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Post by Admin on Apr 30, 2019 12:27:35 GMT -5
Load management pays off for Al Horford By Mark Murphy
(AP Photo/Morry Gash)
MILWAUKEE – This is where Al Horford’s load management program starts to pay off. After missing the occasional regular season game, and having his minutes restricted to ease the tendinitis in his knees, Horford is at his most energetic of the year. The Celtics center’s two-way play – from his 20-point, 11-rebound double-double and primary coverage on Giannis Antetokounmpo to playing 32 minutes – was pivotal in Sunday’s 112-90 Game 1 win over Milwaukee. He’s averaged 34 minutes over five playoff games, including a taxing stretch of 37 minutes in Game 2 and 36 in Game 3 of the Indiana series. “We’ve said all year you can’t overstate Al Horford’s importance to our team,” said Brad Stevens. “The numbers back that up. It’s his ability to stretch the floor against size and post smalls. And also on the other end be very versatile defensively. We tried to guard Giannis as hard as we could. We’re going to have to see what we can do better, but Al is obviously a huge part of our team. I’m thankful for the long, long, long, long periods of time in between timeouts in the fourth quarter.” Horford naturally was as well. “I think it was very helpful for me just because I wanted to be at my best when it got to this point of the season, and our medical staff and our coaches (were) conscious of that,” he said. “Understood that we needed to make some sacrifices during the season and I felt like they managed it perfectly and now we’re in a good position. We’re in the place that we want to be and just trying to make the most of it.” Crowded houseAntetokounmpo’s struggles weren’t all that plagued the Bucks. Starters Brook Lopez, Eric Bledsoe and Sterling Brown each hit one shot on the way to shooting a collective 3-for-17. Khris Middleton, 5-for-12, believes it’s on the Bucks shooters to do a better job supporting their main option. “Giannis has been seeing crowds all year long,” said Middleton. “He’s got to make the best reads and still want to be aggressive, but if Boston is going to do what they did tonight we have to make shots from the perimeter and just make the game easier on him and on ourselves.” New lookMike Budenholzer has coached against Kyrie Irving in the playoffs twice before, as head coach in Atlanta. Now with the Bucks, he admits the task has changed, with Irving out from under LeBron James’ ball dominance for the first time in the playoffs. “Him being the focal point, the ball in his hands, the guy who is going to initiate a lot of their actions,” said Budenholzer. “Just a ton of emphasis on the details of where you’re guarding him, where you’re picking him up, how you’re guarding him, the places he likes to get to, the shots he likes to get to, but still a lot of time on their bigs. “Their bigs are great in pick-and-pops, their wings are great playing one-on-one and facilitating,” he said. “But certainly he’s the focal point, and the time and energy we put into him is significant. It was in the past too, but certainly when he’s clearly that No. 1 guy who initiates so many things for them and not just for himself – his passing is pretty special for their pop bigs. It’s different.” Irving responded Sunday with a near-triple double of 26 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds. His pick-and-pop collaboration with Horford continues to thrive. “It’s very vital for our offense. It brings continuity,” he said. “It brings spacing. Especially when we’re in the right spots and staying disciplined in our half-court offense and we have either matchups we want to go at, or Al knows when I’m going to be getting downhill and we communicate throughout the game about how we want our pick-and-roll offense to be, how we can be more efficient so I don’t miss him on easy shots or easy opportunities that he can make for others. So it’s vital for our offense and I think we do a great job of communicating throughout the whole entire game because we understand that they’re going to adjust as well. So it’s just playing the game the right way. Me and him, in the pick and roll, we’re very efficient, so, I’m just trying to make the right read.” Baynes okayThough Aron Baynes rolled his left ankle and left the game in the third quarter, he was available to return to the game after a visit to the trainer’s room. “He’s rolled it a few times in the last month so we’ll see how it feels,” said Stevens. Smart stuffMarcus Smart went through his usual pregame routine of shooting yesterday, after some strengthening rehab work on what Stevens described as his “core” – a tender area, the Celtics guard’s oblique tear considered. Sunday was also the three-week anniversary of the injury, with the original timeline of a four-to-six-week return unchanged. Game 4 on May 6 falls a day after the four-week checkpoint, and is still considered an ambitious date for a Smart return, according to Stevens. “He’s in there doing some core work. That’s my update for the day,” said the Celtics coach. “I really don’t have any update, because I haven’t asked what his timeline was, they just keep telling me he’s improving and I haven’t gotten anybody to come up and say hey, he might play in Game 3. I don’t see any way that he’s available until whenever his timeline hits that we thought initially – four-to-six. And I said at the start, the four seems awfully aggressive.”
