Boston’s Defense vs. Golden State’s Offense The much-anticipated heavyweight basketball fans can’t wait to see these NBA Finals coming. But in Game 1, the Celtics’ scoring onslaught stole the show.
Boston, which has scored 129 points per 100 possessions, has scored just once in the playoffs (Game 2 against the Heat) and has only 11 games throughout the regular season. They share the ball (they shot a whopping 76.7 percent from the field, trailing only their shooting percentage in Game 7 against the Bucks), and nearly half of their shots are 3-pointers and 3-pointers. More than half One of them went in — it’s only happened five times this season.
Now, the question for Steve Kerr, Draymond Green, and others is whether they should execute the same strategy and hope Boston gets colder, or adjust their game plans and focus more on the perimeter (which is What the Celtics did after losing Game 1) their second-round series against the Bucks.
Such an impressive shot underscores the amount of noise in a game, notably setting a new Finals scoring differential record in the fourth quarter (Boston outscored Golden State by 24 points during that period). Al Horford, Derrick White and Marcus Smart threw flames from the outside. Some of that might not go from night to night; Boston’s 181.8 offensive rating in the final 12 minutes (laughs) felt like an outlier, and on a night things didn’t go the way the Warriors’ defense had hoped. (Golden State has only had two worse defenses all season: March 3 in Dallas, and that epic second-round win against the Grizzlies.)
But Boston’s success extended beyond the final six minutes of the game.119.1 points per 100 possessions first Half, withstood a wave of Stephen Curry 3-pointers that would have buried them before the game even started. Jaylen Brown ended the game with a game-high usage rate and started the fourth quarter with an unstoppable score and assist, pounding the rim and rising for a jumper, outpacing the guard.
“I feel like if you put the ball in my hands, I usually put myself in a good position to win,” Brown said. “I started in the fourth quarter. I did some really good reads.”
Despite Jayson Tatum’s 3-for-17 shooting, the Celtics won by double digits, Boston’s best player didn’t stop using all his defensive attention to shoot a career-high 13 times Assists and two turnovers ended the game. “They’ve done a great job of helping and things like that,” Tatum said after the game. “So, you know, obviously it’s as simple as you draw two, find someone who’s open. That’s exactly what I’m trying to do.” Tatum has been a passer from the start, he’s shooting Open teammates were found early in the time.
Horford’s first three games were similar to those above.
Both shots were made by Draymond Green’s players. This is no coincidence. Green lived in the paint the entire game, stopping them even before they happened. (More on that later.) See how far he is from Horford in the game below.
This is intentional. The Warriors were showing different looks and coverage throughout the night. All in an effort to swarm Boston’s two best players and keep the others off the rim. Boston attempted just eight shots in the paint and also had five of their 10 long twos. “In the late game, they played one-on-one on JB. In the early part of the game, they played one-on-one on JT,” Ime Udoka said. “They’re a little late to the district.”
(Early in the second quarter, “one” of the Golden State Warriors deployed on Tatum was Jordan Poole, which was… fun!)
Aside from their belief that Boston’s role players won’t kill them from deep in the other three games, the Warriors have some reason to be happy with how they’ve packed the paint. Coming in, it’s a foregone conclusion that Tatum and Brown will hunt down underdog defenders as they did in the first three rounds.
Golden State is ready. Whenever Tatum or Brown find themselves isolated by Curry or Poole, the four Warriors are huddled on the floor, all on deck. Often, they can help with the ball without fully committing to double-teaming. It was Andrew Wiggins’ nail that forced Tatum to turn to Kevin Rooney.
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Better discipline to shrink and recover will help. Poole and Curry also did their part. They moved their feet, had a tough game, and didn’t feel like a folding chair — especially when Boston was going a little too fast.
The Celtics are also smart about how they want to play. Boston didn’t communicate their intentions and simply set ball screens for Tatum or Brown — as the Mavericks did with Luka Doncic — Boston camouflaged and delayed their goals. On a few occasions, Tatum set up an initial ball screen and immediately got out of the flash (usually a pistol move). Here is an example:
When Boston played again at the start of the third quarter, Tatum kept Horford open for a 3-pointer but opted for a tough floater.
Here, the Celtics opened up their possession with a wide pick-and-roll that was frozen by the Warriors. Smart spun back into the middle, then made a quick pass and chased Curry, forcing Curry to play. Not wanting to switch, Curry waved Wiggins back, but it was too late. Tatum never misses it every time.
As the series progresses, the Celtics will be looking for more and more mismatches. And, aside from his reading of the game, Tatum can attack them with more patience. Here is an example. With the floor spreading and an opportunity for Curry to guard another ball screen, Tatum passed the ball to Horford in the opposite corner instead of waiting for Smart’s pick.
It wasn’t a bad decision anyway. Green has one foot in the paint when the ball is in the air. But there’s also value in getting Curry to play, potentially creating a foul or igniting a drive-and-kick medley.
Collectively, these quick reads and scripted half-court setups help explain why Boston ended the regular season with the NBA’s best offense after the All-Star break. They move the ball, slice it and emphasize each other. They also adjust based on the game. Take the second-quarter pick-and-roll of Tatum and Rob Williams III, for example. When the screen is set, Rooney rushes up to switch while Wiggins descends below to take the roll. Tatum responded by tossing the ball to Brown, who got along well with Klay Thompson in isolation.
On the next play, Tatum trotted from the corner to another ball screen for Williams III. But this time, considering a switch, Rob slid across the screen and was fed a simple bucket.
One final note: With 3:47 left in a two-round game, Udoka called a timeout and developed a play that adjusted for predictability. Naturally, Smart ran up and set up a ball screen for Tatum, dragging Curry into the fray. But instead of making contact, Smart turned the draft pick into a ghost, and Wiggins froze when the Warriors realized they didn’t have to make the switch. When Tatum teeed off from the right, Green went into the paint again to block that hole, ignoring Horford (Horford made a down screen for Smart).
It’s a smart offense against a prepared defense. Tatum found the assist and easily passed the ball to Horford, who hit a jumper from 17 feet.
This shot isn’t a 3-pointer, but it encapsulates some of the broader philosophical adjustments Golden State can make going forward.green no Have Ignore Horford. He could take two steps outside and watch Tatum take on Wiggins one-on-one. However, with the full understanding that they can’t take everything at once, the rim has always been their number one priority. Under Kerr, no defense has allowed less shots at the rim than the Golden State Warriors since 2015. This year they are number one in the category (27%). Not only are they No. 1 in these playoffs, they’re allowing 10% less Shots at the rim are better than they were in the regular season.
“We’re going to be fine,” Green said after Game 1. “We’re going to figure out a way to stop them from getting the three and take them away.”
This is obviously easier said than done for a unit with four or five players. The Celtics have seen and conquered similar defensive plays in the Finals, first in Milwaukee and then in Miami. But more athleticism and muscle on the perimeter could ease some backline help. A healthy Gary Payton II would help (probably more than Poole), and don’t be surprised if Jonathan Cuminga gets drafted against Brown and Tatum.
Those rotation options will hurt Golden State’s space on the other end against the best defense in the league. But if they can’t slow down Boston’s offense, the spacing won’t matter.
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