Solution: start Theis and Kanter

[RodyTur10]

Now that Hayward is out I expect Stevens to start Smart and give the extra available minutes to Wanamaker, Ojeleye and G.Williams. Stevens has always shown to be a big believer in small-ball.

However I think there's a different solution. Mine is: start Theis/Kanter in the front court.
Reasons:

• Kanter is a more proven NBA player in comparison with Wanamaker/Ojeleye/Grant
• Kanter is a bad defender, but decent in post-ups
• 76ers don't have a pick-and-roll handler to expose Kanter
• Embiid can stretch to the 3-point-line, but I'll gladly take that
• As a strategy Embiid stays in the paint on defense, Kanter will be threat as a finisher if he overhelps
• Kanter proved yesterday that he can offensive rebounds against Embiid, nice weapon
• Getting Theis off Embiid, helps him to avoid fatigue or foul trouble, so we can increase his minutes to 30
• Noone can guard Embiid one-on-one, so Theis is more impactful has a help defender of Horford
• Leave Smart/Timelord pick-and-roll weapon off the bench intact
• With Kemba, Brown, Tatum (and Smart/Wanamaker) the Celtics will always have three 3-point-shooters on the court anyway

[Vermont Green]

Now that Hayward is out I expect Stevens to start Smart and give the extra available minutes to Wanamaker, Ojeleye and G.Williams. Stevens has always shown to be a big believer in small-ball.

However I think there's a different solution. Mine is: start Theis/Kanter in the front court.
Reasons:

• Kanter is a more proven NBA player in comparison with Wanamaker/Ojeleye/Grant
• Kanter is a bad defender, but decent in post-ups
• 76ers don't have a pick-and-roll handler to expose Kanter
• Embiid can stretch to the 3-point-line, but I'll gladly take that
• As a strategy Embiid stays in the paint on defense, Kanter will be threat as a finisher if he overhelps
• Kanter proved yesterday that he can offensive rebounds against Embiid, nice weapon
• Getting Theis off Embiid, helps him to avoid fatigue or foul trouble, so we can increase his minutes to 30
• Noone can guard Embiid one-on-one, so Theis is more impactful has a help defender of Horford
• Leave Smart/Timelord pick-and-roll weapon off the bench intact
• With Kemba, Brown, Tatum (and Smart/Wanamaker) the Celtics will always have three 3-point-shooters on the court anyway

I agree that we will see plenty of time with Kanter and Theis on the court together but the go to line up (call it starting, finishing, whatever you like) is going to be Smart in for Hayward but the rest as it has been all season.  I am not a big fan of small ball but that is our best line up.

It is interesting that we played well with Horford-Baynes or Horford-Morris a few years back but Theis-Kanter just does not offer enough skill.  Horford was the key to allowing us to play with 2 bigs.  I think the Celtics hoped Kanter would give us that but so far, he just hasn't quite provided that.

[gouki88]

It would certainly be interesting, but when is the last time Brad went big? I remember him avoiding starting Baynes & Horford sometimes. Think this could be a good solution, leave Smart as the pace-changer off the bench

[footey]

There is some logic to this, but it  would be difficult to have Theis run pick and role where he is so valuable with Kantor cluttering the lane in the dunker spot.  I think this will really hurt our spacing on the offensive end which is why I doubt Brad does this.

[keevsnick]

So the strategy is to do what the 76ers do, only with worse overall players?

[wiley]

Whatever happens, I hope Kanter gets more minutes...he gets better after he's warmed up and breaks a good sweat.

I also hope to see Grant Williams get a lot of minutes.

[Who]

Having Smart, Wannamer or Semi out there on the perimeter on offense is more valuable than having Theis space the floor. They are more of a threat (shooting wise all 3, ball-handling and passing wise for Wannamaker and Smart).

Playing Theis and Kanter together makes it easier for Philly to keep Horford and Embiid together. Improves Philly.

Better to keep with small ball. Attacks Philly's weaknesses better. Going big bails them out. Fails to exploit their weaknesses.

Starting Kanter instead of Theis to better deal with Embiid is an interesting idea.

[wiley]

Whatever happens, I hope Kanter gets more minutes...he gets better after he's warmed up and breaks a good sweat.

I also hope to see Grant Williams get a lot of minutes.

yes...to me the best way to mitigate Gordon's loss is a lot of minutes for Grant.   Gordon's shots go to Tatum, Kemba and Brown.

