What have you ever realized from the playoffs this yr that might inform the Celtics offseason selections?
Mark Aboyoun
One factor the NBA playoffs jogged my memory of is that there are not any simple video games — regardless of the matchup. A whole lot of followers most popular a sequence in opposition to the Knicks as a result of Boston swept them within the common season, however the playoffs are a special beast. If the Celtics hadn’t let Recreation 1 and Recreation 2 slip away, the result might need been very totally different.
What stood out all through the playoffs is that each crew is able to getting back from a deficit. That makes it much more vital to remain aggressive when you may have a lead. Wanting again, I didn’t thoughts Boston settling for threes early within the sequence in opposition to New York as a result of most of them have been high quality appears to be like — they simply didn’t fall. Nonetheless, a takeaway for the Celtics this offseason must be preserve offensive stress when forward, not simply coasting or counting on threes.
A technique to try this could possibly be including extra bench scoring. Discovering somebody who can play alongside Payton Pritchard and convey an attacking mindset off the bench may assist maintain momentum going, particularly in these moments when the starters are on the bench resting. It’s about ensuring the offense doesn’t stall — even with a lead.
Ian Inangelo
What I realized from the playoffs this yr is that constructing a tradition with a core group of gamers is crucial side of being a championship caliber crew. Take a look at the Pacers and Thunder. Final season each misplaced within the playoffs however with minor tweaks round a longtime younger core they ran it again and gained a championship.
I’m not saying buying and selling for the tremendous stars isn’t a good suggestion for a franchise however establishing chemistry and tradition inside a corporation is a crucial think about profitable. Taking a look at a crew just like the Suns for instance who had a younger core make the finals however wished extra so that they traded for KD and Beal and abandoning the chemistry they constructed. Now they’re in purgatory.
Persistence is vital and groups shouldn’t be so fast to drag the set off on a star participant which may look good on paper. Construct from inside and you can see success
Mike Dynon
What I hope the Celtics realized is that no lead is large enough and they should keep aggressive and transfer the ball for 48 minutes. Not 36, not 42, all 48. They misplaced the Knicks sequence as a result of they stopped doing what labored and blew 20-point leads two straight video games. Each instances, the Knicks have been the aggressors and the Celtics did not match that power. Within the fourth quarter of Recreation 1, Boston shot 4-21 (2-15 threes) and had simply 2 assists for 16 factors. We instructed ourselves that may not occur once more, however Recreation 2 was extra of the identical: 5-24 (2-11) with 2 assists, 17 factors.
On this three-point dominant period, you possibly can not simply run out the clock, but the Celtics habitually sluggish themselves down, with Tatum or Brown dribbling in place and nobody transferring. Or they attempt to velocity up and take a 3 after one move or none in any respect. When the opponent has all of the momentum and you’ve got none, your threes simply don’t fall, and the stress will increase. We see it on a regular basis within the NBA, and that’s what occurred right here.
Distinction that to the Pacers’ fourth quarter of Recreation 6 versus the Knicks. They saved up the identical tempo that had given them the lead, attacked the paint and kicked to open shooters on the arc, or received middle-of-the-lane floaters from Haliburton. Their fourth quarter numbers: 13-20 (2-5), 7 assists, 33 factors. Indiana was by no means at risk of shedding their lead. The Celtics must engrain that mentality into their system, and beef up the bench with gamers who’ve that mindset.
Jake Issenberg
My massive takeaway from these yr’s playoffs is that I feel the Celtics leaned an excessive amount of into variance this season. They upped their three level fee, and have been one of many slowest groups within the league. There have been apparent well being points with Porzingis and Jaylen that have been the most important components within the Knicks loss. However the Celtics ought to nonetheless have gained the sequence. I’d implore Joe Mazzulla to give attention to rising the tempo and randomness of the longer term Celtics offense. If they’ll turn out to be 11% extra just like the Pacers on offense it will profit them drastically. Extra possessions equals much less variance.
Jeff Clark
The Pacers proved that you may win with a high-paced, random offense, even within the playoffs the place historically the tempo has at all times slowed. The Celtics didn’t essentially have the personnel to repeatedly push the tempo like Haliburton does, however Boston may have and may have performed with extra motion to bend the protection extra. I do know they have been targeted on mismatch looking, however there are extra methods to assault these mismatches than pure isolation. Jayson Tatum might at all times be a extra deliberate participant, and he’s confirmed he can thrive with that type, however I feel as Brad Stevens reshapes his roster, he would possibly wish to goal gamers that thrive in a extra motion based mostly offense. Likewise, I feel Joe Mazzulla ought to give attention to emphasizing these motion appears to be like extra when the offense will get stagnant. Subsequent yr shall be a great time to experiment and tinker. What they have been doing clearly labored final yr, however the recreation evolves and it’s a must to maintain adapting too.
