Celtics Bench Posing Big Problem To Opponents

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/celtics_nba/boston_celtics/2015/04/celtics_bench_posing_big_problem_to_opponents




WALTHAM — Toronto Raptors coach Dwane Casey recently characterized the Celtics, and especially the style of play off the bench, as “unorthodox” because of their floor-spacing big men.

The Celtics bench has become known for many things over the last two months, from Isaiah Thomas’ hell-bent drives to the entire unit’s tireless attack.

The reserves, a fast-jelling unit since Thomas, Jonas Jerebko and Gigi Datome became Celtics at the Feb. 19 trade deadline, do seem to have confounded opposing coaching staffs.

“I’ve heard that too from other coaches, and I really believe we’re hard to play against,” Jerebko said when asked about Casey’s comments. “That’s a compliment. In today’s basketball, it’s not like it was with two big men and three outside players. It’s not like that anymore. It’s all about how you match up. They have to guard us too, and we make it difficult for them.

“Unorthodox? That’s a compliment.”

We’ll see if that compliment holds up under the extreme pressure that starts tomorrow, when the Celtics open their first-round playoff series in Cleveland against arguably the most talented team in the NBA.

LeBron James, alone, puts the Cavaliers in that category.

But just maybe the Cavs find themselves attempting to swing at a knuckleball once the Celtics’ second unit starts subbing onto the floor.

“It’s really hard because we have a lot of stretch bigs who can hit from 3,” Avery Bradley said of the Celtics’ second act. “Opponents don’t know how to defend us. They don’t know whether they should switch or show. It’s hard for teams to hold us when we’re making 3’s. We have to do that and move the ball.”

Bradley and his fellow starters can, in turn, feast on the energy of reserves like Jae Crowder, Thomas and Jerebko.

“It’s been amazing, shows we all believe in each other,” said Bradley. “Even if we get off to a bad start, we know we have guys who come in with great backup, and we hope we can do the same for them when we get back into the game.”

The mystery, though part of it is coaching, is how this group came together so quickly. Of the first six players off the bench, only Kelly Olynyk and former starter Jared Sullinger were Celtics last season.

But whether it was the design of president of basketball operations Danny Ainge or not, he found a group sharing a similar personality type in Thomas, Crowder, Jerebko and Datome.

“We’re all just good guys who get along,” said Jerebko. “You want to play with guys you get along with, and we all get along just fine. It’s just an unselfish place. We keep sharing the ball.

“It’s hard to say what can happen after two months, but we’ve learned what people are good at, and where to be on the court. All that is getting better and better as we speak.”

The new wrinkle is Sullinger, a starter before he went down earlier this season with a metatarsal stress fracture in his right foot. The second unit was flying along when he joined the mix, and is admittedly trying to adjust now.

Thomas’ driving offense means less post-up opportunities for Sullinger, which is fine for the big forward. Early on, his rebounding has bolstered the reserves.

“Not big adjustments,” Sullinger said of how the change has affected his game. “Just understanding that we have go-to guys on that second unit with Kelly and Isaiah, and we play through them.

“What’s different is the way we spread the floor. You have Kelly who can shoot the ball, Jonas who can shoot, Isaiah who can make plays for everybody. Sometimes Marcus (Smart) is in there with them. There’s so many dynamic basketball players in that second unit who can help us be the best we can be.”

That makes all the difference, according to Jerebko.

“We might not be out-sizing everybody, but we play hard,” he said. “We have our energy, and in the NBA it’s pretty rare when you have a lot of guys who do that. Sometimes that can be seen as a skill, playing with energy, but we all have that. That’s pretty tough to play against, when a team does that.”



bob



.

This group has played exceptionally well, and as result, should not be broken up this year.

It is not the group with the absolute most talent, but they do play very well together which is sometimes a bit more important than actually having the most talent.

I wish that the Cs starters could play this well together every night, but they are playing against more talent each night.

Question: How many benches in the NBA have chemistry as good as the Celtics'?  That fact could force the Cavs to tax their starters by giving them minutes against the Celtics bench.  And the Celtics' best defender against Lebron (Crowder) just happens to be a Celtics bench player.  Anything Brad can do to give the Cavs different looks and disrupt the Cavs' game plan will be to the Celtics' advantage.

Sam