#1 Dropping the lead
30 factors. The Boston Celtics led by 30 factors halfway by way of the second quarter. Then, for no good purpose, they self-deflated. There wasn’t a momentum-swinging play. The Atlanta Hawks didn’t magically turn into a greater staff. The Celtics noticed they have been up large, took their foot off the fuel, and their rhythm vanished.
Within the second half, the Celtics struggled to regulate the tempo, restrict drives, and knock down their pictures — no matter how excessive of a high quality look they generated. The efficiency went from picturesque to “no images” in a matter of minutes. What’s worse is that irrespective of the more durable they tried, the extra the Celtics slipped into some previous habits, which solely dug them right into a deeper gap.
#2 No timeouts
We’re used to Joe Mazzulla staying affected person together with his staff. We perceive his reasoning behind his adjusted Ferber technique. I’m all for empowering your gamers and giving them time to determine issues out. Nevertheless, there needs to be an inflection level. When it’s clear that issues aren’t going to get higher and your lead is being quickly chopped down, it’s a must to name a timeout.
In any other case, the momentum will get sucked out of your roster, heads begin to drop, and the opposition has the wind of their sails. This was Boston’s 15 lack of the season. I’m removed from frightened. Nevertheless, Mazzulla’s stubbornness in relation to his timeout philosophy is regarding. What occurs if a run like this happens in the course of the postseason? There have to be a steadiness. And if there isn’t one, Mazzulla wants to search out it.
#3 Finish of sport execution
All season lengthy, the Celtics have carried out an amazing job of avoiding conditions the place gamers are pressured to jack up late-shot clock heaves. They transfer the ball. They stream into early offensive actions. They transfer with out the rock. They display screen to create gaps. But, when the sport is on the road, we return to the isolation heavy offense with everybody standing across the perimeter “spacing” the ground.
The result’s all the time a troublesome shot that’s closely contested. There’s a purpose the Celtics maintain one of the best offensive ranking within the league, and it’s due to their motion-based offense, not their being content material to isolate.
The place was the display screen? The place was somebody reducing to create more room for the drive? We’ve seen this film earlier than; we didn’t just like the ending. I feel I can safely say we desire the re-make that’s been airing over the previous few months. Let’s get again to watching that.
#4 Three’s not falling
The Celtics went 0-of-9 from deep within the third quarter. They have been 1-of-6 within the fourth. Total, they shot 11-of-38 from deep, good for 28.9%. We have now to credit score the staff, although, as a result of they didn’t pressure the problem. When it was clear their pictures weren’t falling, they attacked the rim and received into the mid-range.
The difficulty is that the Hawks out-mathed them. The Hawks shot 50% from deep on 18-of-36 taking pictures. They beat the Celtics at their very own sport. They Good Will Hunted Boston’s protection on the perimeter…
#5 Vacation and White’s absence felt on protection
And a big a part of that was on account of Jrue Vacation and Derrick White being out of the rotation with harm. Sure, Brown and Tatum are good defenders and ensured there was measurement and athleticism on the perimeter, however neither of them are main guard defenders. They’re higher at switching on actions, and Tatum is healthier as a helper than he’s as a main defender.
Vacation and White are elite defenders. Collectively, they type arguably one of the best two-way backcourt within the NBA. With out at the least one among them within the rotation, the Celtics didn’t have a professional chaser to strain shooters from behind or to influence their shot launch with out being immediately in entrance of them.
Between Tatum, Brown and Payton Pritchard, the Celtics allowed 10-of-20 taking pictures on the perimeter. One can solely assume that quantity would have been decrease if White or Vacation the place chasing shooters over screens and contesting pictures from totally different angles.
#6 Ball getting sticky
Each possessions have one factor in frequent: A cross that’s often made wasn’t. The Celtics have made a dwelling off their pick-and-pop actions with Porzingis above the break. When Tatum or Brown come off the display screen, they both drag their dribble or penetrate with pressure. It doesn’t matter what, the result’s often a kickback to Porzingis for the catch-and-shoot three in area.
