Awesome breakdown, I share the same sentiment as you did toward the later points of the text. The general feeling was that Boston really had it in control through most of the game and could've/should've won it despite crazy shooting by the Heat.
I think they need to continue going to Porzingis when the Heat keeps switching. This is just one poor game, and we have an entire season of evidence that he is dominating post ups when he has a mismatch.
Yeah, the post-ups will still be there and should be more effective. They also just need more secondary actions after the initial one fails, but can only do that if they get started faster!
Great breakdown, thank you! Helped me better understand the changes in Heat defense and the maturing of players like Herro (and JJJ). Bam as usual was a nightmare against us on both sides. Kudos to Spo and the Heat for planning and executing excellently given the small margin of error they have.
Yeah, I didn't really talk about Bam much here because at this point it's amost a given, but I probably should've given him more acclaim. His defensive strengths never shine brighter than against Boston, and when he has the offense going? He looks like one of the best players in the league.
This is the ultimate test for Coach Mazzulla; can't wait to see what he does next.
Great analysis as always, I agree that Miami can’t sustain this level of offensive efficiency in the long run but I believe Celtics’ overall success will rely more on Tatum than Mazzulla. Imo in NBA playoffs you are as resilient as your best player; Nowitzki, Lebron, Curry, Durant, Leonard, Giannis and Jokic proved this in the last decade. Tatum needs to be tougher than ever so his team can follow along and replicate their regular season success.
Yeah, Tatum is somewhere between the fifth and eighth best player in the NBA, but that means he won't be the best player in at least one and maybe two playoff series. Usually, though not always, championship teams' best guy is better than that, and the resiliency you speak of is a big part of it!
Celtics have overwhelming talent everywhere else, so that might be enough.
That’s true, this celtics team gives me dynasty spurs vibes. Duncan was their best and most important player in nearly all of their championships and he at times (arguably) had a better player than him (i.e lebron, durant) in the opposing team, though his mental toughness and consistency was crucial in all those playoff success. I believe Tatum has to match that level of consistency so the team can match their potential.
Anyways, Celtics had a historic regular season run so I am really curious of their playoff run this season. It looks like they will be the most talked team of this playoffs.
Who do you think would be the x-factor of a denver-boston finals series, if there would be such a player?
Porzingis, although that's the easy answer. He has to hit from outside to punish Jokic on defense, and he has to hold up one-on-one to the best of his ability when he's guarding Jokic.
The other answer is probably Gordon. If Celtics try to stash Horford/Porzingis or even Jrue Holiday on him to provide some free safety help on Jokic down low, Gordon has to punish them with slippery cuts and offensive rebounds. He's gotten very good at doing that.
Awesome breakdown, I share the same sentiment as you did toward the later points of the text. The general feeling was that Boston really had it in control through most of the game and could've/should've won it despite crazy shooting by the Heat.
I think they need to continue going to Porzingis when the Heat keeps switching. This is just one poor game, and we have an entire season of evidence that he is dominating post ups when he has a mismatch.
Yeah, the post-ups will still be there and should be more effective. They also just need more secondary actions after the initial one fails, but can only do that if they get started faster!
Great breakdown, thank you! Helped me better understand the changes in Heat defense and the maturing of players like Herro (and JJJ). Bam as usual was a nightmare against us on both sides. Kudos to Spo and the Heat for planning and executing excellently given the small margin of error they have.
Thanks for reading and for the kind comment!
Yeah, I didn't really talk about Bam much here because at this point it's amost a given, but I probably should've given him more acclaim. His defensive strengths never shine brighter than against Boston, and when he has the offense going? He looks like one of the best players in the league.
This is the ultimate test for Coach Mazzulla; can't wait to see what he does next.
Great analysis as always, I agree that Miami can’t sustain this level of offensive efficiency in the long run but I believe Celtics’ overall success will rely more on Tatum than Mazzulla. Imo in NBA playoffs you are as resilient as your best player; Nowitzki, Lebron, Curry, Durant, Leonard, Giannis and Jokic proved this in the last decade. Tatum needs to be tougher than ever so his team can follow along and replicate their regular season success.
Thanks, Ömür!
Yeah, Tatum is somewhere between the fifth and eighth best player in the NBA, but that means he won't be the best player in at least one and maybe two playoff series. Usually, though not always, championship teams' best guy is better than that, and the resiliency you speak of is a big part of it!
Celtics have overwhelming talent everywhere else, so that might be enough.
(I'm still picking Denver to win comfortably)
That’s true, this celtics team gives me dynasty spurs vibes. Duncan was their best and most important player in nearly all of their championships and he at times (arguably) had a better player than him (i.e lebron, durant) in the opposing team, though his mental toughness and consistency was crucial in all those playoff success. I believe Tatum has to match that level of consistency so the team can match their potential.
Anyways, Celtics had a historic regular season run so I am really curious of their playoff run this season. It looks like they will be the most talked team of this playoffs.
Who do you think would be the x-factor of a denver-boston finals series, if there would be such a player?
Porzingis, although that's the easy answer. He has to hit from outside to punish Jokic on defense, and he has to hold up one-on-one to the best of his ability when he's guarding Jokic.
The other answer is probably Gordon. If Celtics try to stash Horford/Porzingis or even Jrue Holiday on him to provide some free safety help on Jokic down low, Gordon has to punish them with slippery cuts and offensive rebounds. He's gotten very good at doing that.
Thanks Mike, looking forward to your future articles!