The bounce back: 5 takeaways from Celtics/Cavaliers

#1 Tatum upped the aggression

After receiving significant backlash online, Jayson Tatum came into the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers with renewed aggression. He drove purposefully, drawing fouls at will and consistently pressuring the rim. 9 of Tatum’s 11 made buckets came inside the three-point line, either in the mid-range or around the rim.

However, Tatum’s perimeter efficiency is still a concern. He shot 2-of-8 against the Cavaliers, which has seen his playoff conversion rate sit at 26.5% despite him taking 6.1 attempts from deep per game. The Boston Celtics need more from their star player, especially if they wish to continue using his perimeter gravity to create openings for others on the floor.

Of course, when Tatum is hitting consistently in the mid-range, his gravity can always be used in different ways. I was a big fan of the Celtics going back to some screening sets to get Tatum into the post, such as the wedge screen action below.

How many times have we seen the Celtics run an action like this to get Tatum a mismatch in the post? This is a staple of how Joe Mazzulla’s team has looked to work in the mid-range. Seeing the Celtics get back to a set that has consistently created favorable matchups and scoring opportunities was both fun and encouraging.

When Tatum is playing with this level of force and aggression on the offensive end, the Celtics are a different level of threat. Once he figures out his perimeter shot, his scoring numbers should take another leap, and any questions regarding his level of play should dissipate.

#2 Cleveland’s no-switch policy

J.B. Bickerstaff was clearly in no mood to allow the Celtics to hunt mismatches on the offensive end. Wherever possible, the Cavaliers fought to stay with their man. For the most part, they played a straight-up brand of defense, avoiding switches on the perimeter.

In the above clip, the Celtics attempt to create a mismatch for Jaylen Brown by having Payton Pritchard set inverted screens. The Cavaliers do a good job of recovering and keeping their matchups, forcing Boston to attack straight up rather than having an advantage they can exploit.

Again, the Celtics look to run inverted screening actions to create a mismatch. After the Cavs hedge the PnR, Darius Garland looks to recover to Derrick White. The aim here is to keep their matchups and avoid mismatches. Garland is a beat too slow in the second clip, allowing White to get his shot off.

Nevertheless, Cleveland’s…