Celtics vs Heat ECFs: How do we match up?

[hpantazo]

As I see it, no way can we run out Ray Allen against Wade in this series, he will get killed and end up in foul trouble. Losing Bradley is a big blow, but I would start Dooling or Pietrus at the 2. The other matchup problem is Bass vs Lebron at the 4. Can we gamble on Bass keeping up with him, or do we go with Pierce at the 4? At least we should own the KG and Rondo matchups.

[Celtics18]

As I see it, no way can we run out Ray Allen against Wade in this series, he will get killed and end up in foul trouble. Losing Bradley is a big blow, but I would start Dooling or Pietrus at the 2. The other matchup problem is Bass vs Lebron at the 4. Can we gamble on Bass keeping up with him, or do we go with Pierce at the 4? At least we should own the KG and Rondo matchups.

Start Ray.  Try lots of Mickael if Ray can't keep up.  Dust the mothballs off Sasha if needed. 

[rondohondo]

two words

zone defense

Pack the lane and make Lebron and Wade 3 point shooters , no Bosh to open up the lanes for them.

[jdz101]

Depends how long bosh is out.

Right now its looking like the first two games.

Take a game in florida and this thing is suddenly a series.

[hpantazo]

two words

zone defense

Pack the lane and make Lebron and Wade 3 point shooters , no Bosh to open up the lanes for them.

I like the idea of playing a zone, it could work out for us

[jimmehx]

two words

zone defense

Pack the lane and make Lebron and Wade 3 point shooters , no Bosh to open up the lanes for them.

This.

Zone destroyed them in the regular season. I'll take their 10-25 field goals as long as we're firing on the offensive end.

[rondohondo]

two words

zone defense

Pack the lane and make Lebron and Wade 3 point shooters , no Bosh to open up the lanes for them.

This.

Zone destroyed them in the regular season. I'll take their 10-25 field goals as long as we're firing on the offensive end.

Plus long jump shots by Miami lead to fast break opportunities where Rondo is at his best.

[Celtics18]

I say start the games playing clean defensively, but, absolutely I think Doc will dirty it up with some zone D as needed.

[Interceptor]

two words

zone defense

This 100%. Lebron used the offseason to work on his three-pointer, props to him for it, but Wade is still a terrible outsider shooter. We'd have to get lit up by Jones/Miller/Chalmers.

[greenlion]

it's a pipe dream, but i've got to love our chances...

[Celtics18]

Credit to Interceptor for this idea, but how about starting off with Rondo on Wade and Ray on Chalmers?

[albas89]

two words

zone defense

Pack the lane and make Lebron and Wade 3 point shooters , no Bosh to open up the lanes for them.

This.

Zone destroyed them in the regular season. I'll take their 10-25 field goals as long as we're firing on the offensive end.

Absolutely this! Especially on that second game of the season in Miami... we were down like 25-30 pts all game long, playing like crap, and we turned that thing around out of nowhere in the 4th, based solely on our zone D.

[CelticSooner]

Doc will definitely throw some zone at Miami, he has too with the injury situation.

I would like to see Doc start Sasha and bring Ray off the bench. Sasha can at least body Wade and make him work. Bosh probably won't be that effective if he plays coming off that injury.

I worry about the zebras and dirty Heat. You know they are going to try and take out Rondo.

[D.o.s.]

The thing that scares me the most is how often the Celtics start to refuse to drive to the hoop and instead settle for long, usually contested jumpers.

Converting rebounds into easy fastbreak points is Wade & LeBron's bread and butter... in fact they're probably the best open-court duo the league has seen in at least ten years.

[esel1000]

Switch it up between zone and regular d, get them off guard and guessing. Rondo and KG will be big this series, especially with Bosh out. It's impossible to contain both Lebron and Wade, but if you can contain one, we gain the advantage which is why losing Bradley hurts since he owns Wade on defense. Rondo at pg is our biggest advantage, KG is big in the post. If Pierce can keep Lebron in check, it wont be as bad if we cant control Wade as well. If we can get a good formula against Wade, let Lebron get his. Indiana let both those guys combine for 70 pts... you cant let that happen. If the celts can keep one to under 20 ppg, all of a sudden the series looks a lot different. We'll see what the celts come up with