Biggest Adjustments NBA Playoff Teams Already Need to Make
NBA playoff series can be won or lost on the effectiveness of coaching adjustments.
It's a high-wire act that requires clubs to stay true to their identity without becoming overly predictable. Wrinkles are a must when facing the same team at least four consecutive times, as coaches find new ways to exploit what's working and alter the stuff that isn't.
This is the chess-match portion of the profession.
Coaches have to build rotations that maximize the effectiveness of their players. They need to make stylistic changes that attack opponents' weaknesses, then have additional adjustments at the ready once their counterparts react to the first modification.
We're less than a week into the postseason festivities, but we're already seeing where hands should be shuffled. When only four defeats can spell a club's playoff departure, coaches can't risk waiting too long to pull the right strings.
All teams have areas they can improve on. Making these moves will help each team increase its playoff survival odds.
Raptors Getting Jonas Valanciunas Involved
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The Toronto Raptors have an Achilles' heel, and it has nothing to do with their offense.
But they could give themselves a puncher's chance by reworking an attack that seems to value volume over efficiency.
Jonas Valanciunas averaged only 8.2 field-goal attempts during the regular season. Five different Raptors fired up more shots. But while the center connected on 57.2 percent of his chances, the five guys ahead of him on the offensive totem pole all failed to finish even 42 percent of their looks.
The 7-footer's accuracy has waned during Toronto's two losses to the Washington Wizards, but he's still posting more points (21) than shots (18), which is a claim that DeMar DeRozan (35 on 38 attempts), Kyle Lowry (13 on 20) and Terrence Ross (15 on 17) cannot make.
Toronto has also nearly broken even with Valanciunas on the floor (minus-one) and stomached a major deficit in his absence (minus-17). He's one of the only Raptors with the size, strength and demeanor to match the physicality of an aggressive Washington team.
"I see us getting knocked down going to the basket, I don't see their guys hitting the floor," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said after Tuesday's 117-106 loss, per Doug Smith of the Toronto Star. "I see them waltzing in, waving at us and laughing at us going to the basket and I don't see us (knocking anyone down)."
The Raptors haven't put up much of a fight, and they may not summon one now that they're taking their two-game series deficit on the road. But letting the big guy loose might change this team's demeanor inside the lines.
Wizards Embracing the Long Ball
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The Washington Wizards are finally listening to the numbers.
Despite enjoying the NBA's ninth-best three-point conversion rate, the Wizards avoided deep looks like they carried long-distance charges. They attempted just 16.8 triples a night during the regular season, a number that ranked behind all but three teams.
With sharpshooters like Bradley Beal and Paul Pierce in the opening lineup, the Wizards were wasting one of their greatest gifts. Even worse, they weren't recouping that production elsewhere. Washington ranked 19th in offensive efficiency, the third-lowest mark among the 16 playoff teams.
Washington is slowly coming out of its three-point shell. The Wizards fired up 21 triples during their series-opening 93-86 win over the Raptors. Pierce buried four of his seven looks from distance, causing major havoc as a picking-and-popping stretch 4.
The Wizards continued letting it fly in their 117-106 Game 2 win, launching 21 triples and knocking down 10 of them. That high-volume, high-efficiency attack relieved some congestion in the paint, and nearly every Wizard took advantage. Beal and John Wall combined for 54 points on 20-of-37 shooting, after managing just 26 points on 41 attempts in Game 1.
There's still room for Washington to increase its perimeter activity. And the more threes the Wizards hit, the easier it will become to expose the Raptors' vulnerable defensive interior.
More Aaron Brooks for Chicago
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Derrick Rose went three years between playoff appearances. The Chicago Bulls are having a hard time containing their excitement over having him back.
When the former MVP is doing vintage things—like his 23-point, seven-assist gem in Game 1—it's easy to get lose in the narrative of his long road back to relevance. Rose makes Chicago a basketball juggernaut with a championship ceiling.
But the Bulls need to play it safe, and they haven't always adhered to that script. After limiting him to 27 minutes in the opener, they trotted Rose out for 38 minutes in the second meeting. He did some good things (nine assists, seven rebounds), but it was far from a flawless performance (15 points on 14 shots).
At this stage of the postseason race, the Bulls shouldn't need Rose to handle such an exhaustive assignment, not when they have a suitable backup in Aaron Brooks, who's tallied 18 points and four assists over the first two games.
But coach Tom Thibodeau held Brooks to 10 minutes during Chicago's 91-82 win on Monday.
