Exploiting Regular Season Defense: The Celtics and Hawks and Empty Success

[PhoSita]

https://twitter.com/bballbreakdown/status/597153371074756608

Two teams had many glowing articles written about them this year, and two coaches got a lot of positive attention (including a Coach of the Year award), for winning a lot of regular season games despite a perceived lack of talent. 

Both teams made use of a pace-and-space style system predicated on spreading the floor and avoiding zeroing in on any particular player as the focal point of the team.  On the other end, positional versatility made solid defense possible without elite rim protectors.


These two teams, the Boston Celtics, and Atlanta Hawks, both ran into a bit of a wall in the playoffs.  The Celtics got demolished by the Cavaliers, a star laden team heavily reliant on unimaginative isolation plays, while the Hawks struggled with the lumbering, underachieving Brooklyn Nets, and now are fighting tooth and nail to keep pace with a Washington Wizards team missing its superstar point guard.


Perhaps constructing a gameplan for your team that is all about exploiting undisciplined regular season defense isn't such a great thing? 

Noting that a team plays "greater than the sum of its parts" is another way of saying that the team is finding ways to cover up deficiencies in talent -- deficiencies that have a way of getting exposed and exploited in the playoffs.

[BudweiserCeltic]

Two things, we got swept by the Cavs but were hardly demolished.

Funny thing, look at the great Houston team and how they're being destroyed by the Clippers. You know, a team with some stars and MVP candidates on their team. And they are losing to a Clippers team that was decimated by injuries, playing without Paul in their first 2 games.

Look at how much trouble Chicago is having with Cleveland, a team that lost it's 2nd/3rd best player... which doesn't mean much other than he's only placed like that because they do feature LeBron James.

That the Celtics lost against the best team in the East, at full strength, is not proof of anything.

As for the Hawks, they were a team that had a poor 2nd half to the year... similar to the Pacers last year. Well not poor, but certainly not with the strength that the team was lauded for earlier on. Plus Millsap got hurt entering the playoffs, and he's sick today and out of the starting line-up.

[greece66]

Celtics got in the playoffs against all odds and after trading their two best players.

Atlanta has a good chance (esp. after Wall's injury) of getting in the Eastern Conference Finals. If they succeed, this will be their first team since 1961, if I am not mistaken.

I see your point: these teams were better suited for the regular season than the playoffs. But, this is far from being "empty" success.
Moreover, keep an eye for the future of these teams. Building a good team is not a 100 metre race. It is Marathon.

[Rondo9]

Don't forget that Milsap and Hortford are dealing with injuries at the moment.

[Snakehead]

Truly the Celtics experienced the success of not even being .500 and barely making the Playoffs.

Bashing teams for making the most out of their talent is weird.  Obviously we know the Celtics need more talent.  I'm sure the Hawks would love more too.  It's trying to make an odd story out of the super obvious.  Teams play harder in the Playoffs, defenses are better, and getting your Star calls matters that much more.  Top level talent shines through.

[Csfan1984]

I always felt both were over-achieving teams that were fun to watch at times. Atlanta's talent though is peaked IMO. Cs are just getting started. Says a lot about both coaches and GMs. Atlanta is getting some luck with the 15th and cap spending options. C's got some bad luck making playoffs and picking 16th.

[greece66]

@ Csfan1984
I agree with what you write.
Just a minor detail- that Atlanta had the option to switch picks with Brooklyn does not make such a big difference, we all know Boston has a ****load of picks coming. As for salary cap, Ainge has spent money wisely, avoiding major commitments and getting arguably the team's best player (IT) on a steal of a contract.

Any franchise can do what Cleveland did: getting Lebron turns you into instantly into a contender. But what we have here is two teams that punched above their weight and  both deserve some credit for this.

[greece66]

Would the OP care to start a poll on whether the success of these teams was empty or not?

Would be fun to quantify this debate.

[PhoSita]

Would the OP care to start a poll on whether the success of these teams was empty or not?

Would be fun to quantify this debate.

