So give me some adjustments

[wiley]

I can't believe I am saying this, but we need a Herro stopper, and not just because of last night.  Herro has been a thorn in our side this entire series.  We need someone off the bench whose sole purpose is to shut him down and make him give up the ball early in the shot clock.  I also think that stopper cannot be Brown or Smart.  If we move Smart onto Herro, we need a Dragic stopper.  I don't know if we have the personnel to do this, but we need something to work.  Another thought is to go big when Miami goes small to put pressure on guys like Herro and possibly work them into some foul trouble.

How about this for another adjustment - Attack Duncan Robinson every offensive possession.

Before the series started I was asking for Romeo...he would really would have helped in this series...

I know NBA coaches don't do this sort of thing but I would change things up, not necessarily as pure strategy but to jolt the team out of its funk.  I think I'd start Kemba, Hayward, Tatum, Theis and Kanter, and bring Smart and Brown off the bench in the next game. 

As far as our rotating centers....They are all fine and all have weaknesses...but I believe Brad should stick with one and not keep switching.. They need to get in a rhythm, whomever he chooses.  I like Robert but he's the youngest and least experienced... I personally would ride Kanter into the sunset.  Let him lead the game in rebounds and score 15-20 points...the second chance points off rebounds and limiting the Heat's second chance points should mitigate his defensive issues.  But let him play extended minutes, work up a sweat, get in rhythm and all that.  How can our non-thees centers get a feel for the series if we don't stick em in and leave em in???

[bopna]

Brad just does not know how to attack the zone.

we have always been discombobulated when they do it.

Start GH now . I know he isnt 100% but he needs confidence as his open look threes have not been going in, thats just confidence issues...He needs more shots than Smart.

Timelord defended the pick n roll with Bam well ive noticed, their lobs to Bam wasn't on target when Rob was in unlike Theis.

When they zone, Id much prefer to park a shooter/playmaker in the middle instead of Theis or Smart..GH or Tatum is a better option there .

Honestly if we can just cut our turnovers, and probably stop making Herro look like Curry out there we could win games easily.

[PhoSita]

If the Celts could become a team that doesn't commit dumb turnovers and that has a relentless focus on continuing to play a really aggressive driving style regardless of how close the game is, that would be an adjustment that might make the difference.

Unfortunately I think that's more of a "change who you are on a basic level" kind of thing, not an in-series adjustment.

[ozgod]

Brad just does not know how to attack the zone.

we have always been discombobulated when they do it.

Start GH now . I know he isnt 100% but he needs confidence as his open look threes have not been going in, thats just confidence issues...He needs more shots than Smart.

Timelord defended the pick n roll with Bam well ive noticed, their lobs to Bam wasn't on target when Rob was in unlike Theis.

When they zone, Id much prefer to park a shooter/playmaker in the middle instead of Theis or Smart..GH or Tatum is a better option there .

Honestly if we can just cut our turnovers, and probably stop making Herro look like Curry out there we could win games easily.

The Playgrounder had an interesting article on this prior to game 3:

-------------
Zonebusting
Many ascribed Stevens the blame for Boston’s inability to breakdown Miami’s zone defense. What’s more likely: a professional coach not knowing how to beat a zone or, young players panicking into hero ball and therefore ditching Stevens’ game plan? I’ll go with the latter and you should too.

Regardless, Stevens found a way to get his guys to stick to the script. Additionally, he positioned players like Grant Williams, Tatum and the healthy Gordon Hayward into positions to exploit the zone. For Williams, this meant flashing into the free throw line area and roaming the baseline. Hayward did more of the same while also darting from corner to corner. Tatum also manned the middle of the zone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wobgrrm2obs

Although they did not convert every attempt, the Celtics forced Miami to rotate out of position. This resulted in a bevy of open looks; ones that surely made Coach Spoelstra sweat. The ball was flying around the court and with Hayward adding a shooting punch, the Heat were often overstretched. To boot, Stevens placed someone on the baseline to keep All-Defensive team center Bam Adebayo from fully committing to stopping drives.

[ozgod]

And here's how they did that while attacking Duncan Robinson as well:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYoZ0snruXk

What happens is that after we change things, Miami makes little adjustments which we then struggle with, or we go away from what has been working. I don't understand why they do that. Like taking pull up 3s when we should be making the zone shift with off ball movement, and driving and kicking.

I do think they tried to do what they had been doing...they just turned the ball over too much while doing so. 19 turnovers, it won't matter if you know how to attack a zone or not if you give the ball away that much.

That said, even if it wasn't Brad's fault they went away from the game plan, he's going to be held responsible for it, because he's the coach and the buck should stop with him. It's not him that doesn't know how to attack a zone though. They did it very well in game 3.