Brooks' 6'0" frame poses some problems on the defensive end, but the Milwaukee Bucks aren't equipped to exploit them. Michael Carter-Williams' post-ups or Jerryd Bayless' volume shots aren't going to bury the Bulls. Brooks also has a quick trigger, but this bench needs some scoring. Plus, the Bulls have enough passers elsewhere to keep their attack flowing.
When the margin for error decreases down the playoff road, then it will make sense to take everything Rose has to offer. Leaning on Brooks in a series Chicago should win with ease will help keep that possibility in play later on.
Less Hero Ball from Hero-Less Bucks
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The Milwaukee Bucks aren't great as a whole, but the collective is appreciably better than the team's individual parts. A swarming defense and selfless offense helped this club secure a playoff berth despite lacking a single player averaging 15 points or six assists.
Milwaukee doesn't have a go-to scorer. To make matters worse, it's squaring off with a Chicago Bulls team that has a number of guys capable of serving as offensive focal points: Jimmy Butler, Pau Gasol, Derrick Rose and, if healthy, Nikola Mirotic.
It'd be one thing if the Bulls built their 2-0 series lead on their superior talent alone. While that's certainly played a part—Butler has blitzed the Bucks for 56 points on 18-of-33 shooting—Chicago has also done a much better job of playing together.
The Bulls have tossed out 56 assists so far. The Bucks have only had 35, managing just 13 during their 91-82 loss on Monday.
"Thirteen assists, come on guys, it's terrible for our team," Zaza Pachulia said, per Charles Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "We've been playing all year long, sharing the ball, 25 or more assists. ... We're just trying to make the home run plays and we weren't moving the ball from side to side."
Milwaukee hasn't helped itself by shooting a grisly 37.4 percent from the floor. But it's also put less of a priority on passing. The Bucks averaged 286.6 passes per game during the regular season. They're averaging only 255 through the first two games of this series.
It's hard to play hero ball successfully without a competent hero on the roster. The Bucks need to quickly find the string that previously tied their players together.
Keeping Kevin Love Involved
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A frustrating season continued in Kevin Love's playoff debut.
The career 44.8 percent shooter misfired on nine of his 14 field-goal attempts (35.7 percent). The Cleveland Cavaliers tried to establish him in the post, but the Boston Celtics' bigs bullied him on the low block. Seven of those errant looks came from inside the three-point arc.
That being said, it was an encouraging effort for Love and the Cavaliers. His shooting woes didn't keep him from impacting the game. He lined the box score with 19 points, 12 rebounds, eight free-throw attempts, four assists and one steal.
His second effort followed the same script. His shot eluded him throughout Cleveland's 99-91 win Tuesday night (13 points, 3-of-8 shooting), but he still grabbed six boards, dropped two dimes and even blocked two shots.
He kept battling, and Cleveland gave him the chance to compete. That cannot change, even if his shooting struggles continue.
"It's very important that Kevin stays in for our rhythm to feel like he's a part of what we're doing," LeBron James said, per Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer. "We have to find a way to get Kev touches."
If the Cavs bring the right energy, dispatching the Celtics shouldn't be a problem. If Cleveland hits an offensive snag, James and Kyrie Irving can bust this team out of it.
But the Cavs will need more than a two-man show to escape the Eastern Conference. Love will have to dominate at times, so this series is his opportunity to show that he still can.
Getting Celtics Guards on the Glass
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The Celtics could play a perfect series and still get stopped in their tracks by the Cavaliers. The talent gap between the two is that wide.
For Boston to have any shot at an upset, it must play mistake-free basketball. Eating a 93-73 disadvantage on the boards over the first two games is not a part of that plan.
The Celtics' bigs need to be a greater presence on the glass, particularly with Jared Sullinger's conditioning and defensive shortcomings preventing him from effectively playing a major role. There is substantial room for improvement with Brandon Bass, Tyler Zeller and Kelly Olynyk combining for only 15 rebounds so far.
But this isn't a frontcourt-specific issue. Any team trying to contend with Kevin Love, Timofey Mozgov and Tristan Thompson needs to get rebounding help from all areas. That trio has grabbed 50 boards through two games, 20 at the offensive end alone.
"The defensive rebounding is obviously a major factor here," Celtics coach Brad Stevens said, per Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald. "You have to do a great job with your guards in rotating, because they're going to be in some rotations with their level of talent on the first shot. We have to be great at it—not only in getting rebounds, but in rotating and blocking out."
Stevens didn't point any fingers, but we will—Marcus Smart and Avery Bradley have to do better. They have corralled nine rebounds between them, or one less than J.R. Smith has grabbed by himself.
The Cavs are too dangerous to give them second chances. The Celtics need their guards to help ensure those opportunities stop coming Cleveland's way.
