#1 We need to accept there’s no matchup for Jokic
Nikola Jokic is the best player in the world. He has size, strength, elite skill, and poise. You can’t guard that type of talent. You can’t scheme for that type of talent. Once you accept that and start to look to contain rather than restrict, you can focus on limiting those around you.
If the Boston Celtics are going to face the Denver Nuggets in the NBA Finals, forcing Jokic to beat them will likely be the game plan. Stop Jamal Murray. Stop Aaron Gordon. Force tough match-ups for the role players. The issues arise when you overreact to Jokic’s dominance rather than trying to diminish his impact as a passerby, shutting everyone else down.
A significant part of shutting others down is figuring out how to stop the “Delay DHO” game the Nuggets feast off with Jokic above the break to around the elbows.
We’ve seen the Celtics struggle to contain DHO-based offense before, primarily against Bam Adebayo and the Miami Heat. If these two teams face off in the postseason, nullifying these actions will make a big impact in limiting Jokic’s ability to get his teammates involved by springing them free to curl and get downhill.
Denver is primarily a mid-range-based team. They like to punish drop defenses. They like to attack bigs with floaters and pull-ups. They can also hurt you around the rim. Everything runs through Jokic. Let him do him, and stop everyone else. That’s the trade-off you must make when playing against an All-World talent.
#2 Tatum needs to figure out how to make an impact against Denver
Two games against the Nuggets this season, two tough nights for Jayson Tatum. In Thursday’s matchup, Joe Mazzulla experimented with using Tatum as the screen and roll guy. I liked that idea.
If Tatum can become more decisive with his movements as he comes off the screen, he could be a serious threat to Denver’s interior defense throughout a series.
Against most teams, actions like the one above are perfect to get Tatum going. He screens, rolls into the post, and gets the rock in one of his favored spots. Yet, there’s a reason why Denver looks to funnel teams off the three-point line — they trust their interior defense to consistently make plays and force mistakes. This is what I mean by having Tatum be more decisive. Could he have found better success rolling directly to the rim? Or rolling into another screen to spring someone free for an off-ball cut?
To beat a team like Denver, the offense must be in constant motion. Tatum’s scoring gravity can bend defenses with his movement. Perhaps that could be a tweak that unlocks some new offensive upside for this Celtics team against lock-down interior defenses.
Of course, we also saw Tatum do some work as a PnR ballhandler. However, we come back to the same issue: Denver is a stringent perimeter defense. Teams have undoubtedly tested that by dragging out their PnRs and attempting to punish passing angles. The Nuggets baited the pass in the above clip and were right there to pick it off.
There will be spots where Tatum has an advantage. We know he can make those possessions count. However, the swing factor will be fining ways to consistently put him in advantageous positions. He’s the team’s best player. You need him making a consistent impact on the offensive end.
Overall, Tatum didn’t have a terrible night. He slotted into a playmaking role and was impactful in his role as a help defender. You need more than that against Denver, though. Figuring out how to maximize him in a seven-game series will be a significant part of the chess match.
Finally, I’m not going to sit here and bash Tatum for a tough night. Yeah, the lights were bright, and he didn’t have it. No, that doesn’t mean he can’t produce in big moments. We’ve seen him have amazing performances in win-or-go-home situations against teams with MVP-level stars. It was just a tough night. The media will likely say differently, though.
#3 Brown was the antithesis of Mike Malone’s defensive system
Jaylen Brown is not the type of player you want to see when your defense is constructed to deter threes and funnel players toward the mid-range or to the rim. Everything he excels at, the Nuggets welcome. He can score in the middle. He can dominate around the rim. And he’s physical enough to bust out of the traps Denver sets on the perimeter.
As such, it’s no surprise that Brown had a dominant scoring night. He was tailor-made for the type of defense Mike Malone has his team playing. The best thing about it is that Denver would be unlikely to switch up their system to find ways to contain Brown. So, he could have a huge series if these two teams meet in the playoffs.
Brown’s off-ball cutting is silky and decisive.
His mid-range game is a counter when the defense looks to load up and take away the rim.
And if the defense tries to out-muscle him, they will usually fail.
Brown has been exceptional as a featured scorer this season. He’s embraced his job of scoring in the paint and using his mid-range game as a counter. He’s thriving in that role. Against a Nuggets team that uses the perimeter as a funnel, Brown was the perfect Trojan Horse. He allowed himself to be hurried off the line and then went to work as always.
#4 Nuggets execute with incredible precision
When facing the reigning NBA champions, you expect a level of precision. However, the Nuggets are a cut above with how they execute their offense. Everything is timed to perfection. They know who they are as a team. They know where their strengths are. They run plays to accentuate those strengths and understand each action’s second and third options.
Their elite execution was on display from the start of the game, as Denver ran a stagger split action that left Jokic with a ton of room along the free-throw line extended.
At times, we see the Celtics executing at this level. We know they’re capable of it. However, it’s the consistency of the Nuggets that is impressive. Every action is as precise as the last. Every defensive coverage is structured, and every offensive movement has a purpose. This will be a good learning experience for the Celtics. We know they’re a championship-caliber team, but now they know what it takes to have championship-caliber consistency.
#5 Celtics got sucked into the Nuggets trap
If you want to beat the Nuggets on the perimeter, you have to string plays together. You have to move off the ball to drag the defense out of position. Instead, the Celtics went with their usual offensive scheme. When that didn’t work, they doubled down by adding drive and kick options out of those sets. Denver welcomes that type of adjustment. They want the ball to touch the paint so they can pressure you and force mistakes.
