NBA Playoffs 2011: 10 Adjustments Boston Celtics Need to Make Against Miami Heat
Paul Pierce and the Boston Celtics trail the Dwyane Wade led Miami Heat 1-0 after the Heat would take Game 1 99-90 in Miami.
Game 1 was a story of outstanding offense against solid defense, with the Miami Heat shooting the lights out from the field.
Led by the Big Three, the Heat shot 47.1 percent from the field, 47.4 percent from distance and over 81 percent from the free-throw line. LeBron James and Dwyane Wade combined to shoot 22-of-40 and score 60 of the Heat's 99 points. Wade led the way with 38 points and five dimes.
James Jones played arguably the most significant factor in the outcome, shooting five-of-seven from three-point range and hitting all 10 of his free-throws, chipping an impressive 25 points.
Here are the 10 adjustments the Boston Celtics need to make going into Game 2 of the series against the Miami Heat.
10. Lose the "Swagger"
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The Boston Celtics are a veteran team, one that vocally prides itself on playing one game at a time.
In Game 1 yesterday, it looked like the Celtics team were waiting for the win to come to them, while the Heat went out there and took the victory.
Apparent in their lack of urgency on the offensive end, a 36-point first half that left the Celtics trailing by 15 dug the team in a whole much too deep.
If the Celtics expect to win Game 2 or even the series, the hustle plays and intelligent basketball down the stretch is much needed.
Beating the Heat three of four times in the regular season means something, but it won't win you a ball game, as the Celtics found out the hard way.
9. Limit Turnovers
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Ironically, the Celtics actually turned over the basketball three times less than the Miami Heat.
The 13 turnovers committed by the Celtics is less than their season average per game.
What makes these 13 turnovers so pivotal, they come against a ball club that can take full advantage of careless mistakes on offense. The Heat had 26 points off of the 13 Celtics turnovers in the contest.
Giving LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh more offensive possessions could prove costly in the series if the Celtics can't clean up the mistakes.
8. Get off to a Better Start
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Both offensively and defensive the Celtics looked sluggish to start the game, scoring just a mere 14 points in the first quarter and a combined 36 in the first half.
On defense the Celtics allowed 51 points in the first half, including a 9-0 run at the start of the second quarter that featured a Chris Bosh jumper, two consecutive three-pointers from James Jones, and a free-throw from Jones as a result of a technical picked up by Kevin Garnett.
After poor first quarters from both teams, the second quarter was dominated by the Heat, outscoring the Celtics 31-22.
If the Celtics expect to win the series, facing a double-digit deficit on the road at halftime is not something head coach Doc Rivers and the Celtics can allow to happen.
7. Where's Rajon Rondo?
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It was just that. It was as if Rajon Rondo was pointing to everyone else to get the job done on the Boston Celtics team.
The Celtics starting point guard that dominated the first round series against the New York Knicks, was nowhere to be found in Game 1 Sunday. Against the Knicks he averaged 19 points, 12 assists, and shot 50 percent.
In Game 1 Rondo had eight points, seven assists, and shot 30 percent from the floor.
With the Big Three aging and the young point guard emerging as one of the main threats on this Celtics team, Rondo has to step-up his production.
It should also be noted that three of the seven assists came in the fourth quarter, as Rondo managed to record just four assists in the first three quarters of play.
6. Kevin Garnett Needs More Touches
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Despite holding Chris Bosh to seven points on three-of-10 shooting, Kevin Garnett's offensive game was lacking.
His six points came on three field goals, numbers that won't get the job done if the Celtics expect to move on.
After scoring 26 points and grabbing 10 boards in his previous outing, posting six points and eight rebound just isn't getting the job done.
If Garnett can get going against Bosh and force extra defenders, it would open up shooters on the outside like Paul Pierce and Ray Allen on the perimeter.
5. Stick to the Gameplan
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It's no secret.
How many times have analysts claimed that the Celtics play is based on the play of the Rajon Rondo? A game where Rondo shoots too much is bad news for the Boston Celtics.
The Celtics are doomed if they depend solely on Rondo's offense.
Despite the fact Rondo has the ability to score the basketball, these statements do have their worth.
When Rondo is getting into the lane and finding the bigs inside or shooters on the wings, the Celtics offense plays at it's optimum level.
A facilitating Rajon Rondo allows for players like Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen to get going offensively, which in turn makes the Celtics offense that much more effective.
Going three-of-10 from the field on tough shots while dishing out just seven assists won't get the job. Ten tough shots and minimal ball distribution from Rondo is something Rondo and the Celtics must improve going into Game 2.
4. Trust Teammates, Lose the Hero Shots
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Head coach Doc Rivers is an advocate for not playing hero basketball, or taking "hero shots." It's also a saying that says a lot about how the Celtics went down in Game 1 to the Heat.
The Celtics had minimal ball movement in the fourth quarter, where just four of their 18 assists would come. In the first quarter, the Celtics had just one assist in all 12 minutes.
Moving the ball on offense and getting clean looks in the half-court set are what make the Celtics an effective offensive ball club.
Game 1 had close to no ball movement or effective half-court sets, which had the Celtics searching hard for a scoring-spark.
3. Better Help Defense on Dwyane Wade
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Dwyane Wade is arguably one of the better talents this league has to offer, as his talents were on full display in the 99-90 victory in Game 1.
After a poor display against the Celtics in the regular season, Wade knew that from the opening tip-off he had something to prove.
Wade would score a game-high 38 points on an impressive 14-of-21 shooting. Two tough, contested, step-back jumpers for Wade to open the game turned out to be telling of the type of performance Heat fans would witness from Wade Sunday.
Several of his looks came on drives to the basket, where defenders were late or didn't step-up at all to contest shots. If the Celtics want to take the series, shutting down LeBron James isn't good enough.
A former champion, Wade knows what it takes in the postseason, as better defense against the All-Star for the Celtics is needed if they hope to move on.
2. More Effort on Defense
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A hand or two up on defense might not be such a bad idea.
The Celtics were outperformed offensively, and also seemed out of sync on the defensive end. Open looks on the perimeter on penetrating the lane led to easy baskets for the Miami Heat throughout the contest.
James Jones let the Celtics have it, hitting five-of-seven three-point looks on five-of-seven shooting for the game.
The majority of his looks were open, set three-point buckets, which any solid shooter in the league can hit on a consistent basis.
Playing tougher defense and contesting kick-out jumpers is arguably the biggest adjustment the Celtics need to make.
The No. 1 defense in the league was slower to get out to open shots and it showed most in the second and third quarters. Better defense will be key for the Celtics in coming back in the series.
1. Composure from Paul Pierce, the Leader of the Troops
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The Boston Celtics captain, Paul Pierce, received two technical fouls in a span of 59 seconds in the fourth quarter.
The Celtics had been in the process of making a comeback, and would lose their star for the last eight minutes of the contest.
If one things for certain, the Boston Celtics won't win one game against the Miami Heat without their best player on the court in the fourth quarter.
After being called out by Doc Rivers after the game and understanding how he may have cost his ball club, expect Paul Pierce to play well in Game 2, despite the lack of composure in the Game 1 loss.
Pierce knows better, and he knows well these mistakes have no place in trying to win a playoff series.
