The Boston Celtics have secured their first win of the second round. They decimated the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night. Nevertheless, they still have to secure another three wins before progressing to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they will face either the Indiana Pacers or New York Knicks.
One player who knows what it’s like to face the Celtics (and to represent the Pacers), is Roy Hibbert. The 2-Time All-Star and 1-time All-Defensive Second Team selection had his fair share of battles with the Celtics during his career. He has also been part of the Philadelphia 76ers team, consistently falling short against the current core.
Speaking on the latest episode of “The Celtics Chronicle” podcast, Hibbert shared his thoughts on the playoffs and who the Celtics could potentially face in the next round.
“I think the Celtics would rather play Indiana because they like to get up and down the court and don’t worry too much about defense,” Thibodeau said. “In terms of the Knicks, they play seven players. [Tom Thibodeau] he wears them down. I’m worried about the longevity of the Knicks with only playing seven players but he has those guys locked in.”
In truth, the Celtics should have more than either of those teams can handle in a seven-game series. Joe Mazzulla’s team has been building toward an NBA Finals run all season. A lot of that success has come on the defensive end, where the Celtics have shone with a stifling perimeter defensive system and some elite rim protection.
Without Porzingis in the rotation, Hibbert believes the Celtics should double down on their offensive output.
“The offense is too good in terms of what you guys are doing on the other end. Don’t sacrifice the offense for a little bit of defense. Now, see, a Joker in Denver will give up a layup, and he’s just, like, inbounding that thing quickly as hell. So, it’s like, the defense isn’t that much of a factor anymore. So, I say, Whatever you can do to keep the offense going, you do it.”
The interview also touched on how “Nash” dribbling can put a big man in a bind or force paint-switching and lead to miscommunication, the growth of Aaron Nesmith in Indiana, why Luke Kornet is the ideal prototype for a non-shooting big entering the NBA, and the importance of two-way players and how that can create locker-room leadership.
You can watch the full episode by clicking on the embedded…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at CelticsBlog – All Posts…