Putting Jeff Teague in Early Attack Mode
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The Atlanta Hawks have reason to trust coach Mike Budenholzer's offensive system. Their equal-opportunity attack was as big a factor as any in their flight to a franchise-record, Eastern Conference-best 60 victories.
But the system alone isn't always powerful enough late in games. Sometimes, the Hawks need an individual player to carry them to the finish line.
When they've had that itch, Jeff Teague has always provided that scratch. He scored a team-best 81 points in clutch situations—the last five minutes of five-point games—this season. More impressively, he posted a better clutch shooting percentage (45.1) than Stephen Curry (44.1), LeBron James (43.7) and Chris Paul (33.8).
It came as no surprise, then, to see Teague putting the finishing touches on Atlanta's series-opening 99-92 win on Sunday. He scored eight of his 17 points in the final four minutes of the contest, stopping Brooklyn's furious charge from changing the outcome of the game.
The Hawks need Teague to flash that scoring ability earlier and far more often.
Paul Millsap still seems bothered by a shoulder injury that cost him five April games, and Al Horford is now fighting a dislocated pinkie. The Hawks have other scoring options, but none who can consistently create shots like Teague.
Atlanta's point guard just has to show the same assertiveness early on that he has late in games throughout the year.
Brooklyn Nets, Meet Brook Lopez
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Brook Lopez isn't an easy guy to miss.
There aren't a lot of 7-footers to begin with, let alone those with an insatiable thirst for comics. Inside the lines, he's even more of a rarity. From March 1 through the end of the season, he was one of only two players to average at least 20 points, nine rebounds and two blocks.
Anthony Davis was the other, and he shot three percentage points worse than Lopez from the field during that stretch.
Clearly, Lopez is the type of player that can carry an offense. But the Brooklyn Nets have to give him that option first and stop overlooking their mountain in the middle.
He attempted just seven shots during Brooklyn's 99-92 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday. Five different Nets fired up more looks than Lopez, who still tied for the team lead with 17 points.
He's an obvious problem for Atlanta's undersized frontcourt, but only if Brooklyn can find him. The Hawks crowded him on rolls to the basket and clogged up post-entry passing lanes. But the Nets can't let their opponent dictate Lopez's level of involvement.
"We've just got to find some actions that work for him," Deron Williams said, per Tim Bontemps of the New York Post. "Because we definitely need to get him the ball. ... They’re doing a good job of taking that away, but like I said, 'swing, swing' and then maybe post him up on the other side."
Anything that involves more Lopez is a good thing for Brooklyn. They went 10-2 this season when he attempted at least 20 shots. When he took fewer than 10 shots, they lost 13 of the 21 games.
Deep digging is not required to see how critical Lopez's offensive contributions are to Brooklyn's playoff health.
Balancing the Blazers' Offense
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Even before injuries ripped apart the Portland Trail Blazers' rotation, their playoff hopes were intrinsically tied to All-Stars LaMarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard.
The pair provided 44.4 points, 14.8 rebounds and 7.9 assists per game during the regular season. They were easily the most important players on this roster then, and that significance has only increased since losing Wesley Matthews (torn Achilles) and Arron Afflalo (shoulder strain, could return for Game 2).
With that said, Portland's stars played far too big a role in the team's 100-86 loss on Sunday. They did provide 53.5 percent of the scoring (46 points) and 39.3 percent of the rebounds (22), but their performance lacked any semblance of efficiency. Aldridge and Lillard combined to take 55 shots, of which they connected on only 18 (32.7 percent).
To be fair, the Blazers didn't have many reliable options around them. Nicolas Batum managed 15 points on 12 shots, C.J. McCollum missed seven of his eight field-goal attempts and Robin Lopez failed to hit either of his two.
But it's hard to get anyone else going when two players are monopolizing shots to this extent. And it's almost impossible to break down a defense as talented as the Memphis Grizzlies' on the strength of two players alone.
Don't Overfeed Z-Bo
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The Memphis Grizzlies have so many different avenues of offensive production to explore.
Mike Conley and Beno Udrih can exploit Damian Lillard's defensive deficiencies. To a much lesser extent, Courtney Lee and Tony Allen can do the same against C.J. McCollum. Marc Gasol is a tough cover for anyone, and the versatile Jeff Green can cause headaches for the banged-up Nicolas Batum.
Absent from that list is Zach Randolph's heavyweight prizefight with LaMarcus Aldridge. But that's where the ball wound up more often than not in Game 1.
Randolph led the team with 19 field-goal attempts, but he only turned them (and four free throws) into 16 points. He made six shots from the field and had four others rejected. He did not record an assist in his 36 minutes, something that the seven other Grizzlies who played at least 14 minutes did.
