Post#306 » by threrf23 » Mon Sep 28, 2020 3:24 am
Another slow start. We got away with it game 5, not twice in a row tho. You would think we would have figured that out by now.
I know we hung with the Heat early, but they were missing shots they typically hit, if we came out in the first quarter with a plan, like we cared, we could have easily opened a ten point lead. Would have changed the entire trajectory of the game, and we probably would have won.
I put this on Brad. There were things he could have done about this all season, and he should have been prepared to do something come elimination games. You can alter the starting lineup so it is more physical, more energetic, or so that roles become better defined. You can draw up plays to help establish initial momentum on a player by player basis. You can simplify your offensive scheme in the early minutes. Etcetera.
We let Bam score 32 points on 11-15 shooting. 32 points was the most he scored in a game all season. Most baskets easy baskets. This exploit was on display as early as the first half game 1 and it was obvious that the Heat would go to it more and more as they felt they needed to go in for the kill, and it was especially obvious this was going to happen tonight after Bam came out after game 5 taking blame for the game 5 loss. Yet if we did anything new to try and stop Bam, I didn't notice it. I put that on Brad all the way.
I found this especially disappointing, considering that Bam is not a guy who will usually make you pay if you leave him wide open away from the basket. All we needed to do was scheme to make it challenging for Bam to get in the paint without committing a charge.
I'm not gonna pile on Tatum cause he's a warrior and even on a complete off night like tonight he finished with 24/7/11. He has earned special treatment and if any of his teammates don't recognize that, I'm happy to see them traded. I do worry a little bit about the advice he might have been given by Kyrie (establish your dominance by jacking shots even when they are not falling, and by showing your teammates how useless they are when your shot isn't falling?).
Jaylen impressed me this series, constantly composed, often made big shots where it felt like we were about to let a game slip away. He has not only grown as a player, but has matured noticeably IMO, I'd almost say he is becoming a leader. Jaylen's future is bright - and I don't mean that as a dig. I would have meant that as a dig not long ago.
Hot take I will probably come to regret: I think we win this series without Marcus Smart, and I think this series shows us why we need to trade Marcus in the offseason. Note that I have never before called for trading Marcus Smart.
This series was characterized by Heat runs, which often began immediately after Smart broke our offensive rhythm by taking a bad shot, or otherwise playing hero ball. In particular, there were a number of times he forced shots instead of passing to an open Jaylen. I love the passion that Marcus always plays with, but I have begun to wonder whether he is passionate about the Celtics or passionate about his ego. He needs to realize that if he simply plays to his strengths and lets his teammates do everything else, he will be a hero, that's who he is. When he tries to be a hero, it's just an easy giveaway that he's not one.
What makes the Heat so good? For one, they're balanced. They have good ballhandlers and elite shot makers (Robinson, Herro, maybe Dragic), elite wing defense (Butler, maybe Iggy), a strong front court presence on both ends (Bam).
Perhaps most importantly though, they are mentally strong, and they have a bunch of guys who consistently play the game the right way. And they have a coach who promotes playing the game the right way. We have two players who consistently play the game the right way - Hayward and Grant Williams. Maybe you can add Theis to the list. Our other guys are okay, not so selfish...with the exception of Smart. And the problem is, selfishness is contagious and bad shots break rhythm.
Smart's offensive skills continue to grow, but I think maybe he peaked as a player a season ago. He said after last season he felt he wasn't aggressive enough, which I now interpret as "I'm sick of buying into the team concept." In fairness, maybe Kyrie got to him. But he has always been like that.
This season btw, regular season, we were 34-5 when Marcus' usage % was 19% or lower, versus 8-16 when his usage % was above 19%. We were 0-2 when he hit more than five threes, and 4-5 when he hit at least five threes. Postseason, we were 0-3 when his usage % was higher than 23, 1-4 when it was higher than 22, versus 5-0 when it was lower than 17. We were 6-0 when he took less than six threes.
It seems like ages ago, but early in the season there were a couple of occasions where he nearly cost us victories due to bonehead or otherwise dirty plays in the final seconds.
And I know he has made so many winning plays to make up for those things, but we need front court help, Marcus Smart's trade value is as high as ever, the Jays are as skilled defensively as ever, Grant gives us another physical defender...if we trade Marcus, in the right deal, we can achieve better balance and get rid of our offense's achilles heal without leaving major voids.
Gordo & Kemba are taking heat, but to be clear this is just who they are I think. Statistically, Gordo has never shot well in clutch situations. Regarding Kemba, I'm not sure of the stats, but when I looked over threads on the Hornets board after we signed him, I often read that Kemba crumbled in the clutch.
Otherwise, I guess I just want to thank our guys for retreating from the outside world for a few months, and committing to basketball in the bubble. It was a fun ride despite the disappointing end. A guy like Gordo made rather public sacrifices for the team, but everyone likely made sacrifices that went unnoticed.
/end rant/
