1 Adjustment Every Team Needs To Make After Game 1
All eight playoff series have started, and I think it’s a great time to review an adjustment that each team has to make.
All eight first-round series are underway, so I thought it would be a great time to talk about adjustments. The playoffs are all about making on-the-fly changes. So, I thought I would help give every team some advice on a specific adjustment they need to make to be more successful.
(Note: not every team has an adjustment to make. Some teams don’t have a lot to improve upon.)
Phoenix Suns: N/A
Phoenix did let the Pelicans get back into the game late, but they don’t have any adjustments to make. Mikal Bridges was awesome defensively, holding CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram in check. Chris Paul was surgical, and Deandre Ayton still needs to be paid.
Once this team faces some real competition, I’ll be more critical. For now, Suns in 4.
Memphis Grizzlies: Do Something Else Defensively
The Memphis Grizzlies’ defense was nonexistent in Game 1. Foul trouble limited their frontcourt, which was only half of their problem as the T-Wolves’ offensive onslaught never seemed to stop. Sure, the adjustment “do something else defensively,” is vague, but I mean it. The Grizzlies cannot do what they did in Game 1 if they want to win this series.
There were too many times where Anthony Edwards was in a one-on-one situation. Even worse, a lot of the time, he was guarded by someone who shouldn’t ever be on him, like Brandon Clarke or Steven Adams. Karl-Anthony Towns was guarded by smaller people way too often as well. The following three plays are ones I never want to see again;
Now, I’m not going to be the guy who shouts out a problem without then saying a solution. That doesn’t help anyone. Here’s what I think the Grizzlies can do to improve their defense;
- Keep the frontcourt out of foul trouble
- Help more aggressively in isolation situation
- Hedge/double-team screeners
The first one is obvious, but the other two are things you could see Taylor Jenkins go to in Game 2. At times, the Grizzlies were helping a lot, but they could do it more consistently from here on out. And, whenever there’s a pick-and-roll, at least showing the big guy to push the ball-handler away from the basket is another way to slow down Minnesota’s attack.
Golden State Warriors: N/A
The Warriors played a perfect Game 1 on both sides of the ball. Their ball movement and spacing flummoxed Denver’s “defense.” Even with a rusty Stephen Curry, there was never a point in the game where scoring was difficult for Golden State.
Defensively, they stayed at home against Jokic, limiting his effectiveness. They were also very physical with Jokic in the post, something that is sure to stick throughout the remainder of this series. The Warriors have always been a good execution team, and they put that on full display in Game 1.
One thing to keep an eye on is turnovers. The Warriors were a turnover-heavy team in the regular season, but they had just 12 in Game 1. If they can continue to limit their mistakes, this series will become a lot less competitive than it already appears to be.
The last thing is to monitor Steph’s minutes. His movements looked good to the naked eye, although I’m sure he’s still getting his legs back under him. Hopefully, he gets more than 21 minutes later today.
Dallas Mavericks: Better Rebounding
I’m still mad at Jason Kidd for effectively ruining Dallas’ season by injuring Luka Doncic in a meaningless game to end the year, but I’m going to ignore that for the time being. (That’s a lie.)
Dallas put up one hell of a fight in Game 1, never letting the Jazz overpower them. If there’s one thing they have to get better at, it’s rebounding. Not having Doncic, another big wing in there for rebounds, was bound to hurt Dallas.
But, it shouldn’t hurt them to the extent of them getting outrebounded 53-34. They also allowed 13 offensive rebounds, leading to 20 second-chance points. If they had rebounded better, Dallas would have won this game easily.
If the Mavs don’t get beaten on the boards and continue to play stout defense, then not having Luka Doncic won’t matter. They showed they can hang with this team, and fixing this problem is vital to their success in Game 2.
Utah Jazz: Could Donovan Mitchell Pass The Ball, Please??
My teacher always told me that black holes were these things way off in space. They didn’t tell me that they played shooting guard for the Utah Jazz. Mitchell’s approach of shooting whenever he touched the ball wasn’t fun.
Utah’s offense was sluggish for most of the night, unable to create good looks. A big part of that was because Donovan Mitchell was trying too hard, forcing the action. There’s a reason he took 29 shots and shot just 35% from the field.
I know that he was technically a positive when he was on the floor, but my point still stands. Hopefully, in game 2, he takes things down a notch. If he doesn’t, then you won’t hear any complaints from me.
Not all of Mitchell’s shots were bad, but he dribbled the air out of the ball. Numerous possessions stagnated after he touched the ball, which tells you more than enough about his mindset. Look, this Jazz team needs Donovan Mitchell A LOT. But that doesn’t mean he has to harness his inner teenage Kobe and jack up shots whenever he pleases.
But, if he continues to do this, you won’t hear any complaints from me.