These seems to be weren’t coming for the veteran large man on Monday. As an alternative, the ball received a bit of bit sticky. It stopped popping round the best way it had by way of the primary and a half quarters. Actions which were staples all season rapidly grew to become decoys for extra isolation reps.
Neither of the pictures within the above clips have been unhealthy seems to be. Each got here in rhythm, and each have been pictures the gamers often take. Nevertheless, they each got here out of an motion the place the end result is often a bit of totally different, and that advised me how the Celtics weren’t enjoying from their normal playbook.
#7 Jaden Springer will likely be enjoyable
Jaden Springer gave some strong minutes off the bench, most notably on the defensive finish. He hustled his butt off, flew spherical screens, lower off driving lanes, and used his size to influence potential passing and taking pictures alternatives.
At instances, Springer seems to be like he’s enjoying a bit of quicker than he must be, and than what he’s snug with. He’s nonetheless new to the system and to his teammates. As he turns into extra accustomed to his environment and the schemes he’s being requested to function inside, he’s going to supply at the next, extra constant degree.
As soon as that begins to occur, Springer goes to be a enjoyable participant to observe and a enjoyable venture to comply with. He has all of the instruments to be an elite defender. If he can repair his taking pictures and turn into a bit of extra decisive when driving, he may turn into a strong rotation guard for the Celtics quickly.
#8 Hauser wants a counter
2-of-10 from deep. That’s a far cry from his 10 threes the opposite evening. When his pictures are falling, Hauser is among the greatest weapons on the Celtics roster. He brings scoring gravity, pins defenders to his actions, and generates high-level spacing. Nevertheless, when the shot isn’t falling, his worth rapidly diminishes.
Hauser wants so as to add a counter to his sport. He wants one thing for when his three isn’t dropping. That could possibly be a one or two dribble pull-up to assault close-outs. He may make his baseline cuts extra outstanding inside his offense. No matter it’s, discovering a secondary approach to supply scoring is a key improvement for Hauser.
Everyone knows that getting the ball to drop can rapidly get a shooter again in rhythm. Hauser has the scale and contact to be a menace within the mid-range. If he can embrace the extra shot profile, it would forestall these robust taking pictures nights from occurring as continuously.
#9 The place have been the actions?
We noticed some stagger screens, the occasional horns entry, and nook curls that have been closely centered all through the sport. But, when the Celtics have been chasing the sport, it felt like their main actions all went out of the window.
A part of the Celtics’ success has been their offensive system, which is predicated on ideas somewhat than Mazzulla calling units from the sidelines. That permits the staff to learn the protection and stream into performs that work towards the protection they’re seeing.
But, when these performs cease occurring, and the half-court offense begins to grind to a halt, you’re left scratching your head, questioning why they’re not entering into their normal units and discovering attractiveness.
Once more, a part of this is because of dropping momentum. A part of it is because of chasing the sport and searching for methods to get again on observe. Nevertheless, this staff is the place it’s as a result of it’s trusted the system. It’s telling that every thing floor to a halt the evening they went off script.
#10 It’s only one loss
I’ve been fairly crucial in right this moment’s takeaways. Partially, it’s as a result of I’m attempting to have a look at every sport by way of a single-game lens. That’s the purpose of this text: to debate what we noticed in that one 48-minute stretch of basketball. As extra video games are performed, it will get more durable to close out the opposite performances.
I’m removed from frightened. And I don’t assume this loss is the top of the world. It doesn’t change the very fact the Celtics are championship favorites. It does not change the very fact they’ve been dominant all season. And it actually doesn’t make me any much less hopeful transferring ahead.
Nevertheless, it’s good to have a look at the place issues went improper. Proper or improper, we are going to all have concepts about what may have been carried out in another way or at the least have been carried out higher. Nonetheless, the Celtics are again in motion on Thursday. They’re most likely going to get immediate revenge and get again on the profitable path.
No matter occurs, this staff is elite. Dropping with out your beginning backcourt isn’t a purpose to panic. Dropping 15 video games out of 72 is much from a purpose to fret. Losses occur. It’s what it’s.
It’s simply the way of the loss that damage a lot.
Catch you all on Friday.