All of the threes
The Celtics are going to shoot loads of threes. The Bucks are going to shoot loads of threes. When the 2 groups face one another, it generally appears like whoever makes probably the most goes to win the sport. Of their seven-game collection final yr, the crew that made extra threes received 5 out of six video games (in Boston’s Recreation 3 loss, each groups made 9).
Throughout this three-game common season collection, Joe Mazzulla has leaned closely into the perimeter-oriented gameplan. Final evening, their blistering tempo was on par with their early season taking pictures; hitting 22-of-43 from behind the arc. On Christmas Day at TD Backyard, they left nineteen threes underneath Milwaukee’s tree in one other 139-118 blowout. And even within the Bucks extra time win towards the Hospital Celtics again in February, Boston shot 50 three-pointers.
Marcus Good vs. everyone
With Boston seemingly abandoning their double-big beginning lineup with Horford and Williams in favor of taking part in small and bringing in Williams off the bench as a change of (s)tempo huge, there was some query with how the Celtics would take care of Brook Lopez. Harken again to 2022 and it was Horford who did the majority of defending Antetokounmpo, however that left the 7’1 Lopez unchecked.
Enter Marcus Good.
Certain, a lot of Good’s Defensive Participant of the 12 months marketing campaign final season was highlighted by hustle performs, distinction makers, and Tommy Factors. However what has made Good such a constant defender — notably in Boston’s switching scheme — is his skill to protect up towards bigs.
For Mazzulla, that is virtually a dare. Lopez has rebuilt his sport from his low-post heavy offense from when he was youthful to a extra perimeter-oriented type not in contrast to Horford. However with a juicy matchup towards the shorter Good, the Bucks could be remiss to not pound the paint with Lopez’s 300 kilos.
Good’s artful although, annoyingly so. To my fellow mother and father on the market, have you ever ever stepped on a LEGO in the midst of the evening? That’s Good. He lowers his middle of gravity in an try and mitigate the peak benefit.
Lopez remains to be a load across the rim, however get low sufficient and you may down Goliath with a superbly positioned rock (at its knees and never between the eyes).
Rushing with deers within the street
The Bucks are huge. Actually huge. After their three seven-footers in Antetokounmpo, Lopez, and Bobby Portis, Milwaukee is flush with size on the perimeter. Jrue Vacation is an enormous level guard and veterans Joe Ingles, Jae Crowder, Khris Middleton, Wesley Matthews, and Pat Connaughton are 6’5+.
Boston’s benefit towards that a lot beef? Pace. Shooters and dribble drivers that, given a small benefit, can get their shoulders round you and take it to the rim in a 5-out system. The Celtics shot an unsustainable 51.2% from behind the arc (22-of-43). That’s not the headline. They have been additionally 24-of-30 within the restricted space and took simply 9 photographs between the arc and the paint. In a return to the town that drafted him, Malcolm Brogdon ran a layup line towards his former crew.
This has been the state of play, however everyone knows that playoff basketball will be completely different. Mismatches will get exploited after which there shall be changes after which there shall be changes to the changes. To date, the Celtics seemingly have the Bucks’ quantity and what’s made it so stark is their command on either side of the ball. If the photographs don’t fall, the protection will make the distinction. If Giannis goes off for 40+ factors, there are sufficient strain factors that the Celtics can make the most of on offense.
It took seven video games and Grant Williams going nuclear to find out final yr’s collection. “I believe we’re a greater crew than we have been final yr,” Brown stated after he and Tatum put up 70 factors on Thursday evening. This summer season, possibly it doesn’t go the gap.
