Heat (0-0) at Celtics (0-0) ECF Game #1 9/14/20

[tstorey_97]

This is a tough mactchup for a couple of reasons.

This bubble schedule is different. No travel, no home court and they play every other day.

In a traditional 17 day 7 game playoff series it's one thing.
In a bubble series it's 8 or 9 days? They play every other day. My point isn't that one or another team is disadvantaged by this bubble thing....my point is that if a team gets hot? A team gets hot and we have seen that.

Miami is hot now...they are very hot. I don't care that they're named the heat. They lost to the Pacers on the 14th of August. Then they beat the Pacers four straight and none of those games were close.

Then they beat the Bucks three straight and none of them were close. Then Bucks beat them in OT and folded.

The Heat are 9-2 in the playoffs. They are rolling now and it's going to be a game every other day right up to Sunday the 27th for game 7 if it goes that long.

I really don't see finger pointing solving much...they are rolling and something needs to happen to break their pattern.

We used to say the worst enemy to a team is to be the favorite. Your just walking up the court and your gonna win no matter what. Maybe that was what Doc was dealing with in Clippers/Denver.

"Hey, we're supposed to win"

I hope Miami starts to believe that and Brad and his scrappy underdogs will have a shot.

[Kuberski33]

Tough one to swallow but kudos to the Heat - most notably Herro for that incredible 3 late, and Butler who was kind of invisible during the game but made two clutch shots at the end. To Bam as well for his block.

Frustrating to see Tatum play the hero and come short on multiple possessions - his stepback 3 was not a good shot (I know we would see it differently if he made it but still). Kind of fear this the game we shouldn't lose considering how hot Marcus was.

I'm going to disagree on the Tatum 3. I thought it was a good shot in that situation. He's made several, it was uncontested and there's no chance of the Heat making a strip and having a chance to win. 

[jambr380]

Every game seems to be a slog for this Cs team and we just can't close the deal.

That’s what happens when you don’t have a bench and you have to play your starters 43 minutes.

I know you keep talking about the bench, but if we just had Hayward and he took 5 minutes from each of Kemba, Smart, Brown, and Tatum, then it wouldn't have been a problem. It was also an OT game so feel free to erase 10 minutes from those totals (unusual circumstance), instead of 5...not that our players would only play 33 minutes in a close playoff game - just saying it for emphasis.

Also, it's not like their players weren't around the same minutes. Bam and Butler were at 43 w/ Goran, Herro, and Crowder pushing 40.

Seriously, though, we need Hayward to come back for game 2. Especially with him leaving the bubble again, we need his presence on the floor even if he isn't 100%. It's amazing we have done this well w/o a player of his quality. What other team can say that?

[Kuberski33]

Every game seems to be a slog for this Cs team and we just can't close the deal.

That’s what happens when you don’t have a bench and you have to play your starters 43 minutes.

I know you keep talking about the bench, but if we just had Hayward and he took 5 minutes from each of Kemba, Smart, Brown, and Tatum, then it wouldn't have been a problem. It was also an OT game so feel free to erase 10 minutes from those totals (unusual circumstance), instead of 5...not that our players would only play 33 minutes in a close playoff game - just saying it for emphasis.

Also, it's not like their players weren't around the same minutes. Bam and Butler were at 43 w/ Goran, Herro, and Crowder pushing 40.

Seriously, though, we need Hayward to come back for game 2. Especially with him leaving the bubble again, we need his presence on the floor even if he isn't 100%. It's amazing we have done this well w/o a player of his quality. What other team can say that?

You can't expect the Hayward who returns to be the same guy he was before he got hurt. This series is being played at the highest level there is and it's going to take him awhile to work up to that.  If he plays my hope is that he'll make some 3's. That's where he can probably help the most. 

I've knocked their bench all season and to me, they're getting more out of it than we could have expected.  Wanamaker has been surprisingly good, as has Grant Williams (he's made his share of open 3's) and Time Lord has given them useful minutes especially on the boards.

