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Post by Admin on May 14, 2018 13:47:28 GMT -5
Getting greedy: after blowout win in Game 1, Brad Stevens thinks Celtics “have to play better” in Game 2The Cavaliers shot an abysmal 4-for-26 from behind the arc. They probably won’t shoot that poorly again, so Brad Stevens knows that the Celtics will have to be even better defending the arc in Game 2.By wjsy Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
It was a throw away line at the end of a Brad Stevens’ 30-second soliloquy about Boston’s offensive principles, but it caught the media’s attention. After a 25-point blowout where the Celtics played arguably their best first half of basketball in the regular or post season, Stevens said that they’d “have to play better on Tuesday.” It’s part coach speak, part midwestern modesty from Stevens, but it’s all been the backbone of what’s made this Celtics team and the ones that came before it always competitive and a tough out, particularly on defense. When asked about Stevens critique, Terry Rozier chuckled at the prospect of his coach thinking they could play “a lot better” after an absolute throttling of the three-time defending Eastern Conference champs. "Game 1 is just one game."But Game 1 is just one game. No doubt Tuesday will feature a more motivated LeBron James and a more physical Cavaliers team. They won’t go 4-for-26 from behind the arc again. They could go bigger with Tristan Thompson in the starting lineup to combat Boston’s 48-40 rebounding edge in the series opener. The NBA playoffs are series of adjustments and while Boston’s opening salvo was impressive, there are areas that could be cleaned and tightened up. The Cavaliers’ shot chart from Sunday’s Mother’s Day Massacre looked like the buck shot of a double barrel, a scattering of indiscriminate mid-range jumpers and desperate long-2’s. If it’s already not hung up at the Louvre, Stevens is getting it framed for his mantle at home. The Celtics’ frantic switching on defense kept everything, including LeBron, in front of them and forced the Cavs to twenty-four field goal attempts between the paint and the three-point line. To beat the Cavs in the playoffs is to shut down their three point shooting. In their three losses to the Pacers, Indiana was able to hold Cleveland to under 30% 3FG%; the Raptors were swept on the strength of 41.1% from behind the arc (Kyle Korver and J.R. Smith combined for 24-for-38). For some regular season context, Cleveland shot 12.1 3FGA’s that were considered “open,” 15.1 that were considered “wide open” and 4.6 that were considered “tight” or “very tight.” Per Second Spectrum, the Cavaliers were 2-for-8 on open threes and 2-for-18 on contested threes in Game 1. That’s stingy defense, but the Celtics could tighten the screws even more. One way Ty Lue tried to get LeBron in advantageous mismatches was a 1-4 screen that put Terry Rozier on an island with James. As former CelticsBlogger Jared Weiss points out, the Celtics were ready for it and in the play above, couldn’t have defended it better. Boston will allow Cleveland to settle for post ups and fade aways, but they’ll keep a help defender close by just in case LeBron can turn the corner. And as another former CelticsBlogger, Kevin O’Connor points out, if they can make the switch before LeBron attempts a shot, even better. However, that leaves the weak side vulnerable and there were a few times that Boston allowed some clean looks. streamable.com/lb679With the shot clock running down, Marcus Morris decides to double team from behind LeBron’s right shoulder (with Rozier covering the paint drive). Jaylen Brown covers George Hill on the baseline and LeBron is strong enough to make the water polo pass to either Korver or Smith. Jayson Tatum does a decent job recovering onto Korver’s 3, but this is something that the Celtics need to be ultra aware of moving forward in the series. streamable.com/nxaalHere it is again. Instead of the down man (Brown) helping out on LeBron, it’s Horford coming down from the break to double. LeBron recognizes it and whips the ball to Love who swings it to the open Smith. Brown makes the right read and directs Tatum to defend the baseline, but doesn’t recover quick enough to the perimeter. He’s a dead man defending a 41.5% and 37.5% three point shooter alone behind the arc. streamable.com/v5ow3Horford made a similar decision in the third quarter. As soon as Love started backing done Rozier, Horford doubled off of George Hill (35.1% from 3) to help. Maybe the Celtics are willing to give up a top-of-the-arc triple from the starting lineup’s worst shooter, but it’s interesting how Boston has approached LeBron and Love in the time of the conference finals. Against Giannis Antetokounmpo or Ben Simmons, they were more than willing to run single coverage on those players even if there was a sizable advantage. It could be just a matter of throwing different looks at Cleveland to keep them honest or making a calculated risk that as well as they defended the arc on Sunday afternoon, the Cavs’ psyche was already damaged and an open 3 would feel like a contested 3 anyway. The NBA world awaits an eruption from Mount LeBron in Game 2, but it could be Cleveland’s impending onslaught from 3 that could immediately change the complexion of the series. www.celticsblog.com/2018/5/14/17347326/getting-greedy-after-blowout-win-in-game-1-brad-stevens-thinks-celtics-have-to-play-better-in-game-2
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Post by Admin on May 14, 2018 15:17:40 GMT -5
‘Bron Solo: A Cavaliers Story’An experience you won’t want to missBy The Ringer Staff ‘Bron Solo’ is the oral history of a coaching move that sent shock waves through not just the 2018 NBA playoffs, but through the entire sport of basketball. Coach Tyronn Howard breaks down his revolutionary strategy in this exclusive behind-the-scenes featurette. www.theringer.com/nba/2018/5/13/17349386/bron-solo-a-cavaliers-story
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Post by Admin on May 14, 2018 15:22:55 GMT -5
Keep it up Mook!
