The NBA script writers want new concepts. Miami shoots over 50% and steals a recreation in Boston? By-product, predictable junk! Nonetheless, that’s the story of Wednesday evening, however there was an undercurrent of a B plot beneath the floor. Even with Miami capturing 94% (tough estimate) on open 3s, they solely scored 111 factors. The Celtics averaged over 120 per recreation this season. Recreation 2 was there for the taking, they usually didn’t do it.
If I needed to guess, I’d say Erik Spoelstra is an enormous Monty Python fan as a result of he lives by the mantra of “…and now for one thing utterly totally different.” All we’d like is Udonis Haslem following him round with hollowed out coconuts, banging them collectively on the tempo of a trotting horse to essentially convey it dwelling.
Miami helped onerous off shooters in Recreation 1, throwing crowds at Jayson Tatum each time he loaded as much as assault, daring the Celtics to hit threes. They did, lots.
Miami adjusted in Recreation 2, and the Celtics have been sluggish to adapt. Assist didn’t come and Miami switched every thing and compelled the Celtics to beat them in isolation or off the dribble.
Spo’s gambit labored. The Cs’ offensive score (per Cleansing the Glass) dropped from 129.5 in Recreation 1 (elite) to 108.6 in Recreation 2 (beneath common). I believe this partially will get fastened by being extra decisive and easily enjoying higher ( you, KP), however there may be one other adjustment staring the Celtics within the face: give Jayson Tatum the rattling ball.
However Mr. Spooner, Tatum leads the group in touches by a large margin. He’s already getting the rattling ball.
First, please name me Wayne. Mr. Spooner was my father. Second, it’s not concerning the variety of touches, it’s concerning the sort. In Recreation 1, Tatum was capable of catch, drag assist, after which kick out. In Recreation 2, that technique went out the window, over the hill, and at last crashed into the facet of a mountain a la Wile E. Coyote.
Photograph By Winslow Townson/Getty Photographs
Tatum must be on the ball as the first creator extra typically towards this model of Miami’s protection. They’re switching typically and are detest to ship assist, which suggests generally you simply must beat them one-on-one. From there, assist must come, after which you will get the protection rotating and use a number of drive and kicks or generate open threes.
Tatum’s dribbles per contact and seconds per contact are properly beneath his season averages, which have been themselves a a number of years low. He’s averaging 1.76 dribbles and three.06 seconds per contact to date within the NBA Playoffs, down from 2.76 and three.83 within the common season. I’m not advocating for Tatum to endlessly dribble the air out of the ball in isolation, however he must operate as our main ballhandler extra typically till we are able to get the Warmth out of this change (nearly) every thing, assist resistant defensive scheme. He can do it by operating decide and roll.
Choose and roll effectivity together with passes within the playoffs per Synergy. The Celtics must run pnr with Tatum much more and do a significantly better job on Herro. pic.twitter.com/8q85atDZSi
— Wayne Spooney (@WSpooney) April 25, 2024
Though he had a down yr as a decide and roll handler within the common season, he’s the third most effective decide and roll ballhandler per Synergy (together with passes) within the playoffs. He’s eviscerating the Warmth each time we put him into that motion (simply strive not to take a look at who’s #1). There isn’t a single defender on their group that may verify him 1-on-1 apart from Bam, and we are able to run it with a wide range of display setters towards a wide range of defenders. Typically it would devolve into an isolation, however that’s high-quality — he can go after guys like Nikola Jovic in iso (this play begins with a KP display, however NBA’s video simply reduce it off).
You’ll be able to run it everywhere in the flooring and let him decide aside Miami along with his passing, too.
Oh, and it even works towards zone.
It simply appears to me that Jayson Tatum seems to be by far essentially the most snug of Boston’s ball handlers attacking no matter protection Miami throws at him. Jaylen was nice in Recreation 2 however deploying him as a finisher is the proper components. Somebody wants to have the ability to break down a switching protection than can, at occasions, drive you into isolation possessions. Nobody on the Celtics is extra outfitted to try this than Jayson Tatum. Typically the Playoffs name so that you can belief your star participant and go from there, and Tatum is as much as the duty. Celtics in 5.