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Post by Admin on Apr 30, 2019 15:06:04 GMT -5
Shot location, shot location, shot location: Celtics take (and make) what they can get in Game 1 vs. BucksBoston hit enough mid-range shots to bury Milwaukee in Game 1.By wjsy Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images
The late John Havlicek was known for his constant motion on the floor. He was part ballerina, part energy bunny. He ran defenders ragged and could pull up from anywhere and at anytime. He played in an era without advanced analytics and retired a season before the three-point line was implemented in the NBA. There wasn’t as much conversation surrounding what was a “good shot.” The good ones went in. The bad ones didn’t. Thirty years later, the modern NBA has redefined shot efficiency and produced some quirky results (and those quirky results have produced championships contenders). Shot economists have polarized how teams consider their shot selection. If shots are in the restricted area or behind the arc, they’re ill-advised. Taking long-2’s are frowned upon like eating supermarket sushi. But none of this seemed to matter in the Celtics’ 112-90 blowout of the Bucks in Game 1 on Sunday afternoon. During the regular season, the Celtics were sixth in the league at mid-range shots at 18.8 FGA per game, behind teams like the San Antonio Spurs (ahem, DeMar DeRozan), Golden State Warriors, and their first round opponent, Indiana Pacers. And for most of those 82 games, most fans lamented those 15-footers. Jayson Tatum’s Kobe impression early in the season or Marcus Morris running cold after the All-Star break were flagged as settling and inefficient. Fast forward to the playoffs and Boston’s second round match up with the Milwaukee Bucks and the Celtics’ penchant to run their offense around the free throw line could be their saving grace in beating the overall #1 seed in the post season. As CelticsBlog’s Keith Smith put it, “you attack MIL in the mid-range & above the break. That’s where BOS lives on offense.” As if basketball was played on a spreadsheet, the Bucks constructed a defense that gave up the fewest shot attempts in the restricted area and the most three-pointers in the NBA. Milwaukee had the lowest defensive rating in the regular season (104.9) because they forced opposing teams to take “bad shots.” On one hand, you have to take what defenses give you. There’s a pick-your-poison element in trying to scheme against the best teams in the NBA, but in Game 1, the Celtics showed why their depth and versatility makes them so dangerous in the playoffs. They may not have the shot-making prowess of the Warriors or a freak of nature like The Greek Freak, but they do have a lot of guys that can do a lot of things, one of which is make those mid-range gimmes. Marcus Morris, Gordon Hayward, and Jaylen Brown combined for 8-for-10 between the restricted area and the arc. They may not be that hot again, but the sheer threat of them being able to get that hot keeps the Bucks’ defense on tilt and that’s the key to Boston’s read-and-react offense: whatever the defense gives you, you take it. To wit, per Second Spectrum, the Celtics made 28 of their 52 uncontested shots; the Bucks hit 18 of 50. If you’re a Milwaukee fan, you think, “that’s the game right there.” But again, Boston is taking the shots that Milwaukee is giving them. For example, Horford was the biggest beneficiary of the Bucks’ drop down defense. Playoff Al took 13 uncontested shots, more than any of his teammates, with most of them coming off pick-and-pop actions with Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward.