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Post by Admin on May 14, 2018 19:15:46 GMT -5
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Post by Admin on May 14, 2018 19:16:39 GMT -5
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Post by kyceltic on May 14, 2018 19:59:21 GMT -5
Great job admin!!
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Post by fierce on May 14, 2018 21:18:41 GMT -5
I would love to see the Cavs play big by inserting Thompson in the lineup.
Brad should insert Baynes then Monroe should be playing if the Cavs go big.
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Post by cole on May 14, 2018 21:19:21 GMT -5
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Post by Admin on May 14, 2018 21:48:10 GMT -5
Somebody said there was an snl skit of LeBron and his team. Yeah, not that funny This was posted in the forum somewhere ... I think it was after game 1 but here it is again for those that missed it or are just curious. Yeah, funny-wise it's a "meh." Whatta-ya-know, I found it while trucking around the forum ... celticshomecourt.freeforums.net/post/47360/thread
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Post by Admin on May 15, 2018 0:29:47 GMT -5
James is nonchalant about the game 1 blow out ... just feeling his why thru game one as he does in every round of the playoffs. Really?
Here's what the media was saying about "being concerned or not."
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Post by elvissurfs on May 15, 2018 8:39:02 GMT -5
Cowherd laughed the Celtic win off as well...what an idiot...why not admit to surprise and concern?...If we come out strong tonight, LeBron is going to melt down...did you notice him go straight to the locker room after the game?...what a great sportsman...
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Post by cole on May 15, 2018 9:49:16 GMT -5
What would be wrong with Lebron saying, "hell yes I'm concerned...we got our buts kicked! we have to be better and we will be better?"
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Post by kyceltic on May 15, 2018 16:30:57 GMT -5
I'm starting to get that nervous feeling!!
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Post by Deleted on May 15, 2018 16:43:54 GMT -5
I'm starting to get that nervous feeling!! LOL! Starting to sound like a good omen.
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Post by hedleylamarr on May 15, 2018 16:51:34 GMT -5
What would be wrong with Lebron saying, "hell yes I'm concerned...we got our buts kicked! we have to be better and we will be better?" Nothing, but he won't.
