UglyBugBall wrote:Bob8 wrote:joesha1698 wrote:After watching that tape above I came to a couple of conclusions:
1. Boston is just switching everything and guarding Luka and Kyrie one on one (for the most part). They have "intelligently" concluded that who cares if Luka and Kyrie score 60 or more if the rest of the team cannot get their lobs and wide open 3s.
2.Dallas should literally play the same defense as the Celtics regardless of personnel. I would basically tell our defenders to intelligently guard Tatum and Brown and do not foul. I would guard Tatum and Brown one on one like their guarding Luka and Kyrie while daring two guys to beat us.
3. I rather give Tatum and Brown - jump shots the whole game then let them easily get into the lane and get their teammates wide open 3s. If we did this strategy - the lead may have been 10 (at best with our bad shooting) and possibly not 20?
4. Jason Kidd is most likely going to try to implement a way for the Mavs to have more ball movement/player movemnet on offense. Hopefully it works. In the mean time, i hope he uses the same strategy Boston is using versus us on defense.
Side note: Dallas has been getting away with this heliocentric style the whole year. I remember earlier in the year I was advocating for an offense with more ball movement/man movement. The reason I was doing that was because the heliocentric style Dallas plays depends on the defense constantly helping on Luka or Kyrie which allows them to manipulate space driving down hill for the lob or pass for the 3. The problem with this style is it can easily take the rest of the team out of the game if a team simply switches and plays (1on1) defense on the (luka / kyrie) and stay within arm lengths while keeping a body on the bigs. This eliminates the other guys from participating in the offense and the offense becomes heavily dependent on Luka and Kyrie scoring all the points...which from a math stand point - often times than not will equal a loss. The Mavs were fortunate that all these teams they played the Mavs so far didn't implement this strategy. Some people here would argue that the Celts have unique defenders and they can get away with it. I disagree. I think this strategy makes sense in general.
Long story short, its gonna be hard to change this style of play this late in the season, yet along the finals. Jason Kidd will most likely add some wrinkles in that promotes more ball movement / man movement. Hopefully its something genius because we need it. With that being said, keep in mind that Brown and Tatum pretty much are the two guys who everything flows through on the Celtics. If their strategy is to take away everyone else - we should do the same. I would turn Tatum and Brown into one on one players and force them to take as many 2 point shots as possible. I would stay glued to the others and only help when its time to rebound. I would take my chances with Luka and Kyrie being forced into heavy iso ball over Tatum and Brown.
That's just what I'm seeing. I would try to beat them at their own game on defense.
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.
This is insanity. We have the three best defenders in the series in PJ, Lively and DJJ. Then you have a bunch of Celtics and then Gafford.
We have seen that insanity 2 days ago. PJ couldn't stay in front of Brown, Gafford can't guard 5 out offense and Lively was a foul machine. KP theoretically their weakest link was looking like Wemby in D.
Joesha1698 would like to change in the Finals everything what Mavs did the whole year.
Mavs are what they're, it's more about execution than anything else. And yes, Kyrie was disastrous, in the first half and in 3rd when Luka brought them to 8 points. He missed 2 easy shots and traveled once. Kyrie being disastrous in game 1 gives me hope that Mavs can bounce back. I'm sure he will have much better game 2. Luckily is just 1 game, Mavs must at least make a match in game #2 or it might be really over soon. They can't afford to be blownout again.
