ECF Game #7 Sunday Cavs@Celtics

I have been thinking about this since the end of game 6.  I never think about a game 7 unless there is to be a game 7.

With all the things this team and their fans have gone through this year, it is fitting that a game 7 separates us from a most improbable trip to the finals.  Another game 7.  Can ya believe it?  Another game 7 and another chance to play another day.  We have been here before, so many, many time before  as fans but this team has never been this far.  After a 5 year rebuild that was executed to perfection by Danny Ainge, this team  has the audacity to win now.  Not tomorrow, not next season when Kyrie and Gordon return but right now.

Our pups do not seem to be fazed at all by where they are.  That may be the defining element that comes out of this season.  So tomorrow when the pups take the floor along with a few veterans I fully expect to see the Celtics win another game 7.  

Here are a few ideas I have about how this win may be fashioned.

Love is out for game 7.  

Baynes needs to start at center to help Boston establish physicality early in the game.  It is important to accept the fact that Al Horford does not match up well in the post with Thompson.  We need Baynes on him knocking his head off.

Al can play whoever starts in place of Love and we can Start Brown out on Lebron and also use Tatum.  Foul trouble most be avoided.  The prima donna must not be touched.  But if you have to foul Lebron he must not make the shot.  The Celtics will need to also put Morris on James.  It is also time for brad to get semi in the mix.  We really miss his defensive quickness.

Jeff Green and George Hill have to score for Cleveland to win.  They played well in game6 but now it is time to shut both of them down.

Terry needs to be a beast on defense against Hill.  We have way to much running pass closeouts and we are still a split second slow in those rotations.  How come Jeff Green did not look this good when he played for us?  Answer:  Jeff Green was never the alpha dog we had hoped for.  He is more than comfortable with Lebron carrying the big load.  He still is only strong to his right so shut that down and he gets few points in the paint.  Check him early and often on the perimeter.  

Brad Stevens has done a masterful job overall in guiding this team.  However, sometimes I think his immense intellect for the game masks his ability to recognize the obvious.  Is it okay if I critique him a bit?

Baynes is obviously not the best perimeter defender on the team and Monroe is even worse.  If that is really a rotation issue you have to solve it by going with Semi.  The Freak is one of the best ball handlers at his size in the NBA and he goes to the rim relentlessly.  Semi's defense on the Freak made a difference in the Celtics winning the Bucks series.  So why the hell not utilize Semi the same way against Lebron?  It is better that Semi use his fouls than for Jaylen Brown to use his fouls on James.  Semi is quicker than both Morris and Horford in covering James and he is stronger with more girth than Brown.

At this point Brad really does not have enough reliable bodies to work with.  He is running a 7-8 man rotation but he needs to run at least an 8 man rotation   (Semi)

The Celtics do not play with a lot on pace on the road but they do at home.

They should play solid defense, rebound off the defensive glass and run the Cavs off of the parquet floor.

If Lebron can play 46 minutes so can Jaylen Brown.  Play Brown max minutes brad.

When you bury Jason Tatum (18.2 ppg, leads team with 5.2 FTA) in the corner or even sometimes on the wing you bury your offense.  He needs to get the ball early in the offense and if they continue to double Al you have to run your offense thorough Jayson Tatum.  Spread the damn floor and let him operate.

You got to get Brown (18.3 PPG, 41% from deep)more touches by running more screen for him where he can shoot or drive.

Always get the ball to Terry when he is open (17.2 PPG 37% from deep) and tell him he is supposed to shoot, no hesitation.

Pull Morris aside and tell him he needs to play a solid technical game like we expect from a veteran.

How about freeing up Al with a few screens?  This team should set screens continually because we have guys like Al that can and will knock down shots.

Tell Marcus that if he must take a 3 it should only be late in the shot clock where other options are not available.  Marcus Smart should rarely take any 3 point shots.  It is not his shot.  Nothing wrong with that unless you keep putting up almost 5 three PA per game.

The 76.7% FT % is not championship quality.  They need to make those shots as well as those blown bunnies.

That's it.. your turn to share

I have not stopped thinking about this game since the end of last night's game.  If any team deserves to win, it is this group of players.
No team could ever brag that they had reached this point with all the injuries we have sustained this year.  I know this sounds like a homer talking, but this is a fact.  I don't care at this point if they win the title this year (of course, I say that and then I get excited at the thought). 
All I want is for them to beat James!!! Period, one point, ten points, whatever it is. Just win.

So Love is out, but they have done better with him off the court, so the Celtics have to be ready to guard those "other" players.  James is going to try to score 50, so we will have to stop those "others".

I won't go player by player, you did that just fine Dboss.  How many times this year have I typed at the end of a game 
       A WIN IS A WIN IS A WIN1111 That is all I want

Rosalie

It has been a historic year.

A truly great season.

I find it hard not to get nervous over a game 7.  But as fans we have lived in the moment many times.

I fully expect a win and a finals matchup with the Rockets (1981 and 1986)

Well right now GSW taking over game six so it looks like a game 7 for them too. Only thing is that game is in Houston

dboss wrote:I have been thinking about this since the end of game 6.  I never think about a game 7 unless there is to be a game 7.

With all the things this team and their fans have gone through this year, it is fitting that a game 7 separates us from a most improbable trip to the finals.  Another game 7.  Can ya believe it?  Another game 7 and another chance to play another day.  We have been here before, so many, many time before  as fans but this team has never been this far.  After a 5 year rebuild that was executed to perfection by Danny Ainge, this team  has the audacity to win now.  Not tomorrow, not next season when Kyrie and Gordon return but right now.

