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It's now Celtics turn to make adjustments![[image loading]](https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/le4w0ww2byHMLxFMzZncm7H8-Gc=/0x0:3000x2000/920x613/filters:focal(1196x245:1676x725)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/59774413/CelticsRise_Getty_Ringer.0.jpg)
CLEVELAND — It’s stunning how the momentum of an NBA playoff series can shift so quickly... Boston was the faster, more athletic, and more talented team after winning the first two games. And now the same group of guys are a bunch of erratic upstarts who have lost control of the series — unless they can come back and win Game 4. So, quite understandably, the onus is on Boston coach Brad Stevens to make the necessary adjustments to extend Game 4 until the fourth quarter. The Celtics were buried by halftime of Game 3. One serious consideration could be to go big. Stevens replaced Aron Baynes with Marcus Morris in the starting lineup when the Cavaliers used Kevin Love at center and Kyle Korver at small forward.
That backfired in Game 3, as the Cavaliers used Tristan Thompson at center for the second consecutive game, shifting Love to power forward and Korver to the bench. Cleveland became a more physical defensive team in Game 3, because LeBron James was allowed to play more small forward and defend Brown while Thompson got the assignment of Horford. “We definitely watched a ton of film,” Morris said. “Personally, I think I did a [expletive] job defensively with LeBron. He was too comfortable when I was guarding him. I made myself very vulnerable on screens and wasn’t disciplined. We can’t have that in a game of this magnitude, and it showed. They did a great job of exposing that. Personally, I think I have to do better.”
Boston Globe
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On May 20 2018 11:16 BlackJack wrote:
Maybe I'm a conspiracy theorist but I always think the refs know what result the league wants to see. Too many millions to be lost if this series ends in 4 games. I've always wondered what the communications are between the league and the refs. If the league tells them "Hey wouldn't it be great if this series went longer than 4 games *wink wink*" Or if they don't say anything and the refs just know what is expected of them. Maybe bonuses/raises/favorable assignments go to the "best refs."
the last 2 games have been unwatchable. if there is some intentional manipulation by NBA officials and their bosses it sure failed on the weekend. i spent the end of last game googling ancient boxing references made by the commentators.
"no mas" was roberto duran quitting mid-fight against "Sugar" Ray Leonard in 1980. 
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On May 21 2018 13:10 Twinkle Toes wrote:
I wonder how you can even still improve on the Rockets while maintaing their 3/layup/ft identity?
Getting a post player is out of the question obviously, but eye test seems thats what they need when the 3s dont drop and defense plays well to limit drives and fouls. More 3 point shooters? How about a Horford kind of guy who does all this silent things that win the game...
So its Harden, CP3, Gordon, Capella, Ariza, Tucker, Redick, Green, Horford.
Could this team best Warriors as they are now?
Bleh, for me the answer is right over there:
On May 21 2018 10:54 JimmiC wrote:
Chuck at half "the difference between tge two teams is one has kevin durrant and one don't"
It might sound like a joke coming from Chuck but it's also my feeling on this. Warriors without Durant are a contender and probably close to Houston. When Curry goes off (isn't "hurt") like last night, Warriors look great and it looks like Durant isn't even needed.
But Durant is also the guy single-handedly responsible for the Warriors stealing Game 1 on the road. He's the only guy Houston cannot match for talent and don't really have an answer to.
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On May 21 2018 23:07 ZenithM wrote:Show nested quote +On May 21 2018 13:10 Twinkle Toes wrote:
I wonder how you can even still improve on the Rockets while maintaing their 3/layup/ft identity?
Getting a post player is out of the question obviously, but eye test seems thats what they need when the 3s dont drop and defense plays well to limit drives and fouls. More 3 point shooters? How about a Horford kind of guy who does all this silent things that win the game...
So its Harden, CP3, Gordon, Capella, Ariza, Tucker, Redick, Green, Horford.
Could this team best Warriors as they are now? Bleh, for me the answer is right over there: Show nested quote +On May 21 2018 10:54 JimmiC wrote:
Chuck at half "the difference between tge two teams is one has kevin durrant and one don't" It might sound like a joke coming from Chuck but it's also my feeling on this. Warriors without Durant are a contender and probably close to Houston. When Curry goes off (isn't "hurt") like last night, Warriors look great and it looks like Durant isn't even needed. But Durant is also the guy single-handedly responsible for the Warriors stealing Game 1 on the road. He's the only guy Houston cannot match for talent and don't really have an answer to.
I agree, and I really don't blame KD. I'm just referring to the discussion here and elsewhere about the statistically optimal game or so.