The Bucks didn’t play bad defense. They played Bucks defense. The Celtics had only 19 field goal attempts in the restricted area, but feasted in the mid-range. Here are the shot charts for the Bucks and Celtics from Sunday afternoon:
It doesn’t sound like their approach is changing anytime soon either. In yesterday’s media availability, Bucks’ head coach Mike Budenholzer said:
Antetokounmpo echoed those sentiments, confidently saying, “We’re just going to keep doing what we’ve been doing all year. I don’t think we should change at all. Why should there be a change after a game that we lost? We should not be the team that made the adjustment.”
To some extent, they’re right. They were the only team to win 60 games in the regular season and swept through the first round against the Pistons. And their analytics department isn’t wrong. The Celtics just made a lot of shots against the best defensive team in the regular season. We’ll see if the math shakes out for Milwaukee in Game 2 or the Celtics can channel more of that Hondo mojo.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 30, 2019 15:08:48 GMT -5
"We will be the same but play harder" is a misdirection. The Bucks will make adjustments. We also need to continue our Lopez hunting. Lets force other Bucks players, other than Giannis, into becoming play makers and force them into mistakes.
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Post by Admin on Apr 30, 2019 15:21:22 GMT -5
Can the Celtics continue to contain Giannis Antetokounmpo? The Boston Celtics handed the Bucks a 22-point loss during game one. It seemed Giannis Antetokounmpo had no answer for the swarming Celtics defense, and the Boston offense was red-hot. If the Bucks want to avoid going into Boston down 0-2, they will have to change things up quickly. “A Bucks sweep is more likely than a Celtics series win” tweeted FS1 analyst Nick Wright before the Celtics went on to put a whopping on the Milwaukee after game one. Not only Wright say the Celtics would lose in five, he also said game five would be Kyrie Irving’s last game as a Celtic.
During game one, the gameplan was simple. Stop Antetokounmpo from driving the lane and let the Bucks rely on everyone else to score. While much easier said than done, Boston found two ways to do this: Get all five guys back on defense, and put Al Horford on Antetokounmpo with help coming from both sides when he drives. The game plan was based off of stopping Antetokounmpo, and in game one he was at least contained.
“The Greek Freak” ultimately finished 7-21 from the field, with eight rebounds and two assists. Only eight of Antetokounmpo’s 22 points came in paint, where he usually thrives in. Between Horford’s smothering defense and the Boston guards crashing in, Antetokounmpo was left struggling.
The video below shows how the Celtics were able to completely lock down Antetokounmpo by doubling him and using Horford.
Breaking down the first play of the video. Although this is off a Celtics missed shot you see all five Boston players cross half-court before Antetokounmpo. When he does cross half-court, both Al Horford, and Jaylen Brown (Boston’s most athletic player on the court) step up on Antetokounmpo. Although this is a clear travel that doesn’t get called, Antetokounmpo is forced to use a spin move and throw up a wild shot that is easily blocked by Horford.
The second possession shows FOUR Celtics in the paint when Antetokounmpo tries to drive the lane. Horford strips the ball, as Antetokounmpo is too focused on Marcus Morris and the Celtics run in transition.
Finally, the third play which is my favorite. Antetokounmpo gets what he believes to be a one-on-one isolation with Horford. He drives to the right and Horford follows. Notice again Morris creeping in, forcing Giannis to use a euro-step to try and dunk on Horford. The only issue is Jayson Tatum is in perfect position on the other side to get a hand on the attempt. Once Antetokounmpo gets it back, Horford jumps right up with him to reject the shot.
Lebron James is someone who gets a similar comparison to Antetokounmpo in regards to being too fast, too strong, too big. So the question remains, with “The Greek Freak” being bigger and faster than James, how is he considered a rising star when some consider James possibly the greatest ever? Well, passing and shooting is the answer.
This clip (although length) answers one of those questions. The same game-plan is used for James. The difference is he is an excellent passer.
