The Boston Celtics are approaching the playoffs, will their pace and spacing be enough come the postseason?
Playoff basketball is a more malicious animal, will Brad Stevens veer towards a more conventionally run offense? He has his guys looking down court for long outlets and utilizing Isaiah Thomas’ speed as a one man fast break, even if the ball does go in. The teams gathered in the post-season will all be weary of how quick the Celtics transition defense into offense.
Defensively, Stevens has this group dialed in and playoff ready, offensively the majority of points scored come from “cherry picking” and laziness on the part of the opponent. Can Stevens fixate on half-court sets that best utilize his best most dangerous weapon in Isaiah Thomas, who stands under 6 feet tall.
No amount of misdirection will allow Thomas a good clean open look. It will be up to him, in understanding when to push the pace and turn a make on one end into a make on the other, in the blink of an eye. Thomas is on par with the best point guards in the league at finishing in transition at full speed. How many times will Isaiah be able to exploit a defense in a seven game series?
He has put this team on his back for the regular season, it will soon be Stevens’ turn to prove how well he can coach, only in the post-season.
Talent wise, the Celtics are still part of those last three seeds for the playoffs. Stevens has the recipe for the regular season, which put simply is hustle and determination. Oddly enough, that is the recipe for most teams once the contest begins, not every game prior. Unless this team has another gear to tune they may find it hard to keep up with opponent’s shot-makers.
There is only so much Brad Stevens can do on the sidelines during a game for his team. The bottom line is, shots fall. Over the outstretched arms of the Celtics great defense, we can not expect the same shots to fall from the talent on Stevens’ roster.
The one dark horse on Boston’s squad is Jared Sullinger. He will need to be solid in every facet of a game for thirty minutes over the duration of a series. I feel coach Stevens has had Sullinger on a leash for the regular season, knowing he will need to be fresh to play a bulk of minutes against playoff teams.
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The guards have driven the success for the Celtics all season with the pace of play and defensive tenacity. That success may not translate against eight capable teams. The big man rotation of Kelly Olynyk, Amir Johnson and Sullinger will dictate how many games or series they win come the postseason.
Rebounding, disrupting shots at the rim and simply finishing whenever, wherever they can is the recipe for Brad Stevens’ Celtics postseason success. Sullinger will be left to hit open jump shots constantly, and if he does not make those shots, it spells disaster for the rest of the team. The same goes for Olynyk, while Johnson will need to bring consistent energy, battling down low.
Having to play the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round last year should have this team prepared for what it takes in the postseason. Strictly based on match-ups, the Cavaliers were and are the only team in the East the Celtics can not function their offense, and how they would like to play defense.
Next: Who Should the Celtics Hope to Play in Round One?
Stevens’ dispersion of minutes will need tighten two-fold as well as the execution in the half court, which may purely come down to guys like Sully and Kelly making shots. This mixture of jump shooters hold the key to unlocking round two of the tournament.