#1 – Boston discover house in New York
The spacing was problematic in the course of the first video games of the collection, however the Celtics teaching workers had the sources to repair it — and so they did. Spacing isn’t solely about house; it’s about who’s occupying which a part of the court docket. The final drive of the primary half is a good instance of how little element modifications can optimize the spacing.
First, you will have Jayson Tatum on the wing, one move away from the ball on the suitable. All particulars matter. Having him one move away forces OG Anunoby — one of the best stunt defender on the Knicks — to be dragged away on account of Tatum’s gravity. As a result of he’s on the suitable, that opens Brown’s finest hand.
Derrick White is deep within the reverse nook to tug Mikal Bridges away too, so Karl-Anthony Cities is on an island. The final twist comes from Payton Pritchard’s positioning. He’s within the nook, on the aspect of Brown’s robust hand. That is key as a result of it makes Jalen Brunson the low man within the Knicks protection — not supreme.
At first, this won’t look very completely different from the earlier sport, however there’s a enormous enchancment in spacing. Due to that, the Celtics had been in a position to create extra photographs on the rim from half-court conditions.
They ended up with a 37% rim frequency, much better than the 25% common since they began the collection in opposition to the Knicks.
#2 – Jaylen Brown post-up touches
Whereas the spacing appeared higher, the Celtics additionally used what made them nice in the course of the common season: the post-up — particularly with Jaylen Brown.
Submit-up touches might be robust for defenses to cope with as a result of they drive assist in conditions the place defenders aren’t positioned as they often are. Right here, for instance, have a look at Mitchell Robinson’s and OG Anunoby’s eye orientation and positioning. They’re near the paint and going through the ball, leaving a defender behind them.
Due to Brown’s scoring gravity from the post-up, it attracts defenders and forces them into conditions the place they will’t cowl the ball, the basket, and their project. Right here, due to Brown’s place vs. Brunson, the defensive construction is damaged and that opens a 3-pointer.
The Knicks had been actually puzzled by this offensive method as a result of they couldn’t use their wing size as they often do. On this different play, Bridges and Josh Hart are drawn so deep into the paint that each Kristaps Porzingis and Pritchard are left open from three.
The rationale Brown has such gravity on these post-up touches is his potential to attain or draw a foul from these positions. He was probably the most environment friendly post-up gamers within the NBA this season. Right here, he will get deep place after setting a display screen and scores over Bridges.
Nice use of an offensive method that we didn’t see sufficient within the first two video games.
#3 – Payton Pritchard scoring explosion
When the Celtics wanted it probably the most, going through a 3-0, Payton Pritchard delivered what may need been one of the best Playoffs sport of his profession. He performed greater than half-hour, scored 23 factors on good effectivity, and delivered two assists. His gravity and taking pictures exercise helped enhance the spacing. A flexible and impactful efficiency.
Versatile as a result of he wasn’t solely on the receiving finish of offensive creation — he was a part of it, generally even the initiator. Like his teammates, Payton can hunt mismatches. He attacked Mitchell Robinson to punish the Knicks’ switches. His potential to shoot off the dribble makes it robust for the middle to remain related, and he was in a position to rating with a wonderful step-back past the arc.
He was dynamic — like within the play beneath, the place he catches the ball and drives immediately. That’s very good, as a result of he punishes Miles McBride’s assist positioning. Together with his taking pictures gravity and deal with, he can adapt to the protection’s closeout and assault the weak spot. Right here, he sees a gap for a drive. Watch how he instances his dribbles and steps — McBride doesn’t know if he’s about to shoot or drive and might’t include him. As soon as within the paint, he fakes two gamers and creates an open lay-up for himself.
Towards Brunson, his drives might be very helpful as a result of they collapse the protection across the guard and depart different gamers open — like right here, with Brown.
Nice efficiency from the Sixth Man of the Yr, who helped the Celtics discover hope in New York.
#4 – Attempting to get Porzingis going
The Celtics are going through fairly the dilemma with KP. The staff is structurally at its finest when he’s on the ground. The spacing and rim safety — two of a very powerful elements in fashionable basketball — are optimized with him on the court docket, regardless of how he’s carried out. His measurement, size, and positioning will at all times make issues troublesome for opponents. Offensively, groups by no means depart him open, which creates house for his 4 teammates.
