2024 NBA Playoffs: East Semifinals: #1 Boston Celtics vs #4 Cleveland Cavaliers (BOS WINS 4-1)

[bisme37]

Cavs fans what do you think of this assessment?

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[JujitsuFlip]

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I would say only if you're doing no hedge + Jrue and White going over/through the screen. Can't just completely go under the screen and have no hedge.

Suggs was successful because he fought through and over the top of screens. He obviously got away with some fouls in those situations too though.

As bad of a first round as Garland had, he still shot 40% from deep on 5 attempts per game.

Also, Strus has it in him to shoot 41% from deep, like he did in the playoffs last season against the Bucks. However, maybe playing against his former team will just be too much for him and his crappy shooting will continue. I'm hoping for a revenge mindset.

Then there is Mitchell, with his last basket to give him 50 in game 6 was a deep 3, probably wanna play up on him.

[jbk1234]

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I think Allen has to be ready to go no later than Game 2 or we're in big trouble for a bunch of reasons with screening being the least of them. When the Celtics play Horford, I'm putting TT in and he's the best screener on the team by far. If they play drop coverage with Kornet, it's trickier, but Garland excells against drop coverage as to where Mitchell prefers to play more downhill.

[JonFromVA]

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Setting good/hard screens is a problem for the Cavs even when Allen is healthy, the question is will they need to?

If Mitchell or Garland can move well enough to beat their man off the dribble, who's waiting for them and are they going to be able to cope with Allen/Mobley/TT at the same time too?

You see these player rankings with Mobley so low in the pecking order, but protecting the rim is so crucial to winning basketball. The Celtics will often be able to just shoot over the shorter Cavs out on the perimeter, but if that's what the C's are banking on those shots had better go down in at least 4 of the games.

There are advantages to having smaller/quicker players that can shoot, pass, drive from multiple spots on the floor; but not if they are injured and not playing up to snuff.

Mitchell is presumably shooting up his knee so he doesn't feel pain from his tendonitis, but he's favoring his good leg. How often have we seen players hurt their good leg trying to protect their bad one? I'm not sure how long he can last playing this way.

[Ben-N1ce]

Mitchell will go off. Thats what he's done against the Celtics but do they have enough outside him? Having KP certainly would help to throw in the middle of the defense but it is what it is.

[toooskies]

Let's talk Dean Wade a little bit.

Counting the 1st round series they just won, the Cavs are 15-20 when Dean Wade doesn't play this season. They are 21-11 when he starts and 36-18 in games he plays. Dean Wade's plus-minus when on the court is roughly equivalent to the Celtics' overall plus-minus.

Wade pretty much won the game against Boston in March with his shooting and defense. His best games last season were also against Boston. He's the team's ideal defender against Tatum, both tall and quick and fundamentally sound. He boxes out. He screens well. He spaces, and if you leave him open he'll shoot and usually somewhat accurately. (He can't be any worse than our "shooters" against the Magic.)

Part of Wade's success has also been about whom he moves to the bench. If the Cavs had a healthy Wade, they wouldn't have Georges Niang and Marcus Morris getting minutes. So it may not be so much that Dean Wade is really good as much as the other options are... much less good, particularly defensively.

[NCHeels2008]

Where is the Celtics in 3 option?

[Darth Celtic]

If you were ranking the starters in this series, this isn't too far off from what people would agree on (if Allen plays and KP doesn't):

Tatum
Mitchell
Brown
Garland
Allen
Holiday
White
Mobley
Strus
Horford

.

You haven't watched Celtics this year or playoffs because you are lacking respect for one of the top two way guards in NBA that carried the Celtics to wins against heat.

They have youth and upside, but Allen and Garland aren't currently more impactful to winning than Derrick White. Heck, I'd rate him over brown as many Celtics fans would

[bisme37]

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[JujitsuFlip]

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Man has gotta play through the pain!

[tundraknight]

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[JujitsuFlip]

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The guy is tiny though.

If he was 6'7" 212 LB is may help, a little bit.

I honestly think his list height and weight are even inflated. Guy is like 6 feet 185 LB.

[bmurph128]

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As noted, this would be down on the list of concerns if Allen is out - but yes, this is accurate. He was horrifically bad at screening Suggs last round

[JonFromVA]

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The guy is tiny though.

If he was 6'7" 212 LB is may help, a little bit.

I honestly think his list height and weight are even inflated. Guy is like 6 feet 185 LB.

He just needs a tiny bit of space of get his shot off, it shouldn't be rocket science.

(you may now rant about our coach)

[JujitsuFlip]

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The guy is tiny though.

If he was 6'7" 212 LB is may help, a little bit.

I honestly think his list height and weight are even inflated. Guy is like 6 feet 185 LB.

He just needs a tiny bit of space of get his shot off, it shouldn't be rocket science.

(you may now rant about our coach)

jb sucks lol okay, glad we got that outta the way.

In theory Merrill could get some run, situationally, in this series. Will be matchup dependent.

[tundraknight]

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Is the Celtics killer Dean Wade still injured?

[JujitsuFlip]

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Is the Celtics killer Dean Wade still injured?

Unfortunately, yes. He went on paternity leave, hurt his knee and hasn't played since March 8th.

[Edrees]

Celtics in 5 unfortunately. cavs will win game 3

[jbk1234]

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Man has gotta play through the pain!

I mean if he's going to be ineffective doing it, and he could further aggravate the injury, it's probably best he waits. One of the reasons I was less upset than other Cavs fans when we lost the second play-in game to the Hawks, is Allen was trying to play center with one hand due to a broken finger. Suffice to say, I didn't view that as a good idea and he was really hampered offensively. Unless it's a bad contusion, he should be back by Game 3 or 4.

[JujitsuFlip]

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Man has gotta play through the pain!

I mean if he's going to be ineffective doing it, and he could further aggravate the injury, it's probably best he waits. One of the reasons I was less upset than other Cavs fans when we lost the second play-in game to the Hawks, is Allen was trying to play center with one hand due to a broken finger. Suffice to say, I didn't view that as a good idea and he was really hampered offensively. Unless it's a bad contusion, he should be back by Game 3 or 4.

Windy said he can't even lift his arms without discomfort, I doubt between now and Saturday that changes much.