward is back.
 
Kemba'sYogurt said:
Haha fair enough, Bam abused him in the pick and roll in the short stint he was in. But to be honest, he’s done that to every Celtic big tonight Head bang
Expand ...

Stevens is just WRONG on not playing Kanter. Kanter scored 9 points in 11 minutes and the Celtics were +7 with him on the court. They need a low post presence to spread the court. Theis is just not a threat on offense.

Edit: Kanter would really help against the zone from the high post.
 
nelsonmuntz said:
Stevens is just WRONG on not playing Kanter. Kanter scored 9 points in 11 minutes and the Celtics were +7 with him on the court. They need a low post presence to spread the court. Theis is just not a threat on offense.

Edit: Kanter would really help against the zone from the high post.
Expand ...
Agreed, I almost forgot he's on the team. I know he's really bad on D but he scores at will in the post on a team that has no post scoring, he should've been brought in against the zone at least for a look.
 
Scoe said:
Right but around a veteran coaching staff and front office. Having Riley and Spolestra is like having Calhoun as your GM and Hurley as your HC.
Expand ...

The Heat got lucky. They tried a salary dump of Dragic on the first night of free agency in 2019. Your 30 and over men's league team could have had Dragic if you were willing to pick up his contract. The Mavericks initially agreed to take him, and then changed their mind. Do you think Luka would have liked Dragic next to him in the backcourt this year?

Basically ever single GM, including Miami's, blew it in the 2019 offseason on Dragic. That doesn't happen often.
 
superjohn said:
Agreed, I almost forgot he's on the team. I know he's really bad on D but he scores at will in the post on a team that has no post scoring, he should've been brought in against the zone at least for a look.
Expand ...

Kanter's issue has always been that he doesn't take the regular season seriously, but he shows up to play in the playoffs. He had a great playoffs last year, and he could be helping the Celtics this year, but Stevens is not playing him.
 
Apparently they were launching chairs all over the locker room, possibly at each other.

gary washburn on Twitter: "Been outside a bunch of locker rooms in my days. That’s was as raucous as I’ve ever heard. #Celtics" / Twitter
 
.-.
auror said:
He's averaging over 10 rebounds a game, what are you talking about.
Expand ...

I’m talking about tonight’s game in multiple crunch time situations he stood at the 3 point line watching 4-5 heat crash for boards.

A lot of guys did, but he needs to be more aggressive in every aspect. Especially down 1-0 in the 4th Q of a 1-2 possession game. Especially if you’re having people anoint you top 10, superstar level. He could have gotten 12 rebounds and maybe they win the game.

Just saying, I’m not killing him he’s just getting anointed too quickly and easily. He left a lot of plays out there in a big game. He also had a couple lackadaisical passes. I don’t know how many people would disagree that he left some effort plays out there and also could be much more aggressive in general.
 
Mr. French said:
I’m talking about tonight’s game in multiple crunch time situations he stood at the 3 point line watching 4-5 heat crash for boards.
Expand ...

"Never" generally implies more than "in this game", especially when repeated so as to provide emphasis. I agree he didn't make a ton of the little plays today and the turnovers were killers. 21 points on 12 shots is nice, though.
 
auror said:
"Never" generally implies more than "in this game", especially when repeated so as to provide emphasis. I agree he didn't make a ton of the little plays today and the turnovers were killers. 21 points on 12 shots is nice, though.
Expand ...

Understood - I guess I was mostly talking about he never did that yesterday, and I do see him standing around too much. He hovers on that 3 point line like it's his baby. Then you mentioned his rebounds in that game, so my response was mostly dictated towards what I was watching in crunch time of a game down 0-1.
 
I can almost guarantee Smart's tirade was about effort and lackadaisical play. It seemed like they were out there in a regular season game in the 3rd and 4th and the Heat were in the Finals. Maybe they're tired. Maybe they're lacking confidence ... not sure but I still have confidence.

If they string together 2 decently complete games, you're 2-2. They should have and could have easily won both of those, that's the mindset they need to have going into game 3.

This could just as well be 2-0 Celtics, you could argue it SHOULD be, and they saw firsthand how things change quickly in close games vs. the Raptors.
 
This is not that complicated, and it is also not about effort. It is about the stupid lineups the Celtics have on the court. Every coach in the history of basketball was not wrong for playing a Center on occasion. The Celtics got Kanter for the playoffs, so use him in the playoffs.

Stevens almost lost to a star-less Raptors team that had a mediocre offense, and now he has gotten himself down 0-2 to the Heat by playing a 6'8 rebounder and hustler at center against an all-star. I like Theis' heart, but he is not a big time player and should not be starting and playing 30 minutes in a Conference Final. Adebayo can play hero ball in the zone because he doesn't have to worry about Theis' offense at all. That takes away penetration, and enables the Heat to play more aggressive perimeter defense because they have Adebayo behind them to erase any mistakes.

