Well, don’t we all feel better about our beloved Celtics after they whipped off a Gino Time win against the Wolves. The up-and-down Celtics are up again… and if they want to stay up, they have to beat the Hornets again. Here’s how they’ll do it this time.
1: Defend the 3!
The Hornets are 3rd in the league in 3’s attempted per game (29). They took 35 of them against Boston the first time around, but only made 11 (31.4%). The Hornets will not change their approach… as far as they’re concerned they’re a couple of 3-point makes from beating the Celtics last time… so the Celtics will need to prepare for the barrage. If the Hornets hit at their average (35.3%)… they’ll get revenge against the Celtics.
2: Attack Kemba Walker
Isaiah Thomas shoots 51.4% against Kemba Walker. Opponents have an offensive rating of 103.3 with Walker on the court and 99.3 with him off.
Attack him as often as possible. He’s either going to require help, in which case other guys will get open… or he’s going to give up some good looks.
3: Jae Day!
Jae’s having a hell of a month, so let’s keep feeding him… especially against PJ Hairston. Crowdah’s averaging 16 points and 5 rebounds this month, and opponents have a 105.8 offensive rating with Hairston on the court. Make him defend… run some pick and roll action and force him to make decisions. Maybe post him up and wear him down on occasion. He’s touted as a defender for them but.. ehhhh… let’s make him prove it.
3A: Help off Hairston on D
Hairston should be tired after working against Crowder. He’s a shooting less than 34% from the field, his true shooting percentage is an abysmal 47.6% and he sports a crappy PER of 7. Crowder can help off of him and prevent guys like Walker from getting to the basket. If Hairston beats you… so be it.
4: Keep Lin in check
People are starting to talk about Lin for 6th man of the year. He’s got the best net rating on the team. The key to keeping Lin in check is keeping him out on the perimeter. He loves to drive (7.3 drives per game, 26th in the NBA), but he’s not as good from the 3 this year…
Keep Lin in front of you… don’t let him get into the paint. I’ll take those long 2’s if he wants to shot them. 43% from the top of the key area is better than any of the alternatives.
The Hornets are a dangerous team that can get hot in a hurry. The Celtics defense will be tested again against these Hornets. They can be beaten again… if the Celtics follow this plan.
Graphics via NBASavant.com. Stats via NBA.com & Basketball-Reference.
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