I mean if Morey had his way, how would the Rockets look like, and would it be competitive against a more or less mainstream team like the Warriors.
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Morey might have built the best team possible with what he had and the overall strategy he intended. But maybe in the end he would need some sudden cap jump to sign another superstar in timely free agency :D. Because that's part of how GSW got where they are.
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Ok, Z we are on the same page reading but different parts of the page, so let me clarify myself.
Many here and all over the internet subscribe to the idea that Morey 's 3/layup/ft system is the "optimal" or most efficient system. So lets say we want to put this to the test against a mainstreamish (relative to the recent years' meta so to speak) team like the Warriors. There are no salary or any limitations, we just want to test the hypothetical idea, would a perfect Morey team (best players of the present Rockets team with the addition of Redick for more firepower and Horford for the intangibles) be competitive against the present Warrior team when both are playing as designed?
In short, in a perfect world which is better, Moreyball or standard great* team?
Moreyball - quick possessions, 3/layup/ft, iso heavy, minimum passing team but high pass-assist ratio, average D
standard - good amount of superstars, 3 point heavy, but still great perimeter and interior, great D, great sets based on motion offense
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Chuck is the best thing on that panel. Imagine anyone else asking that thing to KD about Green.
And great job by KD for not fooling around. KD is a great teammate regardless of the memes. He obviously hated playing against Westbrook but he always only had good words for him. He was also one of the most vocal defenders of Javale and Green when people bag on them.
Along with Klay's and Iggy's recent statements, this makes Warriors particularly dangerous because they all seem to complement each other and are willing to achieve their goals with and for each other.
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Who says Moreyball means getting your FTs/layups/3s primarily through isolation? They have that system because that's what works with the players they have. They only went to that extreme this year because they had both Harden and CP3 on the same team.
Houston has an excellent, switching defense now that plays similarly to what the Warriors have. The trouble is that their two new defenders (Mbah a Moute and Tucker) are not that good 3 point shooters. If they suddenly morphed into KD and Klay, you can bet they would play more similarly to what the Warriors do.
As for KD, he's the rare player who is both great with the ball and off the ball. The latter skill set is very underappreciated in superstars, even nowadays. The media narrative has always been that superstars need to be alphas and alphas should have the ball. Stupid people still judge players based on that narrative. In Durant's last few years in OKC, they started giving Westbrook the ball and having KD play off the ball more instead of being 50/50. People used it as a referendum on Westbrook being more alpha and thus, the better leader and player. Well, no, Westbrook is useless without the ball. If you're a coach, what else are you going to do?
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On May 22 2018 04:26 andrewlt wrote:
As for KD, he's the rare player who is both great with the ball and off the ball. The latter skill set is very underappreciated in superstars, even nowadays. The media narrative has always been that superstars need to be alphas and alphas should have the ball. Stupid people still judge players based on that narrative. In Durant's last few years in OKC, they started giving Westbrook the ball and having KD play off the ball more instead of being 50/50. People used it as a referendum on Westbrook being more alpha and thus, the better leader and player. Well, no, Westbrook is useless without the ball. If you're a coach, what else are you going to do?
The Warriors have a number of guys who are good off the ball, and none is better than Curry. He singlehandedly warps defenses in ways that no one else can simply because he is a threat anywhere on the court. This opens up tons of lanes for the other Warriors to work in. This is why D'Antoni keeps saying that Durant isn't the Rockets' primary focus on defense. Curry is who they are really trying to contain because his influence goes so far beyond his ball-handling and shooting.
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On May 22 2018 06:26 JimmiC wrote:
You are both right, it is that they have both that makes them so amazing. Then on top of that they have second best shooter in the league, who also plays great defense, and a DPOY who is happy to be low usage high impact rebounding, passing, setting screens and so on. It is a nasty combo.
And that doesn't even talk about their bench who has a bunch of guys who could be low end starters if they wanted to.
I've always respected Draymond Green's willingness to be the swiss army knife and do the gritty stuff that won't stuff the stat sheet. My favorite kind of player.
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Just an aside re the interview yesterday, I think prime Chuck would clown prime Draymond on the court.
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Iggy might be out tonight, knee soreness.
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I mean if their teams met, I think Dray would guard Chuck, and Chuck would bbqchicken him all night,
Not dissing Dray, I just think Chuck is great and his athleticism and power and skill is underrated.
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The Raptors should hire former SC2 player MasterAsia for their analytics department.
http://sas.uwaterloo.ca/~wang/
i think actuaries.. especially casualty actuaries make the best analytics researchers.
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Holy shit LeBron might actually be hurt. Looks like a classic shitty situation
NVM he's a robot
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This game is nerve wreckingly close
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EPT