Our pups do not seem to be fazed at all by where they are.  That may be the defining element that comes out of this season.  So tomorrow when the pups take the floor along with a few veterans I fully expect to see the Celtics win another game 7.  

Here are a few ideas I have about how this win may be fashioned.

Love is out for game 7.  

Baynes needs to start at center to help Boston establish physicality early in the game.  It is important to accept the fact that Al Horford does not match up well in the post with Thompson.  We need Baynes on him knocking his head off.

Al can play whoever starts in place of Love and we can Start Brown out on Lebron and also use Tatum.  Foul trouble most be avoided.  The prima donna must not be touched.  But if you have to foul Lebron he must not make the shot.  The Celtics will need to also put Morris on James.  It is also time for brad to get semi in the mix.  We really miss his defensive quickness.

Jeff Green and George Hill have to score for Cleveland to win.  They played well in game6 but now it is time to shut both of them down.

Terry needs to be a beast on defense against Hill.  We have way to much running pass closeouts and we are still a split second slow in those rotations.  How come Jeff Green did not look this good when he played for us?  Answer:  Jeff Green was never the alpha dog we had hoped for.  He is more than comfortable with Lebron carrying the big load.  He still is only strong to his right so shut that down and he gets few points in the paint.  Check him early and often on the perimeter.  

Brad Stevens has done a masterful job overall in guiding this team.  However, sometimes I think his immense intellect for the game masks his ability to recognize the obvious.  Is it okay if I critique him a bit?

Baynes is obviously not the best perimeter defender on the team and Monroe is even worse.  If that is really a rotation issue you have to solve it by going with Semi.  The Freak is one of the best ball handlers at his size in the NBA and he goes to the rim relentlessly.  Semi's defense on the Freak made a difference in the Celtics winning the Bucks series.  So why the hell not utilize Semi the same way against Lebron?  It is better that Semi use his fouls than for Jaylen Brown to use his fouls on James.  Semi is quicker than both Morris and Horford in covering James and he is stronger with more girth than Brown.

At this point Brad really does not have enough reliable bodies to work with.  He is running a 7-8 man rotation but he needs to run at least an 8 man rotation   (Semi)

The Celtics do not play with a lot on pace on the road but they do at home.

They should play solid defense, rebound off the defensive glass and run the Cavs off of the parquet floor.

If Lebron can play 46 minutes so can Jaylen Brown.  Play Brown max minutes brad.

When you bury Jason Tatum (18.2 ppg, leads team with 5.2 FTA) in the corner or even sometimes on the wing you bury your offense.  He needs to get the ball early in the offense and if they continue to double Al you have to run your offense thorough Jayson Tatum.  Spread the damn floor and let him operate.

You got to get Brown (18.3 PPG, 41% from deep)more touches by running more screen for him where he can shoot or drive.

Always get the ball to Terry when he is open (17.2 PPG 37% from deep) and tell him he is supposed to shoot, no hesitation.

Pull Morris aside and tell him he needs to play a solid technical game like we expect from a veteran.

How about freeing up Al with a few screens?  This team should set screens continually because we have guys like Al that can and will knock down shots.

Tell Marcus that if he must take a 3 it should only be late in the shot clock where other options are not available.  Marcus Smart should rarely take any 3 point shots.  It is not his shot.  Nothing wrong with that unless you keep putting up almost 5 three PA per game.

The 76.7% FT % is not championship quality.  They need to make those shots as well as those blown bunnies.

That's it.. your turn to share

.  
On point dboss! I’m sure i will have something to ad to this strategy before tipoff but I think your recipe, if followed will have us feasting on the Caviar all night! Caution, don’t eat too much. Gotta save some room for the Western Conference dessert!!!

Not going to be joining the Game On thread tonight, other than the occasional pop-in, I'm going to be watching the game with a friend at his house, drinking champagne.

If it ends tonight I'll be celebrating the 2018 Cinderella Celtics, the team that nobody thought would win more than a game or two, much less a series.

If we win and survive to fight more I'll be celebrating the stunning consummation of yet one more 5-year rebuild by Danny Ainge. I know, it's a stunning accomplishment even if we lose tonight because we are SO undermanned and LeBron is, well, Lebron but if we actually are able to get within 4 wins of #18 exactly 5 years after Danny blew up the team (and the Brooklyn Nets at the same time)? Wow. Wow and then some more Wow.


bob


.

We will miss you

Yes Bob, WOW. No matter what happens, Wow. But if we win, WOW! WOW!WOW!

I bumped into Jamie Young this morning at coffee.
He was just as jacked up as I am!!!! I told him I wanted a winner, with Big Al being the hero. He was laughing like heck when he walked out!!!

Who is Jamie Young?

cowens/oldschool wrote:Who is Jamie Young?

Assistant coach for the Celtics.

Edit: he's been with the team for 17 years.

I was in Boston last week and I had the pleasure to watch a few games with friends.  Also bigtime Celtics fans.  

I am heading back up to Boston on the 31st.  I expect Boston to be playing game #1.

One of our sons is getting married which is the reason for my visit but why not enjoy watching a game with friends.

FYI. I have 5 adult sons.  KJ is the baby.  One of our twin sons is tying the knot.

mrkleen09 wrote:

That's a great sign. I hope they accomplish the goals set up with this game plan.

Go Celtics!!!

dboss wrote:I was in Boston last week and I had the pleasure to watch a few games with friends.  Also bigtime Celtics fans.  

I am heading back up to Boston on the 31st.  I expect Boston to be playing game #1.

One of our sons is getting married which is the reason for my visit but why not enjoy watching a game with friends.

FYI. I have 5 adult sons.  KJ is the baby.  One of our twin sons is tying the knot.

Did you grow up in Boston and if so what part?