Denver Nuggets: Better Screening Defense
While the Warriors executed their game plan to perfection in Game 1, the Nuggets did the opposite. They were outplayed, and many changes are needed from Mike Malone to turn the tide of this series.
I questioned Denver’s ability to handle Golden State’s screening actions coming into this series. After one game, I’m questioning it even more. Denver doesn’t have the ingredients to stop those screens; quick bigs and tenacious guards.
Their lack of personnel killed them in Game 1. Jordan Poole, in particular, torched them all night long from outside. Everything was far too easy.
The Nuggets need better communication with all this Warriors movement. Trying to be more physical is an option, but they don’t have too many options to slow down this diverse attack. Oh, and Steph Curry is bound to get healthier as this series progresses. Fun.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Defend Without Fouling
Minnesota’s game one upset was very fun. One thing they can improve upon before game 2 is their avoidance of fouling Memphis. The Grizzlies were top ten in free throw attempts during the regular season, and it showed.
Memphis was a whopping 32/43 from the free-throw line. Now, common sense says that they’re not going to shoot that many free throws, regardless of any adjustments that the T-Wolves make. No matter, Minnesota has to tone down their aggression.
While Karl-Anthony Towns avoided foul trouble, important players like Edwards, McDaniels, Beverley, and Beasley didn’t. I know Chris Finch is preaching this before game 2, and for good measure. That many fouls usually lead to a loss, but Minnesota avoided that. Now, let’s see if they can be more disciplined on that end of the floor.
New Orleans Pelicans: Avoid Mikal Bridges
Despite an ugly offensive showing, the Pelicans managed to keep game one against the Suns competitive. But the numbers from this game weren’t pretty. I’m not even talking about the 38% field goal shooting. I’m talking about this;
Late in the 4th quarter, I caught CJ saying this to the ref, “he’s [Bridges] been holding me all f* night long.” Bridges was indeed all over McCollum, but he was all over the Pelicans in general. He and Ayton were immovable objects, making life hell for any shots the Pelicans threw their way.
The solution to this problem? Avoid those two, particularly Bridges, at all costs. Act like you’re allergic to him. Trying to switch Bridges off of those guys is something the Pelicans have to do in game two because this sort of defensive excellence will continue if he’s allowed to stay on CJ.
I know that CJ is a great player, but there’s a reason Bridges is in consideration for the defensive player of the year award. He’s too damn good to not gameplan against. Expect Willie Green to avoid his former player at all costs.
Miami Heat: N/A
The Miami Heat, like the Suns, did what they were supposed to do against an inferior opponent. While the Suns didn’t dominate the Pels for 48 minutes, Miami did exactly that to Atlanta. It was like a car crash. So bad, you couldn’t look away.
Trae Young shot 8% from the field and had six turnovers. The Hawks made just 39% of their shots and committed 18 turnovers. Meanwhile, Duncan Robinson remembered he was good at this whole shooting thing and finished with 27 points, missing just one of his ten field goal attempts.
Game one was a taste of the torment Atlanta faces over the next few days.
Boston Celtics: Too Much Switching
Game 1 of this series was insane. I could talk about Tatum’s game-winner, the physicality, and Kyrie’s middle fingers forever. This was playoff basketball at its finest, and I loved it. As Boston rides high from their crazy win, I’m sure there’s one thing they want to fix.
While they did a fantastic job on Kevin Durant, forcing him out of his comfort zone, their switching-oriented defense got exposed at times. With Robert Williams, Boston had a big who could stay with guards on the perimeter. Daniel Theis doesn’t have the same abilities and was left to die on numerous occasions in this contest.
Those instances where the Celtics made dumb switches were few and far between. But, against a team like Brooklyn, they can’t happen. They’re going to make the incredibly tough shots, but you can’t give them easy ones.
Other than that, Boston’s defense was quite good in this game. I know the Nets shot above 50% in this game, but you could feel the physicality. Kevin Durant was getting thrown around like a rag doll on the perimeter by Grant Williams and Tatum. Irving had moments where he got smothered.
Boston’s aggressive defense forced 16 turnovers in this game. If they can make those occasional lapses go away, then lookout.
Milwaukee Bucks: Don’t Do That Again
The Milwaukee Bucks scored 32 points in just 10:36 against the Bulls in Game 1. They were up by sixteen and confirming all our suspicions of this series being a blowout. After that, you could say things went downhill;
Bucks After The 1:24 Mark of the 1st Quarter
- Outscored 70-61
- 34% shooting
- 19 turnovers
- 8 missed free throws
- 6/25 3-PT shooting
- ugly
The Bucks’ offense shut down after their hot start. While they held the Bulls’ stars in check, it was an ugly game. Their quick start proved that they were the better team. The last 40-ish minutes of this game were like limbo, seeing which team could stoop to a lower level.