Memphis shouldn't need to run many plays for Randolph. He's capable of creating his own opportunities on the offensive glass, and this team has so many other options worth exploring in this matchup. Even if Conley's foot problem persists, it's obvious that he (16 points) and Udrih (20 points) can get what they want against Lillard. And Gasol has already established himself as a reliable cog (15 points, seven assists).
Admittedly, there aren't many nits worth picking after the Grizzlies' wire-to-wire win. But there's no reason to force-feed any individual in this matchup, let alone one struggling through a 31.6 percent shooting night.
Shrinking an Already-Small Clippers' Bench
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The Los Angeles Clippers can't treat this as just another first-round matchup. Their playoff test is far greater than that, thanks to a crowded Western Conference and dated postseason format that combined to throw the defending champion San Antonio Spurs in the Clippers' path.
Nothing less than L.A.'s best will help this team survive and advance. As Clippers fans know all too well, their best rarely involves anything related to their reserve unit—Jamal Crawford's spark-plug wizardry aside.
Despite getting 15.8 points a night out of Crawford, the Clippers finished 22nd in bench scoring, via HoopsStats.com. Coach Doc Rivers seems keenly aware of these struggles and sounds ready to limit his use of his reserves.
"I don't look at the playoffs as you have a second unit," Rivers said, per ESPN Los Angeles' Arash Markazi. "You're going to put individual players in, and when they play well, they stay in, and when they don't, they come out. But that's the same thing as the starters. I think everyone had a short leash on everyone."
Rivers rolled out a full second team late in the first quarter and the start of the second during Sunday's 107-92 win. With five reserves on the floor, the Clippers nearly coughed up a 12-point advantage. Two of those substitutes never returned—Spencer Hawes and Hedo Turkoglu—and two others made negligible contributions: Glen Davis and Austin Rivers, who combined for five points in 24 minutes.
L.A.'s other 102 points came from Crawford and the five starters. That has to be the formula that guides the Clippers out of this colossal clash. It's a heavy burden to carry, but it beats the alternative of letting an undermanned bench lead the team to a premature playoff exit.
Putting the Claw on CP3
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The San Antonio Spurs' offensive machine hit a few uncharacteristic snags during their 107-92 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday.
San Antonio shot just 36.6 percent from the field, while misfiring on 23 long-range looks and 12 of its 26 free-throw attempts. That's bad shooting, but little evidence of anything else. The Spurs' formula is fine; it just doesn't look as impressive when the players convert only 13 of their 33 uncontested shots.
That problem should correct itself, but containing floor general Chris Paul is a different story. L.A.'s resident point god created all kinds of havoc with his masterfully stuffed stat sheet: 32 points, seven rebounds, six assists and two steals.
Kawhi Leonard, the defensive ace up San Antonio's sleeve, saw only limited action against Paul. That's almost sure to change in Game 2, although Spurs coach Gregg Popovich must be careful about asking too much from the reigning NBA Finals MVP.
"Given the amount of offensive responsibility Leonard now shoulders, forcing him to fight through screens all night to stick with Paul might not be a recipe for success either," wrote Dan McCarney of the San Antonio Express-News. "A more reasonable formula might be a significant bump from what we saw on Sunday, without sticking Leonard on Paul exclusively."
The Spurs need Leonard's defense more than they need his offense. San Antonio has the firepower to make up for a little less production from him, but no one poses a bigger problem to Paul than Leonard. His length, athleticism, instincts and intensity all make him a viable threat to L.A.'s offensive identity.
If this series is going to be a track meet, San Antonio has to put its biggest hurdle directly in Paul's path.
More Point-Smoove for Houston
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The Houston Rockets have needed a secondary playmaker all season. Running virtually everything through James Harden has worked surprisingly well, but this offense fell apart when anyone else tried steering the ship.
Josh Smith can fill that void, while simultaneously reintroducing the basketball world to his wide-reaching skill set.
"I don't need to be, but it does give people the opportunity to be reminded how versatile I can be," Smith told Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski. "People tend to always point out the negatives in situations. Everybody has flaws. People try to magnify them [with me] more than other players."
Since landing in Houston after being waived by the Detroit Pistons in December, Smith has thrived in a complementary role where he isn't asked to do too much. His shots come within the flow of the offense, and he's been an active rebounder and disruptive defender regardless of how many looks he gets.
But his impact can expand if he's given more opportunities to create on offense. After tossing out only one assist during the first six quarters of the series, he dropped nine dimes in the second half of Houston's 111-99 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday.
