Now that a little dose of reality has been administered, I think we can rule out a “taking a bad team lightly” game from the Celtics. The guys have learned that they’re pretty damn good when they’re fully engaged, and they can be pretty bad when they get aloof and slack off.
It’s a nice reminder at this point of the season that the Celtics success if about effort and execution… and not some sheer force of will from a more talented team. Golden State can play a shitty game and win. The Celtics cannot… even against one of the shittiest teams in the league. That said… here’s what they need to do to win.
1: Hold the fort until the bench can go to work
Believe it or not, the Nets starters are among the best in terms of net rating. If the Celtics can’t impose their will defensively and create turnovers against the starters, they at least have to keep things close or even until the bench can come in and go on a run.
2: Move Thomas to the bench
Brooklyn is starting Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Jarrett Jack, and Joe Johnson across the perimeter. Hollis-Jefferson is a rookie, but he’s also 6’7″. Don’t play into their hands and let the rookie use his size against Thomas.
Put Marcus Smart against Hollis-Jefferson, let Bradley destroy a shaky point guard in Jack, and Jae Crowder can handle Johnson. Let Thomas work the second unit, especially when you throw out the stretch bigs and force their sub-par bench to make decisions.
3: RUN! RUN! RUN!
I’m channeling my inner Tommy here and having the Celtics run every chance they get. Brooklyn is the 7th-slowest team pace-wise, with about 97 and half possessions a game. The Celtics, meanwhile, are 5th at just under 102. I’d like to see the Celtics not only get up to 102 possession, I’d like to see them get 100 shots (like they did against the Hawks).
Remember, running means playing some tough D, so inherent in this is an expectation that the Celtics defense can be as elite as the numbers indicate. That defensive perimeter with Bradley in the starting lineup should be forcing turnovers that get the Celtics out on the break. But the Celtics should be pushing it even on makes.
4: Contain Thaddeus Young
He’s been their best player lately. Their offensive rating with Young on the court is 105.4… and 90.1 off it. The kid can score, so let’s just make his life a little difficult.
The Celtics cannot come into this game thinking it’ll be a cakewalk. They’ll get down early if they come out cocky and it’ll be a fight from there. The Nets are terrible, but they’ve beaten Houston (we know how bad they’ve been, but still) and Atlanta, so they have some fight in them somewhere. But the Celtics are a far superior team if they play their game the right way. Lionel Hollins might help us out with some curious decisions along the way, but the Celtics can, and should, come out strong right away, do these four things, and win this game very easily.
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