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Post by Admin on May 15, 2018 19:09:22 GMT -5
That’s Tristan Thompson’s Music!After his team was blown out in Boston, Ty Lue sounds like he’s ready to turn to Thompson. Can the rebounding machine from the Cavs’ 2016 title run return against the Celtics? Let the chess match begin. By Paolo Uggetti Getty Images/Ringer illustrationThe 2017-18 Cavaliers have been as amorphous as any of LeBron James’s teams throughout his career. Their opening-night starting lineup featured LeBron, Kevin Love, Jae Crowder, Derrick Rose, and Dwyane Wade. Three of those players are no longer on the team, and the player Rose was filling in for, Isaiah Thomas, is entering free agency after a half-season as a Laker. The Cavs added four new players at the trade deadline with the hope of rebooting a moribund team, but only one of them is getting major playoff minutes. This shape-shifting roster has forced coach Tyronn Lue to tinker with the lineup like a kid with a Lego set. Cleveland had 29 different starting lineups during the regular season—the most of any playoff team. Lue alluded to making yet another adjustment on Monday, one day after being blitzed by the Celtics in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals. It appears that it’s now Tristan Thompson’s time. “Looking at the statistics, over the last three years with at least 30 possessions [defending him], out of all the guys that have guarded Al Horford, Tristan is no. 1 in the league defending Al Horford,” Lue told reporters. “So, that’s a good thing, you know?” Horford was at the center (no pun intended) of Cleveland’s problems Sunday. The Celtics All-Star badly outplayed Love, who started at center. Lue is hoping Thompson can be an antidote, and, unlike the Sixers, he’s making the change sooner rather than later. Brett Brown turned to T.J. McConnell as the starter next to Ben Simmons when Philly was down 3-0 to Boston in the second round. It sounds like Lue is not passing up a chance to make an adjustment right away. But how much of a difference can relying on a more traditional center make? Thompson was a minus-12 in Game 1, but in a game in which LeBron finished as a minus-32 and no Cavs starter finished better than minus-10, Thompson’s 21 minutes were among the best of the worst. He finished with 11 rebounds, including four on offense, in that limited time and added eight points. In the playoffs, the trio of LeBron, Thompson, and Love together have been a plus-12. Still, giving Thompson a bigger role is a bit of a gamble. LeBron has been at his best recently in a small-ball lineup surrounded by shooters. Thompson is the furthest thing from a 3-point shooter—all of his points in Game 1 came in the paint, and he shot 93 percent of his field goal attempts inside 10 feet this season—and by playing him, one of the Cavs’ shooters will have to come off the floor. But he’s excelled sporadically this postseason as a rim-runner playing off of James. The biggest advantage Thompson brings is on the offensive glass. According to Basketball-Reference, he has an impressive 19.4 offensive rebounding rate in nine games this postseason. In the 2016 playoffs, the year the Cavs won the title, Thompson collected 16.6 percent of offensive rebounds when he was on the floor (though in a larger sample size of 21 games). Making LeBron miss once in a possession is hard enough—though the Celtics seem to have found a way to do that so far—but making him miss twice in one possession, well, that’s just asking for trouble. “I think as a team, 1 through 5, we’ve got to all play tougher,” Thompson said Monday. “Obviously when I check in the game, I’ll try to bring that toughness and that energy.” Whether dashing toward the rim or bursting up the floor on a fast break, Thompson is a racing bowling ball who uses his large body and magnetic hands to grapple the ball away from defenders. He did this a few times when he was on the floor at the same time as 6-foot-10 Aron Baynes in Game 1. But one of the advantages of playing Thompson more is that it may force the Celtics to play Baynes in the frontcourt more next to Horford, a pairing that hasn’t fared well this postseason. Though Baynes has shot the 3-ball well in the playoffs, much to the surprise of everyone, his presence makes the Celtics far less dynamic offensively than they are with Marcus Morris at the 4. And Cleveland’s offense may be able to exploit Baynes’s presence by running a LeBron-Thompson pick-and-roll that would potentially switch Baynes onto LeBron. To call that a mismatch would be an understatement. Conversely, Thompson can also be heavily targeted near the perimeter. Staying in front of the bevy of Celtics wings on switches will be a challenge and Boston’s ball movement can lead to wide-open shots: Horford won’t hesitate to pull up from 3 if he needs to, either; he’s hitting 38 percent of his long-range shots in the playoffs. The Celtics’ wings might have a difficult time matching the Cavs’ size, but if they can punish them on offense, like in the play above, they may force Lue into a quick re-reshuffling of his lineup. Thompson is just two years removed from being a key cog helping the Cavs beat the Warriors to win the 2016 title. Since then, he’s become more of a specialist. He played just 20.2 minutes per game this season, the fewest of his career. He’s an emblem of what’s happened to the center position over the past few years, with size not mattering as much as shooting. But that doesn’t mean size cannot be used to a team’s advantage. On paper, Thompson’s combination of length, athleticism, and instinct for rebounds should give Horford problems in the same way he gave the Pacers problems toward the end of the Cavs’ first-round series. Lue’s adjustment was the same one he’s trying now: more Thompson. It worked that time; Thompson had 15 points and 10 rebounds to help push Cleveland over the top in Game 7. But pulling it out of his hat now gives Brad Stevens time to plan a counterattack. And if the Celtics render that move moot, will the Cavs have another adjustment to make with this patchwork roster? www.theringer.com/nba/2018/5/15/17355026/tristan-thompson-cavaliers-celtics-game-2