If Kanter was on the court more, Adebayo would have to defend him, which would open up penetration. Kanter would also enable better ball movement because he could flash to the high post as a passing target to get the ball in the middle of the zone. Then the top of the zone defenders would have to drop back to help, leaving Smart, Brown and Tatum open from 3. A decent inside threat creates more and better 3 point opportunities.

I have lost a lot of respect for Stevens in these playoffs. This is stuff a middle school coach could figure out.
 
.-.
nelsonmuntz said:
This is not that complicated, and it is also not about effort. It is about the stupid lineups the Celtics have on the court. Every coach in the history of basketball was not wrong for playing a Center on occasion. The Celtics got Kanter for the playoffs, so use him in the playoffs.

Stevens almost lost to a star-less Raptors team that had a mediocre offense, and now he has gotten himself down 0-2 to the Heat by playing a 6'8 rebounder and hustler at center against an all-star. I like Theis' heart, but he is not a big time player and should not be starting and playing 30 minutes in a Conference Final. Adebayo can play hero ball in the zone because he doesn't have to worry about Theis' offense at all. That takes away penetration, and enables the Heat to play more aggressive perimeter defense because they have Adebayo behind them to erase any mistakes.

If Kanter was on the court more, Adebayo would have to defend him, which would open up penetration. Kanter would also enable better ball movement because he could flash to the high post as a passing target to get the ball in the middle of the zone. Then the top of the zone defenders would have to drop back to help, leaving Smart, Brown and Tatum open from 3. A decent inside threat creates more and better 3 point opportunities.

I have lost a lot of respect for Stevens in these playoffs. This is stuff a middle school coach could figure out.
Expand ...

I agree some, and I disagree some. Stevens is not an idiot, whether you have a beef with his lineups or not. Stevens admitted, as did tons of people watching the game, that the Celtics effort was high in the 1st half and low in the 2nd half.

Kanter is a complete nothing on defense, which doesn't scream "need to play me!" but I agree his offense is important and whatever they're doing at C is not working.
 
nelsonmuntz said:
Kanter's issue has always been that he doesn't take the regular season seriously, but he shows up to play in the playoffs. He had a great playoffs last year, and he could be helping the Celtics this year, but Stevens is not playing him.
Expand ...
He is a HUGE defensive liability but does have great offensive skills - just plain lazy on D
 
Too much reliance on youth (Tatum/Brown) and one-way players (practically the whole roster)
 
gtcam said:
He is a HUGE defensive liability but does have great offensive skills - just plain lazy on D
Expand ...

Kanter is lazy in the regular season. He always has been. He shows up to play at playoff time. Just look at last year. Portland lost their second or third best player, Nurkic, with 8 games left. Kanter stepped in, and they made it to the Conference Finals over very good OKC and Denver teams.

I will admit that Theis is better defensively, but not enough to justify playing 4 on 5 on offense. Adebayo is locking the Celtics down on defense because penetration is so difficult. The Celtics have to make him work on both ends.

Edit: Kanter is also a good offensive rebounder. Offensive rebound shots are the highest percentage shots on the floor.
 
Last edited:
nelsonmuntz said:
Kanter is lazy in the regular season. He always has been. He shows up to play at playoff time. Just look at last year. Portland lost their second or third best player, Nurkic, with 8 games left. Kanter stepped in, and they made it to the Conference Finals over very good OKC and Denver teams.

I will admit that Theis is better defensively, but not enough to justify playing 4 on 5 on offense. Adebayo is locking the Celtics down on defense because penetration is so difficult. The Celtics have to make him work on both ends.

Edit: Kanter is also a good offensive rebounder. Offensive rebound shots are the highest percentage shots on the floor.
Expand ...

Stevens obviously agrees with you in some fashion, which is why he unshelved Kanter for this series. The problem is that neither OKC or Denver last year had the shooters on the wing that this Miami team has. Kanter is going to be alone on an island in PnRs, because you can't help off these shooters at all. He may be able to contend if its Jimmy because Jimmy mainly likes to use strength when driving, but he's going to get torched by Dragic, and he isn't really vertical enough to stop Bam rolling to the hoop.

Theis during the regular season was also a floor spacer in addition to being a versatile and mobile defensive big. He's been struggling shooting in the playoffs, so he's lost some of his value, for sure.
 
.-.
Status
Not open for further replies.

Forum statistics

Threads
168,196
Messages
4,556,430
Members
10,442
Latest member
Virginiafan


Top Bottom