Game Three Shows Importance of Boston’s Second Unit
Game three was a great reminder of how important the second unit is for Boston
While a lot of the emphasis is being put on the new small ball starting unit that Brad Stevens put forward in game three, the second unit may have been even more important for the Boston Celtics. The most important minutes of the game were when the Celtics held off Jimmy Butler and Dwyane Wade at the beginning of the fourth, with both Isaiah Thomas and Al Horford on the bench.
Chances are their absence for that long in the fourth will be an anomaly. It is hard to imagine that Stevens planned to have them sit that long. Instead, Stevens saw a unit that was hot and building a lead, and did not want to disrupt any of that.
The timing could not have been better in game three for the second unit, but the four minutes when Thomas sat to end the first quarter and the first six minutes of the fourth quarter will hopefully be an indicator of things to come. It is hard to tell how Thomas’ minutes will pan out, but if they can succeed with him on the bench, they have a great chance at the comeback here.
The Celtics should be able to know what they can get out of their starters. The reality right now is that even if the starters are at their best, going against talent like Butler and Wade can neutralize that. The Celtics know they should have an advantage with their starters, but it kills all their momentum when the second unit cannot hold it together, against much inferior talent.
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The Celtics have spent the majority of this rebuild focusing on their guards. The Celtics have felt confident about their guard depth all season long, but this was the first game when they really got results.
The starting unit for Boston has put a lot of pressure on themselves this season, largely because of the awful runs the second unit has given up far too often. That pressure was completely alleviated after that run to end the first quarter. The Celtics need the second unit to maintain any lead that the starters get, not only because of the results on the scoreboard, but because of how it impacts the mentality of the starters.
The Celtics have been forcing far too much in this series, making everything harder on themselves. Everything feels easier for the players when the second unit is getting that edge. It is difficult to quantify this mental impact, but it hurts the starters in a lot of ways. If they feel as though it is not enough for them to win their battles, but they also have to win enough to make up for the inevitable loses of the second unit, they may force the issue too much.
Stevens clearly needed to figure things out with the second unit rotation, and it appears as though he has found how to optimize them. While Stevens used a really big rotation in game three, that could shrink a bit in game four, as Terry Rozier and Marcus Smart were the only ones to play more than 15 minutes.
The strength of Boston’s depth has always been heir guards, and now is the time that they need it most. Smart and Rozier gave the Celtics a boost in both phases of the game, and made sure that Thomas got the help that he has not been getting this series.
With how weak the Bulls’ back court is without Rajon Rondo, this series could be over if the Celtics do not take advantage of that biggest weakness. The best mismatches the Celtics will get for the rest of the series is in the backup back court.
The Celtics can now have tremendous confidence in their second unit guards, but consistency has been the issue all year long. The Celtics need that second unit to finally put together consistent play because if they do that, Thomas will be getting more help than he has seen all season long.
The Celtics know that they will not be going anywhere if their starters are not playing well, but how far they go will have a lot to do with how well that second unit plays. After finishing off the season on a stretch where there was absolutely no scoring whatsoever with Thomas on the bench, it is quite exciting to see the Celtics have a better offensive rating with Thomas off the court.
Next: Its More Than Rondo's Injury that Helped the Celtics
The Celtics were pushed to their absolute limits before game three, but it allowed Stevens to finally figure out how to make this game easier on his players. Everything on both ends has been far too difficult and straining for the Celtics in this series, but getting this kind of boost from the second unit can change that quickly.