MGrand15 wrote:Prokorov wrote:MGrand15 wrote:Boston's a solid team. If Kemba and Fournier are shooting well, they can be good. Pritchard is a good scorer. We're going to need to play well to win but I don't think they matchup well with us at all. They don't have the size to punish us for switching.
Now that it's playoff time, we'll have Kyrie or Harden on the floor at all times. I don't think they have anyone that can check our stars. They take a lot of jump shots - which we do a solid job of contesting.
If they get hot and we hit a slump, anything could happen of course. I just don't see what Stevens can do against Nash here. I'm sure we'll see a lot of zone + Tatum or Kemba hunting Griffin or Joe Harris. I don't see how it could lead to sustained success.
Its not just about what Stevens will do, its what Nash wont.
Adjust.
He will allow them to play small. he will allow them to stay in a zone. he will allow them to go on long runs. He will allow them to trap.
I know you hate Nash so it doesn't matter but
Going small against us is death. We will drop 140 on them if they try. They don't really have the personnel to go small anyway. Is the threat Jabari Parker, Tatum, or Grant Williams at 5?
Zone + traps = wide open 3s or dunks. Not being able to handle a zone isn't a coaching thing - it's a personnel thing and BBIQ thing. Celtics used to always struggle against zone even with the mastermind Stevens because Tatum/Brown/Smart are always looking shot first.
To premise, let me start with this. saying "if they do that we will roast them" is kind of moot. You can say that for anything they do. We have 3 hall of fame scoring legends. But you can still do things to maximize us and minimize them.
1) One of their biggest flaws is lack of bigs. Theis is gone. Timelord is potentially out with injury or not 100%. Tristan Thompson has been awful. Luke Kornet is a scryb. Allowing them to play small gives them a better chance, as it removes a big liability for them. They have a better shot trying to guard Blake or Green with a Forward then they do guarding Claxton/Jordan. Blake can still score inside, but they can get away with a small. Make them play a big, and it will drastically hurt them on both ends.
2) We have struggled vs zone at times and have had small to big issues with trapping. Alot of beating those is coaching and adjustments. letting your guys chuck might work since we have 3 studs, but we have seen it go the other way several times, including some losses.