I can’t really explain what went wrong for the Bucks. I’m aware that Milwaukee has sucked to open up playoff series in recent seasons. I’m hoping the last two hours of this game was just that track record rearing its ugly head for everyone to see.
And, of course, I couldn’t talk about the Bucks without hating on Mike Budenholzer. Ah-hem;
{Rant Incoming}
Why is Mike Budenholzer the way that he is? Look, I get it. When your best player has five fouls down the stretch of a close playoff game, I’d be worried too. But guess what, I’d give him a lot more leniency than Bud gave to Giannis in this game.
Giannis picked up his fifth foul with 8:14 left in the 4th quarter. Milwaukee was up just one point at the time. So, Bud subs out Giannis until the 5:38 mark in the 4th. I have no problems with that. But I have a problem with Bud subbing out Giannis with 1:24 left in a close game and then not getting his star back in until there’s 15.3 seconds left!
Just let the man play! He’s a 2x MVP and one of the three best players in the league. He’s earned the right to have a longer leash than your bench warmers. And, of course, these stupid decisions are flying under the radar because the Bucks won.
Screw you, Mike.
Philadelphia 76ers: Better Paint Defense
Not only did the 76ers demolish the Raptors to open up their first-round series, but Toronto is also now being hit with the injury bug, the ultimate adding insult to injury moment you can have. Propelled by a 38-point explosion from Tyrese Maxey and just three turnovers, the 76ers looked unstoppable.
Their one place for improvement? The paint. Toronto shot 18/22 in the restricted area (82%). For context, the league average this season was 65%. While I don’t think this will matter in the grand scheme of things, it’s something the 76ers can work on.
(Note: Why are the Raptors so unlucky? Figured this series would be great, and now it’s going to be over in like 4-5 games. what the hell.)
Toronto Raptors: Force Turnovers
The Raptors have received the short end of the stick after returning to the postseason. After getting smoked in game one, they now face injuries like no other team except maybe the Nuggets. Scottie Barnes rolled his ankle and is out for game 2. Gary Trent Jr has been dealing with a non-Covid illness, and it showed, as he shot 2-11 from the field in game one.
As the Raptors try and hot glue a lineup together, there is one thing they absolutely have to do. FORCE MORE TURNOVERS. Philly had just three in game one, which is one of the lowest in any playoff game ever.
Despite having a lot of size, Toronto failed to bother the sixers in game one. Now that they’re short-handed, Toronto’s season is looking grim. Still, I’m just hoping that they force more than three turnovers later today. I don’t think I’m asking for too much.
Chicago Bulls: Some Variety Couldn’t Hurt
After an ugly start that made me want to turn this game off, the Bulls, to their credit, made things interesting against the defending champs. Their defense was surprisingly stout, holding the Bucks to one of their worst offensive outings of the season.
Chicago lost this game, however, because of their offense. The trio of DeRozan, Lavine, and Vucevic shot a combined 21/71 from the field (30%). DeMar DeRozan guaranteed that they wouldn’t miss that many shots again after the game.
I would love to believe DeMar, but I would believe him even more if the Bulls had some variation in what they were running. Here’s what it boils down to;
- DeRozan: Tough isolation mid-range shot
- Vucevic: Pick-and-pops, missed layups, and dumbass isolations against Lopez
- Lavine: Rushed perimeter jumpers
Both Lavine & DeRozan struggled to get inside the paint in this one. Nikola Vucevic got a lot of opportunities down low but failed to capitalize. Going into game 2, the adjustment is simple. Any sort of variety on offense is welcome.
Brooklyn Nets: Make Life Easier For Kevin Durant
I never thought I would be saying the sentence I just uttered, but here we are. While Kyrie Irving thumbed his nose at Boston, Durant didn’t have the same luck. That was mainly because he was getting thrown around on the perimeter, but that’s beside the point.
We all know Durant is capable of being better than 9-24 shooting from the field. But, based on how game one went, we know this series is going to be physical. There isn’t a guarantee that officials are going to call all those interactions that we saw throughout this game.
Here’s how the Nets can make things easier for Durant going forward;
- Post him up
- Use him as a screener
Durant was never used in the post during Game 1, which I thought was a mistake. Putting KD in the post would make it harder for the Celtics to double him, and give him more space.
Another potential solution is to use Durant similar to Jayson Tatum. Boston uses Tatum as a screener, which creates mismatches. Perhaps using KD that way would allow him to get more favorable matchups more often.
Atlanta Hawks: Handle The Pressure Better
The Atlanta Hawks were dominated in Game 1 last night. From the missed shots to the turnovers, the Hawks were utterly dominated.
Their goal for game two is to not be worse than they were in game one, if that was even possible. Miami’s suffocating defense got to Atlanta.
In game two, Atlanta has to handle the pressure better. If that means less screens, more off-ball movement, or a faster pace, it doesn’t matter.
Nate McMillan has to come up with a new game-plan, or else.
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