[Neurotic Guy]

Whatever happens, I hope Kanter gets more minutes...he gets better after he's warmed up and breaks a good sweat.

I also hope to see Grant Williams get a lot of minutes.

yes...to me the best way to mitigate Gordon's loss is a lot of minutes for Grant.   Gordon's shots go to Tatum, Kemba and Brown.

Loved Grant's effort in Game 1 and hope to see more of him in Game 2.

To the OP -- I'd love to see Brad try bigger lineups v. these bigger teams. C's can go big with still a lot of talent on the court.

[GreenEnvy]

So the strategy is to do what the 76ers do, only with worse overall players?

We have nobody to stop Embiid, so I’m ok with throwing Kanter on him. He could at least make him work harder for rebounds and on defense in the post.

We have much better players at the 1-3, so I wouldn’t overreact to a weaker front court.

[keevsnick]

So the strategy is to do what the 76ers do, only with worse overall players?

We have nobody to stop Embiid, so I’m ok with throwing Kanter on him. He could at least make him work harder for rebounds and on defense in the post.

We have much better players at the 1-3, so I wouldn’t overreact to a weaker front court.

I mean  I think starting theis/kanter really would just let the 76ers off the hook. We no longer have the Al vs Wing matchup to take advantage of and the paint becomes much more congested with two questionable shoters. I think the strategy hurts the c's strengths in this series while not really adding a  whole lot.

[RodyTur10]

So the strategy is to do what the 76ers do, only with worse overall players?

We have nobody to stop Embiid, so I’m ok with throwing Kanter on him. He could at least make him work harder for rebounds and on defense in the post.

We have much better players at the 1-3, so I wouldn’t overreact to a weaker front court.

I mean  I think starting theis/kanter really would just let the 76ers off the hook. We no longer have the Al vs Wing matchup to take advantage of and the paint becomes much more congested with two questionable shoters. I think the strategy hurts the c's strengths in this series while not really adding a  whole lot.

That wing that's going to have to take advantage of Horford (instead of Hayward) is going to be named Ojeleye or Grant Williams (or Langford or Green). I don't think that will worry the 76ers much.

Might as well put Theis in the corner (where he's effective as a catch-and-shooter) instead of either of those guys.
Horford will need to stay with Theis in the corner, we have Kanter in the paint to occupy Embiid and then it's just up to Walker, Brown and Tatum to beat their man of the dribble. You can get switches via screens to get Harris on Walker or Milton on Brown or Richardson on Tatum.

Minutes distribution

Walker 30
Wanamaker 20
Smart 35
Brown 35
Tatum 35
Ojeleye 10
Theis 30
R. Williams 20
Kanter 25

[tenn_smoothie]

I would be all for a bigger lineup. I get so tired of watching our perimeter-rich and post-poor team struggle to defend and rebound inside. We couldn't pull away in Game 3 because we would play very good defense, but could not get the defensive rebounds. Sixers killed us on the boards til Smart stepped in to rebound the last 2 minutes. No matter how much the game has changed, it is still basketball. And size still has importance. Who has won the title without some effective size inside ? Even the Warriors needed Bogut.

[Tr1boy]

Now that Hayward is out I expect Stevens to start Smart and give the extra available minutes to Wanamaker, Ojeleye and G.Williams. Stevens has always shown to be a big believer in small-ball.

However I think there's a different solution. Mine is: start Theis/Kanter in the front court.
Reasons:

• Kanter is a more proven NBA player in comparison with Wanamaker/Ojeleye/Grant
• Kanter is a bad defender, but decent in post-ups
• 76ers don't have a pick-and-roll handler to expose Kanter
• Embiid can stretch to the 3-point-line, but I'll gladly take that
• As a strategy Embiid stays in the paint on defense, Kanter will be threat as a finisher if he overhelps
• Kanter proved yesterday that he can offensive rebounds against Embiid, nice weapon
• Getting Theis off Embiid, helps him to avoid fatigue or foul trouble, so we can increase his minutes to 30
• Noone can guard Embiid one-on-one, so Theis is more impactful has a help defender of Horford
• Leave Smart/Timelord pick-and-roll weapon off the bench intact
• With Kemba, Brown, Tatum (and Smart/Wanamaker) the Celtics will always have three 3-point-shooters on the court anyway

no sir, no thank you

Kanter and Grant should start if anything.

But Brad won't do it since we keep winning anyways. 

[seancally]

Aren’t we... up 3-0 against the team with the most dominant big in the game today?