Game 2 Changes...Thompson starts

[SCeltic34]

I say play the same starters, let Tatum play Thompson and continue to have Morris on Lebron and go at Love with Horford in the pick and roll. If the Cavs switch Thompson to Horford in the defensive side, let Tatum take Love off the dribble with an outside in game. Keep making the es if Love gives it to you and blow by him if he comes out to cover the perimeter.

I think Cs would get murdered on the boards. If Thompson starts, I think the Cs counter with Baynes. Putting Thompson in also takes a shooter for them off the court (likely Korver). Baynes played 18 out of the 21 minutes Thompson was on the court last game.

I agree with this.  We could play great defense like we did in game 1, but if we don't close out with defensive rebounds it will be for naught.  Baynes has been part of our best defensive units this season and he maximizes our chances as a team to rebound.  We lose some offense but like Cleveland, we're sacrificing offense for defense.

Tatum cannot keep Thompson off the offensive glass.  He also cannot guard Love in the post if he matches up with him, and you can be sure that the Cavs will exploit this matchup early in the game. If Love gets going early in addition to LeBron playing well (which I guarantee he will do in game 2) then that makes the Cavs that much harder to defend.

[RockinRyA]

Not this year. This year we have an answer for Thompson in Monroe and Baynes. This is not Olynyk and Zeller.

[Greyman]

If I am Boston I stay with the game 1 line up. Always can bring Baynes off the bench if needed. Cannot afford to sit Tatum and cannot afford to have to start Brown on LBJ.

I haven't read all 8 pages of this thread, but I strongly agree here. While Stevens is possibly the best coach at adjusting his lineups to meet opposition changes and strengths, I think the Cavs have got to change to try to force Boston to change. Stevens won't fall for that as his starting lineup from game one worked against LeBron, he is the key to the Cavs.

[Big333223]

I'm listening to Bill Simmons on the Lowe Post and they're talking about how Stevens isn't just going to make adjustments but he's also going to guess what Lue's adjustments are so he can make counter-adjustments before the game even starts.

Maybe that's starting Baynes or maybe that's something else we haven't thought of but Brad isn't just going to run back what worked last time.

[Androslav]

Go (home) Cavs! 
Lebron will deliver (turnovers)!

[manl_lui]

I probably wouldn't touch this lineup for now,

I think having Morris guarding LeBron early on is a good thing and let Thompson and Horfrod duke it out

for the Celtics defensively we just have to make sure they box out Thompson (easier said than done!), but offensively, they made this adjustment to protect the paint, but i think we can use Horford to draw out Thompson at the 3 point line to allow cuts and drives for Brown/Rozier or Tatum

[td450]

So who blinks?

Kevin Love on Tatum?
Tatum or Brown trying to box out Tristan Thompson?

We'll see just how ready our two young stars are. I'm betting we win this particular battle.

If they put Love on Tatum, they'd be insane. I suppose that if we keep the lineup, they'll put LeBron on Brown, Korver on Tatum, and Love on Morris. This isn't a great look for us (at least not more than usual), but making Love hang out on the perimeter is something.

I don't know what Lue will do, but I would think their best option is pretty much as you describe. They might see Tatum as scarier than Brown, and put LeBron on him instead.  Either way, if they are smart, Love should take the least awful matchup, which is Morris.

I think they have to take Korver off the court in favor of JR Smith. Tatum would destroy either guy, but he might get 40 on Korver. Their shooting and spacing mostly disappears, and we get much harder to attack. I'm sure Stevens keeps Horford on Love. I would guess Jaylen goes onto Thompson because he is quite a bit stronger than Tatum, and Tatum did an outstanding job on JR Smith. I actually think Jaylen is better suited to dealing with Thompson than anyone else we have.

Unless JR Smith and Hill get hot, I don't see this working for Cleveland. They had a hard enough time scoring before. Thompson may get them 4-5 more possessions, but the lack of spacing will make it harder for LeBron to take over.

[chilidawg]

I probably wouldn't touch this lineup for now,

I think having Morris guarding LeBron early on is a good thing and let Thompson and Horfrod duke it out

for the Celtics defensively we just have to make sure they box out Thompson (easier said than done!), but offensively, they made this adjustment to protect the paint, but i think we can use Horford to draw out Thompson at the 3 point line to allow cuts and drives for Brown/Rozier or Tatum

Then who is on Love, Tatum?  I think starting Baynes and bringing one of Brown or Tatum off the bench gives us the best matchups, which is what this is all about.

