Do you have a feeling that Celtics and Mavs have similar roster? Celtics have 5 starters that can play great switching D. Mavs might have 2. All 5 Celtics starters are better defenders than the best Mavs defender. Which is kinda unbelievable. And the similar story goes for offensive side. All 5 Celtics starters, if we count KP as starter, can create at least for themselves, 4 of them capable of ball handling. Mavs have 2 players capable to create for themselves and others. You really don't won't anyone outside of Luka and Kyrie create much or even ball handle in half court. Only Heliocentric offense can work with roster like that. They might try to play faster, but you need stops in D to do that.
You can't play the same style of game like a team with far superior roster. About game 1, take away KP playing like MJ in first half, Kyrie being disastrous and our role players doing things they can't, game is close. Mavs should do what are they doing the best since trade line and not overreact after game 1. In the moment we open the paint Mavs are toasted.
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Regardless of what people think about the Mavs as defenders, switching makes the best sense. This team takes nearly 45 threes a game and they are basically switching to create any type of lane to get to the hoop or shoot a 3. They are the golden state warriors of the east. This is all analytics/math. Which is why regardless of what you think of our defenders - the question is, is our best chance of reducing their ability to score a lot of points stopping the wide open 3s? I think so.
Outside of Tatum and Brown - no one else on the Celtics is the same level of threat going to the basket. Yes, White and Holiday are capable of creating their own but for the most part its Brown and Tatum. Regardless, I would take my chances guarding Holiday and White as well. For people worried about our guys not being great at switching, remember, basketball is a simple game. Switches doesn't have to be hard. The whole point is to keep a guy in front of you (shade him into the center where you have out stretched arms ) and force him to shoot over you. It doesn't take much to do this. Trying to play a constant helping style leads to more break downs and wide open shots than just this simple fix.
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I also reject this idea that Kyrie was disastrous. The Mavs basically lost this game in the 1st quarter. Celtics scored 37pts to our 20. It was a 17pt lead after one. Kyrie was 2-5 (40%) at the end of the quarter. Luka was 3-7. (43%) The rest of the team was 4-12.(33%). We basically lost the game in the 1st because of our defense and poor shooting. The rest of the game (Dal lost 2nd quarter by 4pts, won third by 1, and won 4th by 2pts). We lost the game by spotting them a 17pt lead in the 1st quarter.
We have to compete on defense. If I'm being honest, Luka's defense was "disastrous" in that first quarter. There were severe plays where either Tatum or Brown just blew by him and it totally exposed our defense. There was a time where he didnt block out and the Celtics got an offense rebound. There was Lively taking a bad angle and letting Porzingis get all the way to the rim for a dunk. There was Derek Jones Jr allowing the shorter Holiday to back him down and score easily. We lost the game because of defense in the 1st quarter.
Those who think Kyrie had a disastrous game are focused on him unfairly without considering how our Luka centric style of play puts him at a disadvantage in the half court. Kyrie finished 6-19 for 12pts. Tatum finished 6-16 for 16pts and Tatum was in late padding his stats. He should have finished with 12-14pts if he left the game when it was basically over. The reality is, Tatum had just abt the same impact on the game as Kyrie. I would argue that Jaylen Brown's efficient offense (22pts) + defense was just as impactful as Luka's 30pts.
Final thoughts - I was screaming at the TV wanting more from Kyrie as well. However, as the fan in me settled down towards the end - I realize that it was defense that lost of this game. Secondly, I also realize that Kyrie at 6.2-6-3 sacrifices to play a slower pace with Luka - which makes his job harder based on how he is being used. Unlike Luka who is 6'7 and can use his height to shoot over or get his shot off easier in the half court - Kyrie has to work a lot harder to accommodate a style that is better suited for Luka at 6'7.
Trying to score in congested space at 6.2-6-3 against very athletic teams playing a slow style:Kyrie missed 7 shots inside the 3 point line. 3 of those 7 were blocks by Brown, Harford, and Porzingis. The other 4 were missed pullups or hard contested layups against long defenders. Kyrie was 0-5 from 3.
The Mavs use Kyrie just like they use Luka. They use him one on one and expect him to use the pick and roll and score at high level in the half court without the height advantage. If you look at the games Kyrie played his best (let's take game 1 vs Minny) the pace was being pushed (in the full court) where Kyrie could use his quickness and dribble to get to the cup before the defense was set up. He was moving off the ball and getting his jump shot off. Etc.
My issue with the Mavs is how they are using Kyrie. Go look at some of my posts earlier in the year - I've been saying this all year. Kyrie is very talented and can play any style really but if you want him to be more successful - he has to play a similar style as Rip Hamilton or Allen Iverson versus these bigger more athletic teams. Kyrie should be coming off pin downs or running off double screens and going right up for the shot. How do you think Steph Curry at his size was effective vs a less exp Celtics? Kyrie should push the ball down every possession and shouldn't wait for Luka...only pulling it back if nothing in there...then the offense should be ran through Luka... Kyrie against the Celtics has to play a quick hitting style where he's aggressive looking for that mid-range jump shot and confidently seeking to jump shoot them to death. Then he has to have the freedom to push the ball every possession to see if he can get or create some easy shots for his teammates before Boston sets its defense. If nothing is there, kick it back to Luka and let him create at 6'7 where he has the height advantage and skills where he's not at such a disadvantage in this slower half court style.
When Luka brought the ball up in the game 1 he slowed down the whole offense and gave Boston all the time they needed to set up their defense. He also got ripped 1 time vs Brown that led to an easy dunk. Luka bringing the ball up isnt doing this team any favors. We have to allow Kyrie to use his advantages in the full court and in the half court ( allow him to be a jump shooter and run off multiple screens ala Iverson/Hamilton) to free him up for the shot. Plus him running off these screens gives us a different wrinkle and may free up other opportunities on offense like lob, etc. Jason Kidd should turn Kyrie loose (intelligently) and allow Luka to finish the offense when nothing is there.
