The Celtics will need to adjust their defensive scheme to put real pressure on the Wizards in the series.
The Boston Celtics took care of the Washington Wizards in Game 1 of the eastern conference semifinals by a score of 123-111. The Wizards started the game on a 16-0 run, building a 38-24 lead in the first quarter.
After that, the Celtics outscored Washington 99-73 in the remaining three frames. Boston did it with three point shooting, making 19-39 triples. Washington had no answer for it, as their shaky defense was slow on rotations leading to multiple wide open looks from downtown.
The insertion of Marcus Smart into the primary lineup triggered this dominant performance by the Celtics. Boston was able to move the ball and cut the Wizards defense to shreds. They were also able to defend John Wall and Bradley Beal at the other end since Smart and Avery Bradley are two of the best defenders at their position.
The Celtics’ defense wasn’t perfect though. The Wizards still shot 50% on FG’s and over 40% from three. Without the Celtics’ barrage of three pointers, this one would have been closer. Brad Stevens must look at the film from the first game and figure out a way to make things more difficult on the Wizards to take control of the series.
What the Wizards do on offense isn’t rocket science. They either do high pick and roll with Wall to break down the defense off the dribble, or pin downs to get open looks for Beal, Porter, or Morris. Head coach Scott Brooks has never been known for his basketball tactics, and Washington’s scheme are extremely simple.
Switching on pin downs could work as an effective adjustment. With Jae Crowder sliding over to power forward, every player in the Celtics’ starting lineup should be able to hold their own on switches. Switching on the pin downs would take away a big part of Beal’s offense, which would go a long way in strangling the Wizards into submission.
With Wall, I would keep Smart on him for the majority of the game. Wall is a straight line speed player that uses his strength on drives. Smart is a very strong defender that moves his feet extremely well. I think that this is a match up that Boston should be very comfortable with. Smart is also terrific at fighting through screens, and making pick and rolls difficult on Wall would be ideal.
Next: Ranking Five Best Performances from Game 1 vs Wizards
The Celtics struggled stopping the Bulls until Game 3. The Rondo injury surely played a role, but Stevens was able to make effective adjustments on the defensive end to hold the Bulls under 100 points for four straight games. It will be tough for the Celtics to improve on the offensive end, so they’ll need to look at their defensive schemes to take complete control of this series.