Smith used his quickness to easily blow past 36-year-old Dirk Nowitzki. Once Smith reached the last line of defense, he read the center to see if he should continue his attack or float a pass over the top to Dwight Howard. Smith finished with 15 points and connected with Howard, his former AAU teammate, on six alley-oops.
Smith can continue playing a prominent role in the passing game. Houston's search for a backup quarterback might finally be over.
Dallas Sticking with Rondo
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The Dallas Mavericks' December acquisition of Rajon Rondo has looked like an abject failure for months. Divorce can't come fast enough for these two parties, and it likely will once the point guard hits unrestricted free agency in the offseason.
But Rondo remains the best option in the Mavs' beat-up, underwhelming backcourt. And sticking with their starting point guard absolutely qualifies as an adjustment with so many people ready to pull the plug on this experiment following his disappointing, disinterested performance on Tuesday.
"He played only nine minutes in the first half, sitting out a 13-minute stretch shortly after committing an eight-second violation that was the product of...basically nothing," wrote Tim Cowlishaw of The Dallas Morning News. "A lack of desire to walk the ball 47 feet in eight seconds, I suppose."
The Mavs have been outscored by 36 points in Rondo's 37 minutes this series. He's put up 19 points on 20 shots. The areas he's dominated in the past—distributing, defending, rebounding—have all produced uninspiring results.
But Dallas has nowhere else to turn.
J.J. Barea is a defensive turnstile, and his lack of size can easily be exploited by a lanky Rockets defense. Monta Ellis has a shoot-first mentality, which presents obvious problems when he only has 40 points to show for his 39 field-goal attempts. Raymond Felton isn't even a serviceable option, and Devin Harris is once again battling the injury bug.
If Rondo doesn't find his form—or change his attitude—the Mavs won't climb out of their 0-2 hole. But their odds of advancing fall from slim to none if he's completely removed from the equation.
Letting Golden State's Second Team Spark
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The Golden State Warriors have twice struggled to put away the eighth-seeded New Orleans Pelicans.
Golden State's 2-0 series lead shows this team is doing enough to survive, but coach Steve Kerr could buy his club some breathing room by leaning more heavily on his bench.
Andre Iguodala was the only reserve who logged major minutes during the series opener. The Dubs mostly controlled that contest, but they let off the gas late and watched a 25-point advantage shrink down to five in the final minute of their 106-99 win.
Two nights later, the starters stumbled out of the gate and trailed by as many as 13 points in the opening period. But the bench mob had its fingerprints all over a 38-24 second-quarter advantage that sent Golden State into the intermission with a 55-52 lead.
"That was really the second unit that got us on the right track," Kerr said, per Bleacher Report's Ric Bucher. "[Leandro] Barbosa, [Shaun] Livingston, [Marreese] Speights, Andre, they were fantastic. I didn't give the bench enough of a chance in Game 1."
Barbosa's mad dashes to the rim sparked a stagnant Golden State offense. Livingston provided a steady hand at the point. Speights and Iguodala made plays on both sides of the ball.
The Dubs could see similar returns from the second team on any given night. Their depth played a big part in their rapid rise to the top of the league's standings. When the starters lose fuel, focus or both, Kerr must remember the other options at his disposal.
Pelicans Getting Smaller
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The New Orleans Pelicans have put a few scares in the top-seeded Golden State Warriors, but the favorites are still carrying a 2-0 series lead into the Big Easy.
Moral victories do nothing to bolster New Orleans' playoff survival chances.
"Any loss hurts this time of the year," Norris Cole told reporters after Monday's 97-87 loss. "It's either you win or you don't."
For the Pelicans to take control of their fate, coach Monty Williams must utilize the small-ball game this roster is built to play. That means moving away from plodding center Omer Asik, who has neither the defensive mobility nor offensive range to positively impact these outcomes.
Deploying Anthony Davis' transcendent talents at the 5 would present Golden State with some tricky defensive puzzles. His quickness presents major problems for Andrew Bogut, but switching the Warriors' starting center to a different assignment would expose them to Ryan Anderson's perimeter shooting or Dante Cunningham's aggressive off-ball cuts.
Asik's minimal offensive range clogs the paint, which makes life more difficult for Davis and Tyreke Evans. The sloth-like Asik also provides nothing in the fast-break game, where the Warriors have enjoyed a 42-20 advantage through the first two contests.
During his 45 minutes of work, the Pelicans have been outscored by 23 points. They've held their ground with either Anderson (minus-one) or Cunningham (even) on the floor.
If the Pelicans want to upgrade from scaring the Warriors to actually upsetting them, this should be an easy call to make.
Unless otherwise noted, statistics used courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com and NBA.com.
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