Masslive details JJ in the starting lineup; Smart's post-up dominance

[jpotter33]

I saw this last night and thought it was interesting. It really shows you the type of players that we should be targeting to surround IT with, specifically the "3 and D" stretch 4 like JJ. It also just verifies many of our arguments that we should be posting up Marcus and Brown much more.

https://www.masslive.com/celtics/index.ssf/2017/01/jonas_jerebko_boston_celtics.html

Jonas Jerebko found his way into the starting lineup during last year's playoffs and appears to have accomplished the same trick earlier this season.

Though Celtics head coach Brad Stevens said the first unit could could still change in some circumstances, Jerebko started his fourth straight game Monday night against the Detroit Pistons. Two of the starts came with Al Horford sidelined by a groin injury, but Jerebko has also claimed Amir Johnson's spot in the other two games. When Horford returned against Detroit, it was Jerebko -- not Johnson -- who remained in the starting five.

One reason, Stevens said, is how well Jerebko plays alongside Isaiah Thomas.

"(Jerebko is) a guy that can space the floor," Stevens said before topping the Pistons, 113-109. "He's a guy that, when you have paint attacks, when you have more threats, obviously, he can be at his best, whether it's shooting or driving against the closeouts. "

During Jerebko's two-plus seasons with the Celtics, the team has dominated opponents when he shares the court with Thomas and Jae Crowder. The reasons seem simple; Crowder and Jerebko can both space the floor for their high-scoring teammate while covering, with length and mobility, for some of Thomas' defensive shortcomings. Over 185 minutes this season, that trio currently holds a +19.8 net rating, according to NBA.com. That's a tiny sample size, but the trend held last year (+15.9) and the season before that (+28.3). Ever since they all played on the bench -- which sounds weird now -- the Celtics have been killers with Thomas, Crowder and Jerebko on the court.

Now those guys are all starting -- and still finding similar results. Since Jerebko entered the first unit, the trio has racked up a +30.8 net rating over 78 minutes together, according to NBA.com. The Celtics always score with Thomas on the court, but have also defended at elite levels when he's surrounded by Jerebko and Crowder. During minutes with those three players, the Celtics have allowed 99.6 points per 100 possessions -- a defensive rating that would lead the NBA among all teams. If that number holds steady, it would be a huge deal for a club that has failed too frequently to make up for Thomas' defensive limitations.

One of these days, an opponent will choose not to defend Marcus Smart with a point guard even when he's the shortest Celtics player on the court. Against mismatches, Smart has become a low-post force; he can turn and score a bucket, but morphs into a more devastating force when teams send extra defenders and open passing lanes.

Knowing how Smart punishes smaller guys, Stevens called on a super-sized lineup early in the first half, he said, "To post Marcus."

"That's why," Stevens said. "It was all about trying to post Marcus. The rest of those guys were part of a big lineup, but the reason we were big was that."

The idea was to force the Pistons into putting Ish Smith on Smart -- and it worked. The Celtics ran their second-unit offense through Smart in the post, taking full advantage of his matchup against the 6-foot-0, 175-pounder. While not all his work came against Smith, Smart shot 3 for 13 from the field, but still finished with 13 points, eight assists, and a +11. According to NBA.com, the Celtics racked up a huge 119.2 points per 100 possessions during Smart's 30 minutes of playing time.

Once Avery Bradley returns, the Celtics will likely stick with a second unit that includes taller wings alongside Smart at point guard. That's not a knock on Terry Rozier, who has his moments, but a nod to what Smart can do against shorter defenders.

"Every time Smart has a small guard on him we try to post him because he has the advantage," Thomas said. "And he knows how to not just score down there but make a play for somebody else."

"Those guys pretty much have a mismatch down there," Jae Crowder said, referring to Smart and Al Horford. "And teams help. They have to rotate, and then we get the ball moving from the post-up. That's part of our game plan."