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Post by Admin on May 15, 2018 19:13:36 GMT -5
The Celtics Look an Awful Lot Like the WarriorsEndless versatility on defense and at least four shot creators on the floor at all time—that’s been the blueprint for the Warriors’ success for years. It’s working in Boston, too. By Jonathan Tjarks Getty Images/Ringer illustrationThe Celtics always find the weak link. Even without Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving, Boston starts five players who can spread the floor and create their own shots, which allows them to isolate and attack the opposing team’s worst defender, regardless of position. The ball finds the open man: Four different players (Al Horford, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Terry Rozier) have led Boston in scoring in the playoffs. Celtics GM Danny Ainge has created a proto-version of the Warriors by emphasizing versatility on both ends of the floor. Their win over the Cavs in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals was a mirror image of their win over the 76ers in Game 1 of their second-round series. Philadelphia head coach Brett Brown tried to hide J.J. Redick, a shooting specialist, on Tatum, and the rookie sensation exploded for 28 points on 8-of-16 shooting. Cleveland head coach Tyronn Lue had a similar dilemma with Kyle Korver, so he tried him on Brown instead. The result was the same, with Brown going off for 23 points on 9-of-16 shooting. A playoff series against Boston is like a game of Whac-A-Mole. There’s nowhere to hide a player like Redick or Korver: Wherever they go on the floor, they get popped. The Celtics exposed every weak point in the 76ers rotation, and they could do the same to the Cavs. Korver and Jordan Clarkson were the two main targets in Game 1. Korver has clear physical limitations, while Clarkson just seems lost on that end. Neither held up at the point of attack against the waves of long and athletic players they faced on Sunday. Four different Celtics saw Korver as their primary defender on a shot attempt, and they combined to shoot 6-of-12 on those possessions; Clarkson allowed for 4-of-6 shooting against the three players he was responsible for guarding. Cleveland’s small-ball lineup with Kevin Love at the 5 and LeBron at the 4 played right into the Celtics’ hands. Boston has significantly more wing depth: Tatum, Brown, Marcus Morris, and Marcus Smart are all two-way players who can defend multiple positions and create their own shot. The Cavs’ starting lineup, in contrast, features Korver and two guards (George Hill and J.R. Smith) more effective in 3-and-D roles. It doesn’t get any better off the bench: Clarkson doesn’t defend and Jeff Green is a streaky shooter at best. Lue had no choice but to play Rodney Hood on Sunday, despite his baffling decision to refuse to enter the game in the final minutes of the Cavs’ Game 4 win over Toronto. There are interesting parallels between Boston and Golden State in terms of the matchup problems they cause. Defenses typically want as much length and athleticism on Steph Curry as possible, but cross-switching on defense forces point guards into a shooting alley where Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, and Shaun Livingston take turns scoring over them. A lack of size on the perimeter killed New Orleans in its series against Golden State, and it could be an issue for Houston, whose best offensive lineups feature two smaller guards in Chris Paul and Eric Gordon. Versatile teams thrive in transition—they can push the tempo and scramble matchups. It almost doesn’t matter where Tatum, Brown, Morris, or Smart end up on defense; on offense, all three can punish a mismatch, either by putting a slower defender on skates or exploiting a height difference. The Celtics effectively took Game 1 after a 25-2 run over a six-and-a-half-minute stretch in the first quarter, getting stops and running into open 3s. It was the type of run the Warriors have perfected over the past few seasons. Maybe the best adjustment Lue can make in Game 2 is forcing Boston out of its smaller lineups in much the same way he did to Golden State in the 2015 Finals. The supersized frontcourt of Love, LeBron, and Tristan Thompson played only three minutes together in Game 1, and they each have the skill set to punish smaller defenders. Love destroyed the motley collection of wings Toronto tried on him in the teams’ second-round series, while Thompson’s offensive rebounding was a nightmare for Boston in last year’s Eastern Conference finals. The less talented team is typically better off when it can limit the number of possessions in a game, and LeBron may be able to drag Cleveland over the finish line if the Cavs can just keep things close until the final minutes. The idea should be to force Brad Stevens to play Horford and Aron Baynes together as much as possible. The two big men have a net rating of minus-4.6 in 128 minutes together in the playoffs, the second worst of any Boston pairing that has received over 100 minutes. Horford is