#1 The protection deserves quite a lot of credit score
After a win like that, it’s solely logical that the Boston Celtics offense will get a ton of credit score. Nevertheless, this win over the Miami Warmth was constructed on an early defensive basis. Boston performed a stringent model of protection from the opening tip and rapidly stifled Miami’s struggling offense within the first quarter.
The Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis aren’t confined to the offensive finish. Each performed a key function within the defensive possession above. They contained the pick-and-roll, protected the rim, pressured ball-handlers, and affected the shot launch. It wasn’t a serious defensive cease, but it surely was indicative of what the Warmth have been going to face all through the night time.
We noticed the same model of protection on this play, too. Credit score to Payton Pritchard, he hounded his man and adopted a excessive pick-up level. Boston rotated and switched with goal. They protected the center of the courtroom by angling ball-handlers away from straight-line drives.
The Warmth wrestle to create a bonus resulting in a tightly-contested three with seconds remaining on the clock.
Right here’s one other instance. This time, the Warmth look to run some actions. Miami begins with a “Zipper lower” adopted by a screen-the-screener motion between Terry Rozier and Duncan Robinson. Reasonably than switching these actions, the Celtics appeared to play straight-up man-to-man protection. As such, the Warmth couldn’t generate the mismatches they have been trying to find.
As soon as once more, credit score to Pritchard for a way he guarded the pick-and-roll on the third motion of the sport, containing his man and forcing the ball out of their palms. That’s three separate actions the Warmth went to, none of which bought them any near making a scoring alternative.
From there, it’s a nook three, with Luke Kornet contesting the shot with 1.5 seconds remaining on the discharge. Clank. One other miss.
We will reward Boston’s offense all day, however the defensive execution, particularly in the course of the early levels of the sport, deserves the credit score, too.
#2 It’s a make-or-miss league. Boston didn’t miss a lot.
Okay, we’ve given the defensive execution its flowers. Now, let us take a look at the offense. There received’t be a “gettin’ nerdy with it” section right this moment, primarily as a result of the Celtics didn’t have to go deep into their playbook.
As an alternative, they caught with their fundamental early offense ideas and appeared to create area through screening, drive and kick, or by pushing the tempo in transition.
Boston went 51-of-80 from the sector, taking pictures 63.7%. They went 22-of-40 from the deep, a 55% conversion fee. Generally, photographs simply fall. There’s no science or rationalization. Groups have the occasional recreation the place everyone is cooking, and the basket appears to be like prefer it’s a mile huge. In opposition to Miami, that night time was a kind of nights.
We will additionally level towards Boston going 19-of-20 from the free-throw line. The whole lot the Celtics appeared to do appeared to go completely. A part of that was as a result of Warmth’s questionable effort on protection, the opposite half was as a result of Celtics confidence and dedication to creating the proper learn on each play.
#3 KP is a difference-maker
Porzingis is what Boston has been lacking. I believe we will all agree on that. He supplies extra spacing across the perimeter. Can assault the put up. Can assault close-outs off the dribble. Can hit mid-range jumpers excessive of most defenders. And may defend the rim.
In opposition to the Warmth, Porzingis was one of many real distinction makers. This season, he’s taking pictures 35.9% from three. In opposition to Miami, he went 3-of-4 from deep. Three of these photographs got here within the first quarter, with him making two of them.
Right here, the Celtics go to what’s often known as a “fast” motion, which can also be known as a “huge” motion. That motion will get Tatum the ball on the perimeter. Porzingis flows right into a excessive pick-and-pop, Tatum drags his dribble and attracts two defenders, then, the large man drains the open three.
In essence, the best way this play went is strictly how the Celtics need their screening actions on the perimeter to work. There are too many scoring choices obtainable to the Celtics.
Nevertheless, Porzingis’ mid-range skill can also be key.
That’s a 7’3’’ huge man faking the shot, getting his defender to plant their toes, after which driving the close-out to get to his spot across the elbow. Then, we now have the pull-up. At Porzingis’ peak, it’s bought to be powerful attempting to have an effect on his shot.
We will’t neglect about his skill to move out of the roll or short-roll, too.
The whole lot Porzingis brings to the desk helps elevate how the Celtics wish to play. He’s a real X-factor and eliminates Boston’s susceptibility to being contained through a zone protection or an aggressive trapping protection on the perimeter.
#4 KP harm
Porzingis went down with an ankle sprain within the third quarter. Happily, Porzingis was capable of return to the bench within the fourth quarter. Hopefully, any lingering results of the harm received’t hold him sidelined too lengthy. A silver lining is that the All-Star break is rapidly closing in, which ought to give the veteran huge man some extra time to recuperate and rehab from his setback.
#5 Tatum attending to the road
We’ve heard quite a lot of pushback on Tatum’s ascension towards the highest of the NBA lately. One of many more moderen criticisms has been his incapability to get to the foul line. There’s a vocal subset of followers who consider that the difficulty is partly on the sport officers permitting a big quantity of contact towards the St. Louis native.
Nevertheless, on the night time when his fifth consecutive All-Star choice was introduced, Tatum bought the star whistle. He led the sport in free-throw makes an attempt, taking pictures 10 of them. He hit 9 of these 10 photographs.
This season, we’ve seen a rise in Tatum’s willingness to drive the lane and work out of the low block. The extra he’s rewarded with a authentic whistle on contact, the extra of an inside risk he’s going to turn into.
