The MAIN reasons behind Kevin Durant’s struggles vs. Celtics

Courtesy of computer illiterate (or lazy as shite) Cowens Old School:






Bob


.

Greeny is a great sports commentator. Spot on.

Swarming, aggressive defense. Doubling, even tripling KD when he’s off the ball. Lots of hand checking. Fast hands causing turnovers and rushed shots when KD has possession.

Smart strategy that cuts off passing lanes not only to KD, but slows movement to Irving, even when he’s single covered off the ball.

Ime using his team’s strength creatively.

NYCelt wrote:Swarming, aggressive defense. Doubling, even tripling KD when he’s off the ball. Lots of hand checking.

Smart strategy that cuts off passing lanes not only to KD, but slows movement to Irving, even when he’s single off the ball.

Ime using his team’s strength creatively.

+1 because we actually watched the game and actually witnessed how the Celtics manhandle Durant which also resulted in a continuous walk to the charity stripe. A meager price to pay for winning the game and exposing what he does not do so well, namely, score against physicality.

Hi,
Another very good point that Greeny brought up was a disconnect between Steve and KD and KI. I didn't notice any adjustments to KD's and KI's games. Was it because Steve didn't have a clue or because the K's are coaching themselves. For us, the answer to this question doesn't matter - the result does.
I hope this situation holds true for the next 2 games.

AK

sinus007,

There are only two plays in the Steve Nash Playbook.  

1)  Give ball to Kryrie
2)  Give ball to KD

Kryrie is on record for not needing a coach.  They kinda need one now!  Disconnect looks a lot like ours last season with Brad.  Steve Nash's "coaching" career has two games left.  That you can predict with great accuracy.    

db

dboss wrote:

NYCelt wrote:Swarming, aggressive defense. Doubling, even tripling KD when he’s off the ball. Lots of hand checking.

Smart strategy that cuts off passing lanes not only to KD, but slows movement to Irving, even when he’s single off the ball.

Ime using his team’s strength creatively.

+1 because we actually watched the game and actually witnessed how the Celtics manhandle Durant which also resulted in a continuous walk to the charity stripe.  A meager price to pay for winning the game and exposing what he does not do so well, namely, score against physicality.

I know what you mean. It seems like Greeny and his sidekicks didn't bother to watch the game. Maybe they skipped the highlights too.

Pretty lame reporting in my opinion. It's so easy to say KD isn't playing well or Irving needs to step up. Fact is, those two have struggled because of a well planned defense. Love them or hate them KD and Irving, although usually defensively challenged, are two of the better offensive talents in the league. Some consider Kyrie to be very offensive! (OK, sorry, too easy, couldn't resist.) I think both respect Nash and his game-plan, but KD simply can't execute with two or three Celtics in his face.

The Celtics are using their size to their advantage defensively. It took a while for them to realize that although the roster is vertically challenged, they have the muscle to play bully-ball. While I wish there was a way to do it without the high foul count, because that might lose us one, it just goes with the strategy. I'd take our starting five and send them over to Belichick; they'd make great linebackers. When we're on offense, it's hard for Nash to counter with our own strategy. They can try and double Tatum or Brown, but not only does that isolate their defender on the other guy, but that leaves Smart single covered too. Despite the unwarranted criticism Smart's shooting receives, he's then a danger to get open and shoot off the dribble, or otherwise. He can also get to the rim with the best of them covering.

After two games with this strategy, you can bet Nash and the Nets will come up with a counter. From what we've seen from Ime so far, I expect him to be ready with a curve of his own. We'll see. This was still two tough games, and I expect it's highly likely we're going to see the Celtics take two or three losses along the way. I still like our odds, however.

I’m very curious too what kind of strategy Nash can come up with, I can’t think of anything they can come up with that we haven’t seen before. Durant has never faced a fast strong defense like this with so many elite athletes all keying on him at the same time. He better stay outside and hit from there, like he did playing off Steph and Klay. We have too many swarming bodies going after him and the ball inside. If his outside shot is off or he can’t get it going, they are done.

cowens/oldschool,

See my post above on Steve Nash's strategy. That's it. Nothing more. Nothing less. Admire its simplicity.

db

Kryrie has the next strategy...since he doesn't need a coach. Fold up like a cheap suit and quit just like he did as a Celtic in his last game with us.

db

As NYCelt pointed out Nash will try a new wrinkle.

