Boston Celtics point guard dilemma
The Boston Celtics need to make sure the Cleveland Cavaliers are not able to get an advantage because of the point guard position
The Boston Celtics have blown away any kind of standard for a team that has suffered the injuries they have. They have already overcome and accomplished more than they should have, but things are only going to get harder as they continue.
Right now, Boston’s point guard depth is truly nonexistent. With Shane Larkin also getting hurt, all they have is Terry Rozier and Marcus Smart. Both of them are absolutely crucial to this team, but both of them present problems to the Celtics.
Against the Cleveland Cavaliers, they have become almost polar opposites in their impact on the court. The Celtics need Rozier on offense. He is one of the best players at generating opportunities for himself, as has grown into a primary distributor.
He brings energy and sets an incredible pace. The Cavaliers do not have defenders that can consistently stay with Rozier, and he is one of the player that the Celtics need to be attacking at all times if they are going to be successful.
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The problem is that the Cavaliers have figured out how to isolate him on LeBron James, and that is breaking down what they want to do on defense. Rozier does not have the size or strength to properly contest James, and if the double team comes James is going to find the open man for an automatic bucket.
Smart, on the other hand, is maybe the only point guard in the entire NBA that can guard James. He took on the assignment in the second half of game four, and forced four turnovers on 19 possessions. Smart has the strength and extra bit of size that makes him capable of forcing James into difficult situations, and that maintains all the defense around him.
Everyone else can close out harder, and put more pressure on the exterior when Smart is in, because they do not have to be worried about helping so some resistance can be put on James.
Smart’s problem, as it has always been, is that he cannot shoot. Smart will always have an impact, but you are handicapping yourself quite a bit when your point guard starts a game 0-6. The Celtics cannot be where they want to be on offense with Smart, but they need him there to be at their best on defense.
On top of everything, the Celtics need to stagger their minutes, because there has to be a ball handler for the second unit. The Celtics are really feeling the pain of having no point guard depth against the Cavaliers, even if both of their point guards are playing well and having a positive impact on the game.
The Celtics will have to find a way to make sure that they get the offense they need when Smart is out there, and the defense they need when Rozier is out there. Depending on how the game goes, whoever gets more minutes is likely going to be tied to that. The Celtics need balance, and even if one of the two is playing better than the other, the priority is how the overall unit is able to function with them in the lineup.
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Brad Stevens’ rotations have been remarkable with all the injuries, and he is still going to be working on things. The Celtics now they have the players to get a good advantage form their back court in this series, but they need to make sure there is nothing for the Cavaliers to exploit because of them.