Over the last week at CelticsBlog, we’ve gone over positional advantages, possible x-factors, and the storylines and narratives of what could be the most compelling series in the Eastern Conference. Coaches will certainly make adjustments and then they’ll make adjustments to the adjustments.
But boiled down to the essential crux of the entire series, it comes down to how the Celtics defend Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Boston’s defense sparked their revival in the new year and finished first in efficiency for the entire season, allowing a stingy 106.2 points per 100 possessions. Even without the incomparable Robert Williams flying around, the Celtics are a versatile squad 1 through 7 which makes their heavy switching scheme possible. They’ll be put to the test against two of the most gifted scorers of their generation.
“They have two extremely high-level scorers that have seen everything, seen every coverage and every scheme and still do it at a high level,” head coach Ime Udoka said of KD and Kyrie. “You’ve got to understand they’re going to make tough shots. They’re going to go on runs. More so, it’s continue to do what we’ve done all year. Understanding how we’re going to attack them. The type of shots we want to give up and the amount of work we want to make them have (to do).”
The Nets don’t run a lot of stuff. With shotmakers and ISO engines like Durant and Irving, they really don’t have to. Brooklyn clocked in with a respectable 113.2 offensive rating by the end of their soap opera season, but they’ve been even better with both future Hall of Famers on the court at the same time. Over 523 minutes and 17 games, their shared offensive rating is 122.8. With his length and size, KD can get a shot up against any defender. Kyrie and his bag are an obvious problem. Here’s the conundrum for Boston: with how good those two are, you can’t take much away from the Nets because they don’t exactly aggressively…
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