But, the Celtics additionally want him to carry out individually and have the ability to do greater than deliver structural worth. To win this matchup, they want him to attain and affect the sport with the ball in his arms. Subsequently, regardless of blended outcomes up to now within the Playoffs, they saved making an attempt. Offensively, the aim is both to get him shifting on the roll or to get a mismatch deep within the publish.
The aim of discovering deep place within the publish — quite than the excessive publish — is as a result of defenses are actually joyful to concede lengthy contested mid-ranges from the Latvian huge man, even in opposition to some extent guard.
On the roll, he can nonetheless be impactful as a result of he’s simple to focus on with a move above the protection. He’s good sufficient to both move or end relying on the state of affairs. On the instance right here, he finds Luke Kornet from the brief roll after a well-executed pick-and-roll.
Solely 18 minutes, sure, and no buckets scored. However however, his affect stays essential for the Celtics’ offensive and defensive construction and provides Al Horford and Kornet time to relaxation. Getting him again up to the mark is perhaps the important thing that opens the door to the subsequent spherical.
#5 – Taking part in off transition
The Celtics’ defensive exercise and focus felt higher than within the first two video games — particularly from Jaylen Brown. This gave the Celtics extra alternatives in transition. Off live-ball turnovers or offensive rebounds, they had been lethal on the break.
Per Cleansing the Glass, Boston scored 2.25 factors per possession in transition — an awesome signal of their willpower to win the margins and capitalize on their good protection.
#6 – Making the most of the drop
All of the Knicks followers I talked to don’t perceive why, at instances on this collection, the Knicks are asking Karl-Anthony Cities to drop as a substitute of change. Possibly they wished to dare Jayson Tatum to shoot 3-pointers? Nicely — unfortunate for them, as a result of he was snug from the pull-up place yesterday.
The Knicks’ heart began in a drop place, and it’s simple to see that Tatum acknowledged it shortly and didn’t hesitate. On the play beneath, with two screens on the ball for him, he sees KAT’s positioning and instantly pulls up from three due to all of the house he has.
You possibly can wonder if that was a tactical adjustment or only a lack of focus and vitality from the middle. On one other play later within the sport, when he’s once more in drop protection, OG Anunoby appears determined and indicators to KAT that he ought to have been increased after the display screen.
Whereas the 3-pointers had been falling for Jayson Tatum, a drive was nonetheless lacking.
#7 – No half-court lay-up for JT
Considerations about Tatum’s lack of rim stress are nonetheless right here after Sport 3, the place his solely lay-ups got here from transition or putback conditions. Regardless of higher spacing, he targeted extra on his soar photographs, with 9 makes an attempt from past the arc and 5 from mid-range.
The three different makes an attempt on the rim had been missed, and it left me questioning if his wrist damage is bothering his driving sport greater than his soar shot. Let’s see how the collection unfolds for him — however his incapability to place stress on the rim up to now has been regarding.
#8 – Celtics pick-and-roll protection
Boston’s incapability to decelerate the Jalen Brunson pick-and-rolls with Josh Hart was a bit alarming. This isn’t the primary time I’ve observed how the Celtics generally battle on the pick-and-roll when there’s no huge on the low man place.
Within the first instance, the Knicks run an empty aspect pick-and-roll, and the change isn’t effectively executed. This leaves Hart rolling free to the rim, and nobody on the weak aspect comes to assist. Pritchard and Brown are too near their matchup — and the identical goes for JT.
Later within the sport, one other regarding possession on the identical pick-and-roll — this time in the course of the court docket. Al Horford is in drop protection, however no person tags the roll man, so Hart as soon as once more cuts to the rim with out being bothered.
It’ll be attention-grabbing to observe whether or not the Knicks insist on this offensive play to show Boston’s defensive limitations — and the way the Celtics will adapt.
#9 – Spectacular rim safety
Regardless of just a few defensive collapses, the Celtics did a powerful job defending the paint. The Knicks had been restricted to 44% effectivity on the rim — one in all their worst marks of the season.
The Celtics had been in a position to punish the Knicks for continuously having a non-shooting menace on the ground — whether or not Mitchell Robinson or Josh Hart. That allowed them to make use of Porzingis, Kornet, or Horford as a paint security and shield the rim.
That’s additionally why the Knicks may run extra pick-and-rolls with their non-shooters subsequent sport — to drive the Celtics’ bigs away from the paint.
#10 – Fourth-quarter PTSD
I’ve to confess, I didn’t really feel protected within the fourth quarter when the Knicks had been closing the hole and lowering the result in 20. This matchup — due to the primary two video games — won’t ever really feel protected.