If you add that sort of risk to his already harmful perimeter and lengthy mid-range recreation and think about his playmaking and rebounding, it’s onerous to pinpoint simple methods to get stops towards him, particularly when he’s going to his step-back recreation from his spots within the put up and utilizing slight contact to generate his area.
#6 Brown can look unstoppable typically
It’s no marvel each of the Celtics star wings had spectacular performances in a recreation the place all the pieces was going proper. Brown combined his shot makes an attempt properly. But, for a participant who has been thriving when getting downhill and leaning into his athleticism, his three-point recreation stood out towards Miami.
When he’s hitting these sorts of photographs and poses the specter of blowing by you or out-muscling you on the drive, Brown can look unstoppable. His general offensive recreation has advanced this season. He’s embracing his function because the featured scorer on the roster and is clearly taking part in with excessive confidence proper now.
That is the type of play you see from a participant that’s locked in and having fun with their basketball. I’ve mentioned it persistently all through this season: Brown is taking part in his greatest basketball, and it’s taking place on either side of the courtroom.
#7 Kornet’s bench manufacturing
For all of the discuss of doubtless needing an improve on the backup huge man place, Luke Kornet continues to remind us that he’s greater than able to anchoring his function. He got here off the bench towards the Warmth to offer versatile protection and a scoring punch across the rim.
When all the pieces is clicking, Kornet is a enjoyable character to root for. He performs with a smile. He made the proper selections. And he operates in an understated team-first model. Three of Kornet’s made buckets have been through lob performs, which, once more, leans into the enjoyable facet of his presence inside the rotation.
This possession might be my favourite lon of the sport for Kornet. Not as a result of it’s spectacular or highlights a growth in a participant’s passing recreation however as a result of it exhibits Kornet’s timing. He occasions his lower, jumps on the proper second, and does not let the flyby contest affect his method.
I like Kornet because the third huge. I believe he defends properly. He accommodates pick-and-roll ball handlers properly. And he can pop off for a fast ten factors when rolling to the rim or combating for offensive rebounds. We bought one other reminder of all these issues throughout Boston’s win over the Warmth.
#8 Hauser displaying greater than perimeter taking pictures
Slowly however certainly, we’re beginning to see new points of Sam Hauser on offense. Earlier within the season, we have been all having fun with his run of video games with a dunk. Then, there have been moments the place he’s attacked closeouts with baseline drives, both redirecting the rock or exploring other ways to attain in these eventualities.
Hauser is a shooter. That’s what he does. He’s arguably the most effective motion shooters within the NBA. Have him flowing off a flare display screen or curling over a stagger motion as a part of a floppy set — if you happen to get him the ball in area, he’s good worth to knock down his open appears to be like.
Nevertheless, towards the Warmth, we noticed him flash some upside as a cutter. It was just one play. There will probably be loads of growth wanted if he’s going so as to add some inside motion scoring to his recreation, but it surely was encouraging, however.
Right here, the Celtics go to a weakside stagger display screen. The thought is to get Hauser curling over each screens, catching the ball on the transfer and letting it fly from above the break. Hauser had totally different concepts, although.
As an alternative, the third-year ahead fakes the lower after which rejects the display screen, chopping towards the rim through the center of the ground. Some assist protection offers him a harder shot than you want to, however Hauser hits a easy little fade away inside a few toes of the bucket.
Once more, this is only one possession. However seeing little flashes of a deeper offensive recreation is encouraging. His remit could be to attain, however the most effective scorers have counters of their again pocket, simply in case the protection sniffs out what you’re attempting to do. Hauser is growing these counters in entrance of our eyes.
#9 Pritchard is studying learn how to create area off of contact
One other bench participant. Pritchard has been strong over the previous few months. His shot is falling, he’s embracing dribble penetration, and as soon as once more, he’s showcasing his worth as an inverted screener.
Nevertheless, it’s his sudden willingness to create separation through contact that has been catching my eye. In opposition to the Warmth, Pritchard as soon as once more flashed a willingness to bump his man earlier than utilizing the momentum to push him into some extra area.
Watch how Pritchard drops his shoulder when driving from the wing, how he permits himself to (perhaps a push) push-off of Robinson to halt his momentum and provides him a stop-and-pop jumper from shut vary.
We see the same method on this jumper. As soon as once more, Pritchard threatens the drive earlier than getting low, creating some slight contact and stepping again into area.
Pritchard’s velocity, shiftiness and deal with are all authentic weapons. He’s been leaning into these throughout his current run of fine bench manufacturing. Couple that along with his hounding on protection — as we noticed above — and he’s proving he will be the bench guard Boston wants in the course of the postseason. Leaning into that physicality towards the Warmth can also be an indication I loved seeing.
#10 A half-empty stadium
I’ll hold this quick. I used to be very shocked to see the Warmth’s stadium with so many empty seats. A matchup between Boston and Miami is without doubt one of the higher matchups the Japanese Convention has to supply. Granted, the sport was on a random Thursday on the finish of January, and tickets don’t come low-cost. Nonetheless, it stood out to me. Maybe it’s the juxtaposition of how the TD Backyard appears to be like on TV and the way it all the time seems to be offered out.
Trying forward
The Celtics are again at it on Saturday after they face the LA Clippers on the TD Backyard. It’s all the time enjoyable seeing these two groups go at it. I like the best way these two groups match up. I additionally like the thought of Boston including one other win to their dwelling report. So, I’m very hopeful I will probably be writing one other takeaways article primarily based round a win. Both method, I’ll be again right here on Sunday morning to dive into what we see and, hopefully, what we study.
Till then, get pleasure from your weekend, everyone!