[CelticsBR]

I feel the pass for the player cutting to the ft line is the easyest way to break the zone. No player is trying to score from there. Hitting a open shot from the ft line is supposed to be a automatic shot for NBA players

[LilRip]

Ok, challenge accepted. Here are some adjustments. It’ll probably be ignored by most but whatevs. I’m not an NBA coach but I feel like these are “easy enough” to implement and will likely be effective.

PLAYSTYLE
1. C’s start a lot of their action with an on-ball screen and that’s fine. But attack from the wing, not the center of the floor. This shifts the guard on the weak side over and things can get rolling from there.
2. When catching the ball by the FT line, look to shoot the foul line jumper first. The C’s right now are catching and then quickly passing out and the defense never has to react to that play. It’s happened so many times that the touch pass has gotta be by design.
3. The Heat stunt a lot then go back to their man aka fake doubles. C’s need to minimize pausing mid-drive and minimize cute drop offs. Only when the man commits should you pass on a drive. Otherwise, try finishing through contact. If no foul is called, at least the zone is weak against offensive rebounds. With Bam engaged contesting the drive, we might be able to secure the o-reb with Tatum/brown/Hayward vs Herro/dragic
4. Drive between the forward and guard if the zone is shifting. Second choice is baseline. But don’t drive it through the middle. Even with a screen, it’s going to be tough
5. More cutting. This is the vaguest adjustment I have, sorry about that. But player movement off the ball are things Hayward and (I assume) Smart are capable of, IQ-wise. We need more of that

—
Minutes and matchups:
1. No more Semi
2. More Grant Williams! And Kanter! You don’t keep Kanter in for long. You need him to gum up the inside and get u some buckets then pull him out when Spo adjusts. But a valuable 4-5 min stretch can be the diff in tight games.
3. Smart on Dragic, Tatum on Butler, Kemba on Crowder/Iggy
4. Less Wanamaker. Yeah, he’s solid but we have so many ball handlers available to us with Kemba, Smart, Hayward and Tatum. Less Wanamaker opens up minutes for Kanter/Grant/Hayward
5. That said, sit Smart if he’s out of control or pressing. He ends up with a bad foul and/or turnover, hurting you on both ends of the floor. This is when you’re glad that you have Wanamaker to sop up those minutes

[gouki88]

Simply I would bench Theis. Play him about 15MPG, give 15MPG to Grant and 12 to Timelord (which is about what he's played in the 2 games he has played). I think this would make a huge difference

[Sophomore]

When you pass the ball to the middle of the zone, don’t hot-potato the ball back out to the perimeter w/out facing the basket and forcing the zone to react.

Fewer threes.

Don’t turn the ball over seven times in the fourth quarter.

[ozgod]

I have one adjustment, if they make this adjustment everything else will take care of itself:

1. Commit less turnovers

They know what they need to do - it's been dissected on numerous sites and if semi-amateur basketball nerds can figure out the x's and o's surely a professional basketball team can. In any case they did it in Game 3 and for large parts of Games 1 and 2, and in the second half of Game 4.

Stop giving the ball away and we should win.

[ozgod]

I have one adjustment, if they make this adjustment everything else will take care of itself:

1. Commit less turnovers

They know what they need to do - it's been dissected on numerous sites and if semi-amateur basketball nerds can figure out the x's and o's surely a professional basketball team can. In any case they did it in Game 3 and for large parts of Games 1 and 2, and in the second half of Game 4.

Stop giving the ball away and we should win.

From 19 turnovers to 11, a solid improvement. Even if we shoot bad if we defend hard and take care of the ball we will ALWAYS be in with a chance.

[gouki88]

Simply I would bench Theis. Play him about 15MPG, give 15MPG to Grant and 12 to Timelord (which is about what he's played in the 2 games he has played). I think this would make a huge difference

Oopsies

[Somebody]

Simply I would bench Theis. Play him about 15MPG, give 15MPG to Grant and 12 to Timelord (which is about what he's played in the 2 games he has played). I think this would make a huge difference

Oopsies

[gouki88]

Simply I would bench Theis. Play him about 15MPG, give 15MPG to Grant and 12 to Timelord (which is about what he's played in the 2 games he has played). I think this would make a huge difference

Oopsies

Maybe if I non-stop bag him he'll keep it up

[Tr1boy]

Next game I expect the Heat to double team Kanter right away.  And make him pass the ball.... which may lead to a bad pass or a Celtic player pressured to make the open 3

If the shots don't drop,  maybe the Celts stop going inside.  One less worry the Heat have to deal with

If Celts keep hitting the open shot.  Then Heat will be in trouble

On offense Heat will try to attack the basket early.  Try to get some guys in foul trouble.   Especially Theis.   And then try to kick out the ball to get their 3 pt game going.    Taking charges ala Lowry style would help deter the heat from trying to score at will/draw fouls near the basket

If Brothers is reffing tomorrow. Celts are in trouble. That guy is either bad luck or he really has something against the Celts.