I think they need to keep all the multiple defenders away from Durant so I expect double screens and back screens and screens on top of screens.

The Celtics ferocious defense is so lethal that the Nets have to find a way to 'protect' Durant and KI from being mauled. Who let the dogs out? Ime did... Ime did.

NYCelt wrote:

dboss wrote:

NYCelt wrote:Swarming, aggressive defense. Doubling, even tripling KD when he’s off the ball. Lots of hand checking.

Smart strategy that cuts off passing lanes not only to KD, but slows movement to Irving, even when he’s single off the ball.

Ime using his team’s strength creatively.

+1 because we actually watched the game and actually witnessed how the Celtics manhandle Durant which also resulted in a continuous walk to the charity stripe.  A meager price to pay for winning the game and exposing what he does not do so well, namely, score against physicality.

I know what you mean. It seems like Greeny and his sidekicks didn't bother to watch the game. Maybe they skipped the highlights too.

Pretty lame reporting in my opinion. It's so easy to say KD isn't playing well or Irving needs to step up. Fact is, those two have struggled because of a well planned defense. Love them or hate them KD and Irving, although usually defensively challenged, are two of the better offensive talents in the league. Some consider Kyrie to be very offensive! (OK, sorry, too easy, couldn't resist.) I think both respect Nash and his game-plan, but KD simply can't execute with two or three Celtics in his face.

The Celtics are using their size to their advantage defensively. It took a while for them to realize that although the roster is vertically challenged, they have the muscle to play bully-ball. While I wish there was a way to do it without the high foul count, because that might lose us one, it just goes with the strategy. I'd take our starting five and send them over to Belichick; they'd make great linebackers. When we're on offense, it's hard for Nash to counter with our own strategy. They can try and double Tatum or Brown, but not only does that isolate their defender on the other guy, but that leaves Smart single covered too. Despite the unwarranted criticism Smart's shooting receives, he's then a danger to get open and shoot off the dribble, or otherwise. He can also get to the rim with the best of them covering.

After two games with this strategy, you can bet Nash and the Nets will come up with a counter. From what we've seen from Ime so far, I expect him to be ready with a curve of his own. We'll see. This was still two tough games, and I expect it's highly likely we're going to see the Celtics take two or three losses along the way. I still like our odds, however.

What makes you think they don’t watch the games? You didn’t like them using the term legacy or comparing him to Lebron, he was making a point if it was Lebron playing like this, media would be calling him out too. They did acknowledge we have committed strong defenders with length going after him hard impeding his movements….not sure why you think this coverage is lame?

Agree with you Smart is getting to the rim much better than any time in his career.

Legacy and LeBron? I don’t recall my addressing this.

My not watching the game comments were, among other reasons, because all three of the commentators in the video talked about Durant not playing to his ability, yet they all failed to mention the novel strategy Boston used. Double and tripling KD off the ball is not something anyone has tried before. I like Greeny, but this was a huge swing and a miss in my opinion. I think he, and the others, completely failed to point out even one significant specific about Boston’s unique defensive game plan. They said tough defense and generalized, but this was a whole different approach.

Time for Happy Hour. Cheers!

Come on, NYCelt! You know Boston is not the grab!! The media is hanging on now for an eternity and by a thread of what is left of their pre-ordained, pre-destined 2021-22 NBA Finals of LAL vs. BKN. They will not let go until it is buried 6 feet under. And even then they will try to resurrect it.

Reason #395 why Boston needs to clean house in G3. A win by BKN in G3 will open the Media Hoover Dam of all deluges. And then would come BS for G4. See where this is going? By putting RWIII on deck for G3, Ime has just told his team and the media that this series is over in 4. And who knows, the team may have told Ime! Whatever was said and in what order doesn't matter. But in G3, we need to see the foot on the neck/throat, knockout punch coming from everywhere.

Keep missing the point, rest of the NBA sports world. We'll just keep winning, just keep winning.

db

NYCelt wrote:Legacy and LeBron? I don’t recall my addressing this.

