Tough to say how much the death had an impact on the team. I'm sure it did, especially when the Bulls are making every shot and it feels like you're in quicksand. Their shotmaking was off the charts and I'm sure that demoralized the Celts over the course of the game.
However, I think taking something like that and explaining away their struggles just ignores the actual weaknesses that they have related to offensive execution, rebounding and defense (mainly IT here), it's just a basketball thing. The Bulls have found a way to exploit each of these areas with either their own personnel just being better or X's and O's adjustments.
Marcus Smart played great the last two games, is he a heartless bastard, tough as nails? Was Al Horford effected by the death in game 2 but not game 1? Wade was able to attack Bradley's lack of length better. Is that cause someone died or is it because as good as he is defensively it is really hard to be an elite wing defender when you're 6'2?
I'm not saying intangibles/other factors don't exist but people just rely on that stuff for easy explanations way too often.
However, I think taking something like that and explaining away their struggles just ignores the actual weaknesses that they have related to offensive execution, rebounding and defense (mainly IT here), it's just a basketball thing. The Bulls have found a way to exploit each of these areas with either their own personnel just being better or X's and O's adjustments.
Marcus Smart played great the last two games, is he a heartless bastard, tough as nails? Was Al Horford effected by the death in game 2 but not game 1? Wade was able to attack Bradley's lack of length better. Is that cause someone died or is it because as good as he is defensively it is really hard to be an elite wing defender when you're 6'2?
I'm not saying intangibles/other factors don't exist but people just rely on that stuff for easy explanations way too often.
I think the Celtics have not been able to match the Bulls' intensity. Also, Stevens seems to have been out coached up to now. Bulls have figured out a way to exploit the Celtics' weaknesses, and Stevens has not made the proper adjustments. Much more strategy involved during the playoffs when two teams face off against each other at least 4 times.
Shocked as I am to write this, Boston has no one to body up Lopez. Worse case scenario for Boston was Rondo showing up and he has just been awesome. Rondo reminds me of a quicker Magic when he wants to. Can t shoot a lick but really controls the game by making good decisions and seeing the whole floor. He also seems to be one step ahead on defense, making things uncomfortable on the Boston perimeter. It was a big deal when Boston went out and signed Al Hortford, I didn t love it then and I def don t love it know. Playing small. With Marcus Smart on the floor, you are playing offense with 4 guys. Now the Celtics are snapping at each other? Rondo saying these dudes quit? I knew Boston wasn t that good, but damn, I figured a team greater than the sum of their parts wouldnt be getting beat up like this.
I agree though, Stevens looks down his bench, and there is no help sitting there.
I agree though, Stevens looks down his bench, and there is no help sitting there.
You may be right, he may have tried things that just haven't worked so it looks like he's doing nothing. Perhaps the regular season was somewhat of a mirage, and now the "real" Celtics are being exposed, or perhaps the death of IT's sister caused the team to lose their focus. I'm just surprised that after losing game one, the Celtics end up getting their butts kicked at home last night. My perhaps "dumb" initial reaction is to point towards the coach not coming up with the right strategy, whatever that may be.
I actually love Brad Stevens, he's won me over because his teams overachieve
He also can get a bucket when you need one, problem is you can't call a time out on every possession, just don't have enough of them
Bulls have the 3 best players on the court.
Butler,Rondo and Wade.
Butler,Rondo and Wade.
Eastern Conference has been horrible for over 20 years now - outside of the Celtics and Heat match up every finalist was there by default - meanwhile LA and SA would meat in R1 or R2 - and this isn't even bringing up the years the Nets and 76'ers made the finals - college teams had a better chance of winning - u can see why LeBron ain't leaving the East
Rondo's lost a half step with age/ACL injury and the fact he can't shoot hurts him more now than it did 3-4 years ago when shooting wasn't as important but he's still a great passer. He'll probably never lose that. Even last year on the Kings he led the league in assists.
The underrated thing that just isn't being talked about enough is that the Celtics have a 5'9 guy on the court. The passing lanes are far more open for Rondo, his court vision is better with IT on him. A lot of Portis offense in game 1 came off doubling the guy IT was covering, same for Lopez mid-range jumpers in rd 2.
During the regular season IT was bad defensively, but a lot of times teams would let the Celts get away with hiding him on the other teams worst perimeter player and Bradley/Smart/Crowder would do all the heavy lifting on D. Teams just wouldn't change what they were doing too much to go at him (i.e say AB on Kyrie, IT on JR Smith, they wouldn't even involve IT in a brush screen or 2 man game or anything too sophisticated, just rather run their offense cause it is the regular season)
Playoffs is chess though, teams aren't letting a 5'9 guy be out there unless he is going to be working on defense. There is a reason nobody else in the NBA is that size, this is the best basketball league in the world and it's just tough to get away with.
IT obviously an incredible story to be doing what he has done at his size, but if he wasn't so well liked and there wasn't tragedy surrounding him right now then this would be a bigger deal. You can only be so good defensively with a sieve like that on the court when the other team is able to exploit it.