more effective on offense when he has a speed edge at the 5 as opposed to a size edge at the 4, and Baynes is one of their only rotation players who doesn’t have to be guarded on the perimeter, even though he is shooting 9-of-19 from 3 in the postseason. The Celtics are just much less versatile on both sides of the ball with both in. Playing bigger lineups would also change Boston’s rotation patterns. Horford and Baynes played together for only six minutes in Game 1, allowing Stevens to stagger their minutes so that one of the two was playing with four wings around him the rest of the game. He didn’t have to give much time to Greg Monroe, a bigger defensive liability than either of the players ahead of him. Frontcourt depth is the one advantage Cleveland has in this series, and the Cavs should be able to win any minutes when Monroe and Larry Nance Jr. —each team’s third big man—are in. The question Boston still needs to answer is whether it can be as invulnerable to bigger lineups as Golden State. Lue didn’t resort to caveman ball much in the 2017 Finals because Durant, Draymond Green, and Andre Iguodala are all capable of stoning bigger players in the post and protecting the defensive glass. Brown, at 6-foot-7 and 225 pounds with a 7-foot wingspan, could be a key player in this series, since his chiseled physique might allow him to hold up against Love. The 21-year-old hasn’t been used much as a small-ball 5 in his NBA career, but that could be an option as he matures physically. No matter what happens in this series, Boston’s future looks incredible. The Celtics started the season with Horford, Brown, and Tatum around Kyrie and Hayward, and that lineup now looks like a near replica of the Hamptons Five. A healthy Kyrie is the closest thing to Steph in the NBA, while Horford has Draymond’s combination of defensive versatility and playmaking ability, and the three wings could replicate the matchup issues Durant, Thompson, and Iguodala cause. The Celtics could hide Kyrie on defense and switch any screen involving their other four starters, and then attack a mismatch at any position on offense. The only long-term issue they might have, other than keeping everyone happy with their role in the offense, is replacing the 31-year-old Horford as he gets older. The good news for Boston is it could have either the no. 2 or no. 3 overall pick in this year’s draft, depending on whether it gets lucky in the lottery on Tuesday. Michigan State freshman Jaren Jackson Jr., an elite defensive prospect who shot 39.6 percent from 3 this season, seems like a perfect fit. If not, the Celtics could have two or three more first-rounders in the next few drafts, via the Clippers, Grizzlies, and Kings. Over the past few seasons, the Celtics have pulled off the rare double of contending while simultaneously picking at the top of the lottery. It’s the best of both worlds: They are good enough to attract elite players in free agency and they have filled out their supporting cast with elite prospects on rookie-scale contracts. Of course, picking high is only half the battle. Not only has Boston drafted well, it has targeted exactly the types of players (big two-way wings) that NBA teams should be looking for near the top of the draft. Ainge has taken the lessons Golden State has taught to heart. It won’t be easy for the rest of the Eastern Conference to catch up. The Celtics have the personnel to exploit any hole in their opponent’s lineup on either side of the ball, and they have a head coach who will always find them. They don’t have LeBron James, but they can punish his supporting cast in so many different ways that it might not matter. The Warriors have been waiting for LeBron in the Finals the past three years. Now the King has to beat a younger version of them just to get back there. www.theringer.com/nba/2018/5/15/17354494/celtics-versatility-warriors-playoffs
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Post by drboogiebone on May 15, 2018 19:27:55 GMT -5
Big Big game. Gotta throw the 1st punch and keep on punching. Gotta demoralize the Cavs.
Side note: Hope the Kings have the same draft lottery luck next year. Landed 2nd overall.
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Post by fierce on May 15, 2018 19:31:11 GMT -5
3rd overall pick for next year will be good as well.
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Post by fierce on May 15, 2018 19:31:47 GMT -5
Greg Monroe should be playing when the Cavs go big.
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Post by Deleted on May 15, 2018 19:34:23 GMT -5
Go Celts! Keep up with the breakthrough. Play with belief. Make us proud.
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Post by drboogiebone on May 15, 2018 19:35:09 GMT -5
Trying to see the draft order. Don't see where it's posted yet. Anyone know where Brooklyn/Cavs pick landed?
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Post by drboogiebone on May 15, 2018 19:43:08 GMT -5
Jaylen hits his 1st.
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Post by Admin on May 15, 2018 19:43:36 GMT -5
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Post by Admin on May 15, 2018 19:46:06 GMT -5
Lottery Picks 2018: As It Happens ... LIVE!!!
14) Nuggets
13) Clippers
12) Clippers
11) Hornets
10) 76ers <<< Celtics Out
9) Knicks
8) Cavs <<< From Celtics (Nets) < And some thought that trading this pick was a mistake!
7) Bulls <<< Kings have moved up!
6) Magic
5) Mavs <<< Hawks have moved up to Top 3!
4) Grizzlies <<< Out of top 3
Suns, Hawks & Kings for top 3 spots!
3) Hawks
2) Kings
1) SUNS
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