1. Play Robert Williams more in key stretches. HERE ME OUT. I'm all for CBS ability to develop players slowly. If CBS doesn't think he is ready, he probably isn't, but I have a specific reason for this.
Scoring guards are killing us this season. Oladipo, Walker, Burke, Mitchell, Booker, just to name a few. The reason is strategy-specific. The Celtics employ a strategy that puts Brown and Smart on an island alone against these guys. CBS refuses to allow those scorers to become distributors, which would include the rest of the opposition's offense. On probability (and especially in a 7 game series) a scoring guard like this can't beat the Celtics by themselves.
Normally, Horford's or Baynes' man comes and sets a pick for the scoring guard. CBS strategy is that Horford and Baynes contain the drive, create indecision in the driver, and give Smart, Rozier, or Brown enough time to get back in front of the ball-handler. A good scoring guard refuses to become indecisive and, instead, attacks with a pullup or drive, forcing Horford or Baynes to try to make a play. The other thing they do is snake, get their defender on their hip, and slowly work their way into the lane for a floater or layup.
I do not believer Williams' IQ is ready for big minutes yet, but if you put him in there for four minute stints when those scorers are getting going, you make life much harder on them. One of Williams greatest assets is his length and quickness off the floor, which gives him the ability to block pullup jumpers (or at least make the shooter really uncomfortable) while giving the ball-handler space to prevent drives.
Its gimmicky. It's a small chess move. I don't think he is ready to be consistent rotation player yet, but he could be huge in key moments for us. In fairness, all the opposing team would have to do would be to send a different screener other than Williams' man. However, if you played Williams with wings and guards, if they sent a different screener, you'd just switch every pick and stagnate their offense, forcing the scorer to go one-on-one against a set defender.
2. Simplify the offense. One of the reasons the offense is struggling is because of the talent. We have a lot of guys that can be very good, but that doesn't mean it should be egalitarian. We have too many guys trying to learn and grow. Rozier is still trying to master timing in the pick-and-roll so he can be a starter in this league. Tatum is trying to take his game to the next level as a scorer/distributor. Brown is trying to draw more fouls and distribute as well. Irving is still learning how to control the game as a point guard. Hayward is trying to get back to 100%. In the middle of all of this, Marcus Morris and Marcus Smart are ball dominant (even though they have been pretty good at times), which hurts the rhythm of other players.
Run all the offense through Irving, Smart, and Hayward only. Run the offense through them like Houston runs it through Harden, Paul, and Gordon. For the time being, Rozier, Tatum, and Brown are all relegated to the Ojeleye corner role. Baynes, Williams, Horford, and Morris can all be the screeners, but ideally 90% of those minutes go to Horford and Morris.
Hayward has demonstrated the ability to run the offense and get good looks for teammates. Irving is growing every game as a distributor for his teammates. Smart can be the secondary ball-handler for either guy because he can get good looks for his teammates in the pick-and-roll and his weakness as a shooter is mitigated when the ball is in his hands.
Let all of those guys get into rhythm in those simple roles. Then, little by little, let the other guys figure out their roles.
It seems like we are trying to do too much all at once. Maybe CBS sees a way to get all this figured out in one frustrating stretch at the beginning of the season, but I'm a bit worried we are biting off more than we can chew and we might end up choking.
Topic: Two Adjustments that Might Help (Read 2346 times)