Unfortunately, that game played out exactly how we feared.
After that game and before their showdown with the Knicks, we all once again had a common consensus.
To no surprise, the Celts looked fantastic.
Even without 40% of their starting lineup (KP, Holiday) the Celts were engaged.
Now, there are a few ways to look at this.
Sorry if these facts offend you.
To borrow a phrase that literally makes me cringe, they “can flip the switch”.
To some, this is encouraging,
To me, it’s annoying as fuck.
I know, no team is perfect.
Losses are going to happen.
But I am also someone who remembers this team putting importance on all 82 games last year.
They just needed to not play braindead basketball and actually give the tiniest bits of shit on defense.
But let’s also not forget the context around last night’s showdown in MSG.
This was supposed to be the game the Knicks showed they were ready to take over the 2 seed.
At home, with 3 days rest, playing well, in primetime with the whole world watching.
With that said, let us begin.
How has that gone?
In the first meeting, they lost by 37 points, with Jayson Tatum going for 37.
Last night in the second meeting?
That’s how this works right?
Let’s be very clear about something.
I thought that was the whole point of making that trade?
The Knicks finally had wing defenders to handle Jayson Tatum!
When Tatum is aggressive and gives a shit, there really isn’t an answer for him.
What we saw was the exact problem that so many teams are unable to solve in this matchup.
If that means finding switches with Jalen Brunson, so be it.
If that means getting KAT into space and destroying him in P&R, that works too.
The Knicks are simply too small.
This problem is no different than what teams like CLE/MIL/IND etc all also face in this matchup.
Against most teams you could survive, against this one?
With how the Celts are built?
Your roster deficiencies become problematic.
That’s the formula.
Sorry for all the morons out there that demand Tatum take fewer 3s and more midrange jumpers.
That, is death.
This is Mazzulla Ball.
This is how Tatum needs to approach things offensively.
Notice the one zone that has 0 FGA?
The midrange/long 2 zone.
Almost like ya know, Mazzulla Ball works or something.
He also had 15 rebounds and 10 assists in that game if you were curious.
The point is, do not take these types of performances for granted.
When his number is called, Kornet delivers.
As a reminder, he’s the Celtics 3rd center.
He’s arguably one of the best back up centers in basketball and that’s not even being hyperbolic.
- What an absolute masterclass of a gameplan by Joe Mazzulla.
When things got close in the 3rd quarter, what did we see?
He put the ball in Tatum’s hands and found ways to put him in a position to succeed.
To do it on the road?
I thought both the gameplan and the execution against the Mavs was dogshit.
Zero complaints about either, and that starts with Joe.
The issue was they refused to play a lick of defense.
Because they played defense.
I’m not sure how much clearer it can get.
It doesn’t matter what you do offensively if you don’t play defense.
Scoring is awesome, but means nothing if you’re immediately giving those points back.
If you don’t defend, you die.
If you do defend, you win.
Sounds simple, because it is.
- Shoutout Queta for being the 2nd best center in this game.
I really don’t think we’ve seen anything like this is terms of a reserve big.
It’s truly remarkable and I simply cannot get enough.
- Over his last 15 games, Jaylen Brown is shooting 49% on midrange jumpers.
Over his last 6, that number bumps up to 52.2%.
He was floating at around 27% from the midrange in December and 41% in January.
So far in February?
Their largest lead was 35, and there were 0 ties and 0 lead changes.
This was a complete wire to wire ass kicking, on the road against an elite team.
Hard to get better than that both in terms of the big stuff and the stuff around the margins.
What I also liked is that he had no problem with the Knicks ball pressure.
If you’re not able to eliminate Pritchard from the equation, you’re in trouble.
- Another 5-9 (4-7) showing for DWhite, who continues to shoot the ball great from deep.
As he goes, they go.
Teams crowd the Jays, White is there for the backbreaking 3PM.
The Bad
- What I wasn’t exactly a fan of was Jaylen’s ball security.
It’s the same thing I’d say with Tatum and his 4 TOs against the Mavs.
He has to be better.
- To no surprise, the Tillman minutes were a disaster.
Sucks that it has to be this way, but it is what it is.
The Opener was all through ball movement and 3s.
Last night was through isolation in 3s.
Same result, but two different ways to get there.
You know what we call that?
The Ugly
- Once again, the NBA’s officiating problem was on full display.
This time, on a national stage.
Do we think Adam Silver cares?
All I ask is for a consistent whistle.
We saw something pretty similar in the CLE win as well.
Bad calls happen, that’s not what this is about.
A big time national TV game between two huge markets and the officiating was once again an issue.
Unfortunately, Adam Silver does not care.