It’s quite basic math to know if a player gets double teamed, someone else will be open. Antetokounmpo clearly did not see that in game one as he only had two assists. Watching the game film on him, when he drives to the basket, Antetokounmpo puts his head down and goes to the hoop. This makes it much easier to guard him rather than James.
The other difference is shooting. While James has never been a marksmen from three, he certainly shoots better than Antetokounmpo who only shot 25% in the regular season from downtown. Antetokounmpo did shoot 3-5 from three in game one, but he does not like to shoot it often and will not unless there is no other shot. The Celtics will look for a similar game-plan in game two.
So if Boston found the key to beating the Bucks, is there any chance for Milwaukee to win if the Celtics continue to execute? The answer is yes. One stat from game one that sticks out that does not favor the Celtics is offensive rebounds. They had only three offensive rebounds the entire game. Second chance points will be extremely hard to come by in this series as the Celtics will need every man on the court running back to stop Antetokounmpo.
Boston shot 54% from the field in game one including 41% from three, leaving not much need for offensive rebounding. If they continue to shoot this well, it the lack of second chances will not be an issue. However, if Boston starts to get cold, they will be forced to either take their chances with Antetokounmpo and crash the glass or hope they one shot per possession will be enough.
At the beginning of this series, I had it going five or six favoring the Celtics. After game one, if anything it made me even more confident in my pick. The Bucks still have a chance, but the Celtics will look good.
PSA- Don’t freak out of the Celtics lose tonight no matter the score. This is the game I have them losing, and after winning five straight playoff games they’re due for a loss. Everything will be OKAY.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 30, 2019 15:23:48 GMT -5
"We will be the same but play harder" is a misdirection. The Bucks will make adjustments. We also need to continue our Lopez hunting. Lets force other Bucks players, other than Giannis, into becoming play makers and force them into mistakes. Good post Dubby almost minus the adjustments. They will be very small
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Post by Deleted on Apr 30, 2019 15:25:27 GMT -5
Boston shot over 50% over 40% from threes. Bucks at 30%
Expect this to continue?
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Post by cole on Apr 30, 2019 15:27:10 GMT -5
I think bud is a great bball mind, but I'm not sure the players he has are capable of making adjustments like that. Seems like they rely on athleticism and if that fails there's no plan b except to shoot long threes. Fortunately for them they were able to overwhelm most teams this year in the regular season.
Going to a bunch of changes is going to confuse a guy like giannis who hasn't really been playing all that long.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 30, 2019 15:29:34 GMT -5
I think bud is a great bball mind, but I'm not sure the players he has are capable of making adjustments like that. Seems like they rely on athleticism and if that fails there's no plan b except to shoot long threes. Fortunately for them they were able to overwhelm most teams this year in the regular season. Going to a bunch of changes is going to confuse a guy like giannis who hasn't really been playing all that long. Yes the coach is much smarter than any Bucks player besides Middleton maybe.