My not watching the game comments were, among other reasons, because all three of the commentators in the video talked about Durant not playing to his ability, yet they all failed to mention the novel strategy Boston used. Double and tripling KD off the ball is not something anyone has tried before. I like Greeny, but this was a huge swing and a miss in my opinion. I think he, and the others, completely failed to point out even one significant specific about Boston’s unique defensive game plan. They said tough defense and generalized, but this was a whole different approach.

Time for Happy Hour. Cheers!

Okay agreed they could have broken the defense down deeper and better, we are actually mixing up a lot of things that no one has tried before; but very few teams have our personnel with 2 J’s pressing on him, with 2 mobile bigs like Al and Theis backing them up that can cover out to the perimeter. I also mentioned on another thread what a pleasant surprise to see GWill defending and using that wide body so effectively. And we’ve done all this without RWill….got it now, not everyone has our innate knowledge of the game.

I have long felt that the best analysts of Celtics basketball period are right here on this website.. I am even more convinced of that now..

Media prognosticates and then reacts. To say that media was going to focus on the Nets regardless is not close to being realistic. They give their opinion and we choose to agree or disagree. If you’re watching or listening in NY you'll get the same story but with a different slant than you’d get from the Boston side. Media cannot change the results of what happened on the court. They can only opine. The key is how its being received. If a media member has not watched the game Live you can trust that he/she has access to video for review. I highly doubt if any of them speak on something without having laid eyes on it in some form or fashion.

dbrown4 wrote:Come on, NYCelt!  You know Boston is not the grab!!  The media is hanging on now for an eternity and by a thread of what is left of their pre-ordained, pre-destined 2021-22 NBA Finals of LAL vs. BKN.  They will not let go until it is buried 6 feet under.  And even then they will try to resurrect it.

Reason #395 why Boston needs to clean house in G3.  A win by BKN in G3 will open the Media Hoover Dam of all deluges.  And then would come BS for G4.  See where this is going?  By putting RWIII on deck for G3, Ime has just told his team and the media that this series is over in 4.  And who knows, the team may have told Ime!  Whatever was said and in what order doesn't matter.  But in G3, we need to see the foot on the neck/throat, knockout punch coming from everywhere.

Keep missing the point, rest of the NBA sports world.  We'll just keep winning, just keep winning.  

db          

DB, I watched game 2 live on Boston’s NBCSB. I then rewatched the national feed from TNT yesterday.
Same game, different perspectives but none of the perspectives from either broadcast colored or changed what I saw. Example: The foul on Theis when Bruce Brown was fast breaking for a layup. Bruce lost the ball before Theis touched him. Scal pointed that out on the Local broadcast and it was not pointed out on the national TNT broadcast. Just the foul call with no opinion either way. Does not change the fact of what happened because I saw it. Mike and Scal are often going to point things out from a Boston perspective. Nothing new. Thats what they’re supposed to do. The National broadcast did not because they are presenting from a national perspective. Neither changes the fact of what happened and what we saw.
We want to hear and see what we want to hear and see across all media landscapes and its never going to happen.

The national media does focus on the bad news Nets rather than the good news Cs, though that is slowly changing. But the Nets have much more name recognition (KD, KI, BS) and much more drama. That's what makes entertainment and that's what they're there for. But I think that works in the Cs favor by taking the spotlight off them. Once the Nets are done it will be the Greek Freak/defending champs and the Embiid/Harden story. Our guys can keep their focus on playing and let the dramas play out without them.

atcross wrote:The national media does focus on the bad news Nets rather than the good news Cs, though that is slowly changing. But the Nets have much more name recognition (KD, KI, BS) and much more drama. That's what makes entertainment and that's what they're there for. But I think that works in the Cs favor by taking the spotlight off them. Once the Nets are done it will be the Greek Freak/defending champs and the Embiid/Harden story. Our guys can keep their focus on playing and let the dramas play out without them.  

True but it’s neither bad or good. Its what top of mind with viewers. The fans nationally are focusing on-Their stars and a team that was “supposed to” be in the NBA finals for the past 3 yrs. Normal. Star power- We have ours but those guys (the K’s :’) are former champions with cache that the J’s are on the cusp of overtaking. Once that happens everyone outside of Celtics fans will be saying the same thing we are saying now but it’ll be about us.