• Changing RCF's index page, please click on "Forums" to access the forums.

2023-24 Playoff Series #2 | Game #1 | Cavaliers @ Celtics | May 7, 2024

Do Not Sell My Personal Information
Hope we can do to boston what the Wolves did to the Nuggets. Ouch!
Go Cavs!
 
stick said:
Darius averages 17.5ppg, 6.5apg on 45 percent shooting, 40 percent from three against Jrue in his career with 2 turnovers a game. In 2021-2022 when DG was the sole guard threat and the primary Holiday assignment? His ppg was down to 13.1 but he shot 55 percent from three, had over 8 assists a game, with 5 turnovers in 3 games. Was a +45 against Jrue.

In 15 games played, Donovan averages 26.7 ppg vs Jrue on 44.8 from the field and 36.8 from three (on nine attempts). He's +91.
Click to expand...

Nice find on those stats.
 
stick said:
Darius averages 17.5ppg, 6.5apg on 45 percent shooting, 40 percent from three against Jrue in his career with 2 turnovers a game. In 2021-2022 when DG was the sole guard threat and the primary Holiday assignment? His ppg was down to 13.1 but he shot 55 percent from three, had over 8 assists a game, with 5 turnovers in 3 games. Was a +45 against Jrue.

In 15 games played, Donovan averages 26.7 ppg vs Jrue on 44.8 from the field and 36.8 from three (on nine attempts). He's +91.

Don't forget Celtics Killer Caris.

The guards will have their hands full for Boston. Hopefully for them, old man Horford can atone for past transgressions against TT. Boston's front court hasn't impressed me going into the playoffs and they're about to be put to the ultimate test sans Porzingis. No Allen will be tough, but I expect he'll return at some point. At that point? The inside is WIDE open.

White+Jrue will do everything they can to limit dribble penetration, Brown will hopefully be tired out by chasing Strus around, Tatum is gonna be used as their weakside defender... Hope he gets plenty of Donovan lowered shoulders to his chest. Evan can make things really interesting when he locks down Tatum who's gonna love settling for midrange shots and jacking up threes. Can Boston generate enough dribble penetration themselves to maximize the loss of JA? We will see.

If and when Wade returns... Things get extra drippy. He can absolutely be a key player.

Can't wait for this series!

---

I was in Tokyo for games 3->7 vs Orlando. What did I miss?

---
View attachment 20069

View attachment 20070


View attachment 20071


View attachment 20072

View attachment 20073


Click to expand...
Yeah, I was also getting the impression that the Celtics have not done a great job at defending our guards. Marcus Smart was their defensive stopper and he's gone.

LeVert's game is all about getting to the rim for the layup or drawing the contest and dishing off to a big. It was tough against the Magic with Carter and Isaac and the Wagner boys lurking in the paint, but with Zingy out the Celtics are much smaller; nobody taller than 6'9" and that's Al Horford, who's a smart shot blocker but not what he used to be.

LeVert is averaging 15.7 ppg against Boston this year on 49% from the field and 40% on 3's. I think he matches up well against Boston and is comfortable playing them. He could be a big factor if he continues to play as effectively as he did in the regular season.

Garland averaged 20 points, 7 assists, and 43% on 3's against the Celtics. Mitchell averaged 30 points on 50% in his two games.

Our guards have done really well against Boston this year. The key is to get dribble penetration and force Horford or Kornet to pick them up which opens up the lob to Mobley or a floater in the lane.

Mobley only played one game and scored 4 points in 23 minutes against the Celtics, but he was a warrior against the Magic so I'm expecting a big series from him.
 
Interesting stuff from The Athletic. Celtic's coach Joe Mazzulla noted the Cavs lost the game where Mitchell scored 50 and doesn't want his team over defending on Mitchell if it means "springing a leak" somewhere else.

Though the Celtics will want to take away Mitchell’s individual rhythm, the Magic were able to overcome it when they shut off his supporting cast. Mazzulla doesn’t want to spring other leaks by selling out to stop Mitchell and Garland.

“When you’re playing against guys like (Mitchell) and a team that has dynamic guards it usually comes down to the other things,” Mazzulla said. “It comes down to the impact that (Caris) LeVert, (Max) Strus, (Evan) Mobley, (Isaac) Okoro, those guys have. Transition defense, offensive rebounds, turnovers. Just really all of the details in the margins that we talked about in the last series kinda go under-shadowed when you see a caliber player like a Garland or a Mitchell. It still comes down to the margins and the details in this one.”

I agree this series could come down to what we get from LeVert, Strus, Mobley, and Okoro. Game 7 against the Magic did. We would have lost that one despite Donovan's 39 points if the others hadn't stepped up.
 
“Down 18 points, and they just never blinked,” [Derrick] White said. “They just keep competing. We learned that first-hand when we played them in the regular season. They never give up, they’re always competing, and it’s going to be a fun challenge.”

Mazzulla said the Celtics’ spacing and rim reads will be important against Cleveland’s shot blockers.

“They have length on the perimeter too with active hands,” Mazzulla said. “And they’ve got length in their rim protection, so space discipline and making the right read over and over again are two important things to combat their length.”
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Rubber Rim Job Podcast Video

Episode 3-15: "Cavs Survive and Advance"

Rubber Rim Job Podcast Spotify

Episode 3:15: Cavs Survive and Advance
Top