Boston Celtics' shapeshifting defence poses a problem for Cleveland Cavaliers' attack

Jay Asser 19:12 14/05/2018
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Mail
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • LeBron James and the Cavaliers struggled on offence in Game 1.

    A 25-point thumping was hard to predict, but the Boston Celtics’ success in their statement Game 1 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers shouldn’t come entirely as a surprise.

    After handling the fragile Toronto Raptors with ease in the second round, the Cavaliers are dealing with a different beast in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Celtics are not scared to go toe-to-toe with a team that has ruled the East with an iron fist since LeBron James’ arrival in 2014 – and for good reason.

    Cleveland have the best player in the world, let alone in the series, but Boston are stocked with long, athletic, two-way players who have no exploitable weaknesses on either end of the floor.

    That balance and versatility was on full display in Game 1, particularly on the defensive end where the Celtics suffocated the Cavaliers’ offensive flow like a boa constrictor attacking its prey.

    It all starts with Boston’s ability to shut down off-ball action. Like they did so often to J.J. Redick and Philadelphia’s shooters in the second round, the Celtics chased Kyle Korver and J.R. Smith through screens and closed their air space after the catch.

    Marcus Smart has an uncanny ability to fight through picks and stay attached to the offensive player’s body, while Jaylen Brown’s athleticism and length allow him a greater margin for error.

    The two-man game off the ball between Kevin Love and Korver that was so unstoppable against the Raptors had little traction against Boston. Part of that is due to Smart and Brown, but it can also be attributed to the Celtics’ comfort in switching without being caught in a mismatch. Al Horford is the lynchpin of the operation with his ability to guard one through five, giving Boston a unique advantage.

    But even after switching everything, the most impressive part of Boston’s defensive game plan in the opener was their discipline in altering assignments mid-play.

    Whenever Cleveland got a mismatch with, say, Kevin Love being guarded by Terry Rozier in the post, the Celtics would bring over the weakside defender to switch places with Rozier while the entry pass was being thrown in to Love. Just like that, the mismatch would poof, disappear.

    Boston utilised the same approach in mismatches with James in the post, although when the pass beat the switch, the Celtics would send a double and zone up on the weakside. James, being the great passer he is, can pick that apart with pinpoint dishes to shooters on the perimeter, but with how quickly the Celtics can close out, those shots won’t always be open.

    When they are open, the Cavaliers can’t afford to miss. The 3-point shot is one of their primary weapons and while they didn’t generate the cleanest looks in Game 1, they did have several open opportunities they failed to capitalise on, hitting just 16-of-53 (30.2 per cent) on uncontested shots.

    There’s a danger in assuming a positive regression to the mean against the Celtics, as the 76ers learned last round. Boston’s defence is so unrelenting and physical that it’s likely there’s some cumulative effect of shooters constantly being banged around.

    Even so, it’s very unlikely Cleveland shoot just 4-of-26 from deep again in the series, especially with James now having a game’s worth of film to analyse and see where he can get his team-mates open looks.

    There are small adjustments to be made, but the Cavaliers also have the option of breaking out a line-up change that could rob Boston of some of their switchability.

    By inserting Tristan Thompson into the starting five alongside Love, Cleveland would most likely force the Celtics to counter by using Aron Baynes. As much as he protects the rim, having Baynes instead of Horford as the five would open up more mismatches for the Cavaliers’ perimeter players.

    And if Boston choose to stay small and keep Horford at centre, they’ll be playing with fire as Thompson has a history of eating him up on the offensive glass and frustrating him defensively in head-to-head meetings. With how much the Love-Horford match-up appears to be in the Celtics’ favour, Cleveland would be better off testing out the change right away in Game 2.

    More than anything, the Cavaliers can take solace in James bouncing back from one of the worst play-off performances of his career. The TD Garden has seen no shortage of special LeBron moments, especially when his back has been against the wall.

    Nevertheless, Boston have set the tone and made it clear they’re going to be the aggressors. It’s Cleveland who will have to prove they’re up to the task.

    Recommended