Anyone know how to find out how much a Thompson/Love/James/Hill/Korver or Smith lineup got played together in game 1?  Was it successful?  Who did we have on the floor?  TPIA

[smokeablount]

I probably wouldn't touch this lineup for now,

I think having Morris guarding LeBron early on is a good thing and let Thompson and Horfrod duke it out

for the Celtics defensively we just have to make sure they box out Thompson (easier said than done!), but offensively, they made this adjustment to protect the paint, but i think we can use Horford to draw out Thompson at the 3 point line to allow cuts and drives for Brown/Rozier or Tatum

It's tough.  Baynes should be able to largely neutralize TT and that allows Al to match up with Love and I think this year, he's got this.  Then you have Rozier vs. Hill and Tatum vs. Smith, the 2nd and 3rd starting matchups that favor Boston along with Al, and Jaylen vs. Lebron with plenty of other bodies to throw at Lebron. 

But then, the Cavs can get switches to get Baynes on Lebron, and that would likely be a problem.  The flip side is keeping the game 1 starting lineup with 5 guys who can drive, pass and create a shot, but who look like they could get outmuscled. 

Whichever one you go with, I'd say be ready to counter with the other option- either Baynes or Morris- when it's clear we're at a disadvantage.  At this point, even with his occasionally loopy lineups from time to time, I definitely trust Stevens.

[manl_lui]

I probably wouldn't touch this lineup for now,

I think having Morris guarding LeBron early on is a good thing and let Thompson and Horfrod duke it out

for the Celtics defensively we just have to make sure they box out Thompson (easier said than done!), but offensively, they made this adjustment to protect the paint, but i think we can use Horford to draw out Thompson at the 3 point line to allow cuts and drives for Brown/Rozier or Tatum

It's tough.  Baynes should be able to largely neutralize TT and that allows Al to match up with Love and I think this year, he's got this.  Then you have Rozier vs. Hill and Tatum vs. Smith, the 2nd and 3rd starting matchups that favor Boston along with Al, and Jaylen vs. Lebron with plenty of other bodies to throw at Lebron. 

But then, the Cavs can get switches to get Baynes on Lebron, and that would likely be a problem.  The flip side is keeping the game 1 starting lineup with 5 guys who can drive, pass and create a shot, but who look like they could get outmuscled. 

Whichever one you go with, I'd say be ready to counter with the other option- either Baynes or Morris- when it's clear we're at a disadvantage.  At this point, even with his occasionally loopy lineups from time to time, I definitely trust Stevens.

yea this is true, i only have this worry if either Jaylen or Tatum is tasked with guarding LeBron is that they will get in foul trouble, but you're right, we do have bodies to throw at LeBron, if anything, Semi could see some minutes being a defender

[droopdog7]

So after thinking about it more, what if the Celts keep the same starting five and put Mook on love, Al on Thompson, and Brown on lebron?  I mean, this would minimize the mismatches on defense while maintaining some mismatches (and better scoring on offense).

[kozlodoev]

I say play the same starters, let Tatum play Thompson and continue to have Morris on Lebron and go at Love with Horford in the pick and roll. If the Cavs switch Thompson to Horford in the defensive side, let Tatum take Love off the dribble with an outside in game. Keep making the es if Love gives it to you and blow by him if he comes out to cover the perimeter.

I think Cs would get murdered on the boards. If Thompson starts, I think the Cs counter with Baynes. Putting Thompson in also takes a shooter for them off the court (likely Korver). Baynes played 18 out of the 21 minutes Thompson was on the court last game.

I agree with this.  We could play great defense like we did in game 1, but if we don't close out with defensive rebounds it will be for naught. Baynes has been part of our best defensive units this season and he maximizes our chances as a team to rebound.  We lose some offense but like Cleveland, we're sacrificing offense for defense.

Tatum cannot keep Thompson off the offensive glass.  He also cannot guard Love in the post if he matches up with him, and you can be sure that the Cavs will exploit this matchup early in the game. If Love gets going early in addition to LeBron playing well (which I guarantee he will do in game 2) then that makes the Cavs that much harder to defend.

Sure, if you're prepared to live with a Baynes switch on LeBron on every possession, we can do that.

And no, no-one is putting Tatum on Thompson.

[droopdog7]

So after thinking about it more, what if the Celts keep the same starting five and put Mook on love, Al on Thompson, and Brown on lebron?  I mean, this would minimize the mismatches on defense while maintaining some mismatches (and better scoring on offense).

Called it.

[Big333223]

Jaylen Brown is amazing.

Coming into the league the talk was he'd be a small ball 4 because of his strength. This year, though, he's been the starting SG because of his quickness. All season he's been a terrific defender of SG's and now in this series when Kevin Love tries to post him up he's swatting shots out of bounds.

Jaylen's ability to cover 4 positions (5 positions, when Love plays center) is allowing Morris to stay on the court and guard Lebron even with Thompson starting.

[Celtics4ever]

Jaylen Brown is amazing.

Tatum gets a lot of hype, but I think Brown is special, too.   His growth this year has been key all year!

This year, we are not just prisoner to small ball and have to option to play big and actually have the horses to go head to head in the post with other teams.  This has really hurt us in the past.   Sure, we still play small balls but we can match up big when we need, too.   

Kudos for Ainge for getting some lengthy athletes and Baynes!