The Celtics shot 28.9% from the perimeter, taking 38 shots. One thing that this game got me asking myself, and I don’t think I have an answer yet, is, “If you’re getting open threes, but the process is bad in context to how the defense plays you, and what they’re willing to live with, are they still good shots? Or are you playing into their trap? After all, there’s a reason they’re willing to live with that outcome based on the process to generate the attempt.”
I’ll be mulling over that thought process for a while. But right now, just an hour after watching the game back, I feel like the perimeter-based offense lacked secondary actions to really blow the coverage open and score from a position of control rather than a position of acceptance.
Furthermore, if you’re looking to generate more interior scoring to counter how Malone likes his team to defend, you need to set the terms of engagement. Again, that comes down to running sequences rather than single screen and drive scenarios.
#6 Porzingis needs to be a hub in these types of games
Kristaps Porzingis has proven he can be a reliable passing big man. He’s also got the scoring gravity to be a DHO hub — similar to how the Nuggets used Jokic. Yes, Porzingis isn’t on the same level as a passer, but he’s tall enough to see over the defense and make reads, and he can pop after hand-offs to create additional space on driving lanes.
I like the idea of having Porzingis create out of the post. Running delay actions. Executing hand-offs around the elbow. Use his gravity to create offense. If the shot opens up because of it, you know he’s trust worthy enough to take those opportunities and put points on the board.
Denver clearly wanted to limit Tatum. The point of having Porzingis is that he’s another star who can change the game and force defensive alterations. We haven’t seen him operate as a playmaking hub, and it may not be something that works over a prolonged stretch. Yet, for a few minutes in a quarter, when you’re looking to change the flow, there are far worse options to be explored.
#7 Gotta tighten up off-ball defense
I don’t know what happened against the Dallas Mavericks, but it feels like the Celtics have been getting torn to shreds on cuts and slip screens in their last few games. It all started with Derick Lively II’s slip screens and rim runs. On Thursday, it was Aaron Gordon who consistently found ways to attack when cutting or back-cutting his man.
Off-ball defense is about communication. You teammates need to be watching your back and letting you know when things are happening behind you. And you need to call for help when beaten via a cut in front of you. Otherwise, consistently getting cooked by cutters is going to be an issue.
Throughout the season, the Celtics have done a fantastic job of rotating over, switching, peeling switches, and pre-switching to limit the advantages made when cutters are looking to break into space. Yet, those defensive movements have been a step slow for the past few games or simply haven’t been there. It’s effort-based. It’s teamwork.
Mazzulla needs to get the Celtics’ defense back on track in terms of defending the lanes and expecting teams to attack space. Gordon was the latest player to find success with his movement, and with the Phoenix Suns up next, there’s a good chance he won’t be the last if Boston doesn’t adjust.
#8 Mazzulla kept his playbook closed
I don’t mind this one. I get it. You’re facing a potential NBA Finals opponent. You don’t want to give away the farm now, and you have little left to spring a surprise during a tight game where a win could be a legitimate difference-maker in how the season ends. So, it made sense Boston kept to its principles but didn’t go too deep into its counters or the variations within its offense.
They kept things simple. They were right there at the end of the game. The defense had a couple of tough moments, and the three-point shot wasn’t falling. That’s it. That was the ball game. Boston didn’t need to get too fancy or too creative to hang around — that’s encouraging.
However, the Celtics have hung around in two games against Denver and have nothing to show for it. The first time, Brown and Tatum struggled. This time, Tatum struggled and Brown was hot. Hanging around is great. But if this happens in the postseason, they need to find ways to hang around and win.
#9 Tillman was the right call
Boston has found success when running undersized, strong bigs against Jokic. It’s how Grant Williams got his “Batman” nickname. Kornet struggles when facing bulky bigs and explosive forwards. The Celtics acquired Xavier Tillman for these matchups. It was logical that he got the nod ahead of Kornet for this game.
Overall, Tillman played well. He was switchy on the perimeter. He held his ground on Jokic.
Tillman defended five shots. Four of them dropped. The clip above was the only miss when directly matched up with someone. However, his movement, strength, and versatility were a significant boost off the bench and displayed why he will have a role to play moving forward.
I’ll leave you with this nice bucket and awesome footwork.
#10 Need to beat PHX to avoid season’s longest losing streak
The Celtics have only lost back-to-back games twice this season. The first time that happened was in November, as they lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves and followed it up with a loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. The back-to-back losses against Cleveland and Denver make this the joint-longest losing streak of the season.
Can we just take a minute to appreciate that two losses in a row is as bad as it’s gotten this season. Just to appreciate how good this team really is. The biggest learning curve is coming against the reigning champions, who also boast the best player in the world. This Celtics team is exceptional.
A loss to the Phoenix Suns would mark the worst stretch of games this season. Three losses. That would be the worst stretch of games. Three. Whatever happens, I’m totally fine with it. I’m not about to panic after a three-game stretch. Still, I would prefer the Celtics to handle their business and get back on track. A cushion at the top of the Eastern Conference only stays that way if you keep winning.
Final Thoughts
We’re going to hear a lot about how the Celtics “failed their audition.” Or how they Nuggets have won both of their games against Boston. Or even how Tatum didn’t turn up. Those narratives are the cost of being an elite team in the NBA. The media focuses in on every detail. That’s their job. It’s part of the ecosystem.
Yet, the Celtics have proven themselves to be championship material. Even in their losses, they’re fighting and executing. And against Denver, they’ve been right there on both occasions. Some tweaks are needed. There’s no doubt about it. But, overall, this team is standing on the precipice. Losses like this are just as important as wins.
I hope you all have a great Friday and Saturday. I’ll catch you on Sunday to recap what goes down against Phoenix.