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Post by Admin on Apr 30, 2019 15:39:08 GMT -5
Brad Stevens: Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown ’get scrutinized for every step they take’ By Tom Westerholm(Photo by Omar Rawlings/Getty Images) MILWAUKEE -- Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum have been a little bit overlooked in the first five games of the Boston Celtics’ 2019 postseason -- understandably so, given Kyrie Irving’s brilliance, Al Horford’s thunderous defense against Giannis Antetokounmpo and Gordon Hayward’s rise back to an approximation of his former self. But while Irving, Hayward and Horford have raised Boston’s ceiling considerably, especially on the road, the Celtics’ young core is once again producing at a high level -- boosting the team to a 5-0 start to their 2019 campaign. Brown’s scoring is down from last year -- an expected result, given how many fewer shots per game he averages. But his percentages are up (except for some abominable 44.4-percent free-throw shooting): 58.1 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from three. In a pivotal Game 3 against the Indiana Pacers, Brown dropped 23 points on 8-for-9 shooting, and he went 8-for-14 with 19 points against the Bucks in Game 1. Tatum, meanwhile, struggled in Game 1 against Milwaukee (2-for-7, four points), but he averaged 19 points per game against the Pacers and dropped 26 on 11-for-20 shooting in Game 2. “They say we have a bunch of young guys but we’re not young no more,” Brown said after Game 1. “We’ve been through a lot. We’ve experienced a lot so our attention to detail, our focus is up and we’re trying to win. That’s what we’re here for, to win.” The young Celtics have indeed been through a lot -- last year’s postseason run would have been enough to age anyone. The Celtics went to two Game 7s (and won one of them) against two of the best players in the world. That pair of series’ sandwiched a five-game dogfight between a pair of teams with enough beef to open a steakhouse. On Tuesday, Brad Stevens was asked about Brown’s comments about the young players. Stevens isn’t wrong. Brown was a little-used rookie in his first season, coming off the bench despite being the No. 3 pick in the 2016 draft. Even so, he drew defensive assignments against LeBron James in the playoffs as Isaiah Thomas boosted the team into the Eastern Conference finals that year. Tatum, meanwhile, came into the league blazing hot from 3-point range quickly became regarded as one of the NBA’s most valuable young commodities. Despite that status, he has had to deal with trade rumors for consecutive seasons, as the Celtics reportedly focus their attention on dealing for New Orleans Pelicans star Anthony Davis. Oh, and now both Tatum and Brown are expected to fit in seamlessly next to a bunch of veterans as the Celtics try to push through the postseason into the NBA Finals. That’s a tall task, but Stevens believes Brown and Tatum are up to the challenge.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 30, 2019 17:32:23 GMT -5
Yea well Stevens so do most highly drafted young players. STUPID
I'm telling ya Brad and the word bright should never be in same sentence, Its the NBA TV video social media not 1849
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Post by cole on Apr 30, 2019 18:21:50 GMT -5
All this talk about officiating is good for us. More pressure on the officials to call a fair game, and not give Giannis 20 ft's.
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Post by cole on Apr 30, 2019 18:55:29 GMT -5
I guess sterling brown is out of the starting lineup tonight...he was really bad. Did you guys know his brother shannon is the laker ex? I didn't until I happened across it.
I guess the parents were fans of the receivers?
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Post by kyceltic on Apr 30, 2019 19:02:59 GMT -5
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Post by drboogiebone on Apr 30, 2019 19:07:54 GMT -5
C's gotta keep their poise. Bucks are fighting like a cornered rat.
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Post by drboogiebone on Apr 30, 2019 19:08:54 GMT -5
No foul there. NBA showing their love for Giannis.
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Post by drboogiebone on Apr 30, 2019 19:09:50 GMT -5
Jaylen getting to line guys! I don't know how to react to this...
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Post by drboogiebone on Apr 30, 2019 19:10:15 GMT -5
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Post by drboogiebone on Apr 30, 2019 19:10:37 GMT -5
12 to 5 Boston. Timeout Bucks.
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Post by kyceltic on Apr 30, 2019 19:11:06 GMT -5
Good start!
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Post by drboogiebone on Apr 30, 2019 19:14:34 GMT -5
ah... Can't bite on pump fakes Jaylen. Gotta stay home dude.
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Post by drboogiebone on Apr 30, 2019 19:15:10 GMT -5
C's getting to line guys!
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Post by drboogiebone on Apr 30, 2019 19:16:27 GMT -5
Excellent transition D to stop Giannis there. Very nice.
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Post by drboogiebone on Apr 30, 2019 19:18:23 GMT -5
Good God... Giannis taking Carl Malone length free throws.
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Post by kyceltic on Apr 30, 2019 19:20:58 GMT -5
Jyrie needs to sit!
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Post by drboogiebone on Apr 30, 2019 19:22:06 GMT -5
Morris stops some bleeding there.
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