[jambr380]

Every game seems to be a slog for this Cs team and we just can't close the deal.

That’s what happens when you don’t have a bench and you have to play your starters 43 minutes.

I know you keep talking about the bench, but if we just had Hayward and he took 5 minutes from each of Kemba, Smart, Brown, and Tatum, then it wouldn't have been a problem. It was also an OT game so feel free to erase 10 minutes from those totals (unusual circumstance), instead of 5...not that our players would only play 33 minutes in a close playoff game - just saying it for emphasis.

Also, it's not like their players weren't around the same minutes. Bam and Butler were at 43 w/ Goran, Herro, and Crowder pushing 40.

Seriously, though, we need Hayward to come back for game 2. Especially with him leaving the bubble again, we need his presence on the floor even if he isn't 100%. It's amazing we have done this well w/o a player of his quality. What other team can say that?

You can't expect the Hayward who returns to be the same guy he was before he got hurt. This series is being played at the highest level there is and it's going to take him awhile to work up to that.  If he plays my hope is that he'll make some 3's. That's where he can probably help the most. 

I've knocked their bench all season and to me, they're getting more out of it than we could have expected.  Wanamaker has been surprisingly good, as has Grant Williams (he's made his share of open 3's) and Time Lord has given them useful minutes especially on the boards.

I get it, expectations have changed for Hayward and hopefully he can produce when he returns. I more meant if Hayward never was hurt, then a thin bench really wouldn’t be an issue in terms of minutes played. No other team that is left is dealing with that kind of vacancy.

[MickaelPietrus]

Brad should have challenged that foul on Williams when Crowder flopped his way to FTs....Game would have never been in OT

He has to be the worst coach in the league regarding the use of challenges.

[Vermont Green]

The game could have gone either way.  The Celtics played well for stretches and were outplayed for stretches.  These are two very evenly matched teams.  Everyone can see this.

My concern is the play of Walker.  Miami is copying Toronto and "blitzing" him and this is not only taking Walker out of his game but taking the Celtics out of their game more generally.  I would not have thought this was the case but these games are showing me that the Celtics rely on Kemba to be the creator at crunch times more than I realized.

Kemba may be hurt and not 100%, I don't know, but when he has the ball, nothing is happening.  He is just dribbling around and everyone else is standing around.  He is not creating anything for himself or for anyone else.

Eventually the ball gets back to someone else and they just isolate and try to create a contested shot.  Pick and roll with Marcus Smart may be a better set for the end of the game than thinking Kemba is going to create something.

[footey]

The game could have gone either way.  The Celtics played well for stretches and were outplayed for stretches.  These are two very evenly matched teams.  Everyone can see this.

My concern is the play of Walker.  Miami is copying Toronto and "blitzing" him and this is not only taking Walker out of his game but taking the Celtics out of their game more generally.  I would not have thought this was the case but these games are showing me that the Celtics rely on Kemba to be the creator at crunch times more than I realized.

Kemba may be hurt and not 100%, I don't know, but when he has the ball, nothing is happening.  He is just dribbling around and everyone else is standing around.  He is not creating anything for himself or for anyone else.

Eventually the ball gets back to someone else and they just isolate and try to create a contested shot.  Pick and roll with Marcus Smart may be a better set for the end of the game than thinking Kemba is going to create something.

I'm also concerned. If it continues, we may have to drastically cut down his minutes. He is hurting us at both ends.  More Wannamaker and, when recovered, Hayward.

[wiley]

Instead of trying get Walker going....the C's should focus on how to take advantage of the attention being paid to him....it's a team sport and all the individual talk is driving me crazy...Walker did or didn't do this....Tatum is or isn't a superstar....just shut up! 

Walker had a lot of good looks and is in a shooting slump.  He shouldn't try to dribble out of it....just play basic basketball....go for step back twos, pass and keep being active on defense....But I don't care how many points he scores.  Or anyone for that matter.