I don't think what the Celtics and Hawks did this year was necessarily empty, but I do think it's worth considering. 

Winning more games than expected in the regular season doesn't mean a whole lot if your team is still ill-equipped to succeed in the playoffs.

I'm not suggesting that what the teams did was bad, either.  Let's celebrate what they did well.  I suppose it's something to keep in mind as Ainge continues to shape the roster.  Build for the playoffs, not the regular season.

[MBunge]

Doesn't San Antonio pretty much play a pace-and-space offense?

People who talk about "empty success" sound like people who've never competed for anything.

Mike

[PhoSita]

Doesn't San Antonio pretty much play a pace-and-space offense?

People who talk about "empty success" sound like people who've never competed for anything.

Mike

Yes, SA have the pace and space system.  That's part of how they've won so many regular season games over the last five years even when it seems like they should fall off due to injuries or stars aging.  Over that span, they've been exposed in the playoffs a few times.

SA has been at their best a team that is capable of any style, which gives them the ability to go to a different gear in the playoffs.  They have that extra gear because of their core stars.  In years when they've been limited by injuries, that extra gear isn't there and they fizzle out.


As for the judgmental comment ... Meh.

[BudweiserCeltic]

Doesn't San Antonio pretty much play a pace-and-space offense?

People who talk about "empty success" sound like people who've never competed for anything.

Mike

Yes, SA have the pace and space system.  That's part of how they've won so many regular season games over the last five years even when it seems like they should fall off due to injuries or stars aging.  Over that span, they've been exposed in the playoffs a few times.

SA has been at their best a team that is capable of any style, which gives them the ability to go to a different gear in the playoffs.  They have that extra gear because of their core stars.  In years when they've been limited by injuries, that extra gear isn't there and they fizzle out.


As for the judgmental comment ... Meh.

Different teams, different styles, etc., etc. all get exposed one way or another in the playoffs... even one with a 3-headed monster of LeBron-Bosh-Wade got exposed a few times in the playoffs. Does that mean we should avoid building a star triumvirate as well? How have the Clippers fared with their two-headed monster? How much success have the Thunder had in the playoffs? How many times have they been exposed?

I don't think there's anything conclusive in all of this, nothing worth extrapolating other than what we all had known regardless, we need to increase our talent level and need a better roster balance.

[PhoSita]

I do think there's a difference between regular season ball and playoff ball, and some teams are built better for one than the other.  On one hand you have the Raptors.  On another, the Wizards.

The best teams can play both well.  Last years Spurs and this years Warriors, for example.  That, of course, is the ideal.

But you're right, you can't extrapolate too much from these distinctions.  I just think it's interesting to consider.

[Csfan1984]

@ Csfan1984
I agree with what you write.
Just a minor detail- that Atlanta had the option to switch picks with Brooklyn does not make such a big difference, we all know Boston has a ****load of picks coming. As for salary cap, Ainge has spent money wisely, avoiding major commitments and getting arguably the team's best player (IT) on a steal of a contract.

Any franchise can do what Cleveland did: getting Lebron turns you into instantly into a contender. But what we have here is two teams that punched above their weight and  both deserve some credit for this.

Sure they get credit. They did great. I'm just think in terms of adding talent Hawks can get another rotation player at 15 or  go high boom/bust gamble player after winning a ton of games so that is lucky for them. And despite guys being FAs they get cap options at the same time. Celtics need to add big talent not another rotation guy so making playoffs doesn't work out too great.

[Csfan1984]

Doesn't San Antonio pretty much play a pace-and-space offense?

People who talk about "empty success" sound like people who've never competed for anything.

Mike

Yes, SA have the pace and space system.  That's part of how they've won so many regular season games over the last five years even when it seems like they should fall off due to injuries or stars aging.  Over that span, they've been exposed in the playoffs a few times.

SA has been at their best a team that is capable of any style, which gives them the ability to go to a different gear in the playoffs.  They have that extra gear because of their core stars.  In years when they've been limited by injuries, that extra gear isn't there and they fizzle out.


As for the judgmental comment ... Meh.

Well said PhoSita