One Adjustment That Could Change Every Second Round Series
Change comes with every playoff game. With every second round series underway, what adjustments could completely turn the tide?
The start of every series (and Game 1 in particular) sets the terms of engagement. They set the narrative for the games that follow. And after each series has started, rapid change immediately follows. Matchups, rotations, schemes…all those balls start accelerating downhill once both sides have had a chance to chew over the tape.
Let’s find the adjustment that could change the direction of each semi-final series.
The Suns Have To Play Fast
After two miserable road losses, the Phoenix Suns looked lost. Like they were out of options against a much more cohesive Denver squad. After blazing through the first round with their high-powered offense, the Suns struggled to attack a supposedly mediocre Nuggets defense.
Alas, in the halfcourt, Michael Malone’s squad has the schemes that flustered the still-juvenile Phoenix offense. Whenever Booker or Durant tried to attack Jokic, the 2x MVP would hedge, forcing Phoenix to throw skip passes. There were a few problems with that outcome;
- The Phoenix Suns don’t like to shoot threes
- The Phoenix Suns (weirdly) can’t throw a crosscourt pass
For some reason, every time the Suns would throw one of these passes, it would end up five feet short of the corner. It didn’t help that Denver was ignoring the likes of Damion Lee and Torrey Craig on the perimeter, further packing the paint. That heavy diet of contested mid-range jumpers was compounded by a thin bench and another ill-timed Chris Paul groin strain.
Entering game three, the Suns had to win to keep their season alive. They had to adjust what they were doing because it wasn’t working. The solution? Play faster. A LOT FASTER.
Through the first two games, Phoenix’s average pace was 95.25. In game three, that number got up to 102. The Suns pushed the ball up the floor, catching Denver when their defense wasn’t set. This led to extra rotations, more confusion, and more easy looks.
Monty Williams also changed up his rotation a little bit. Out went Bismack Biyombo and Damion Lee. In came Terrence Ross, TJ Warren, and Jock Landale. Warren was a game-high +20 in his 21 minutes off the bench. Landale had 9 rebounds and looked better than Deandre Ayton, who has again become the whipping boy for this Suns team.
Of course, some of Phoenix’s success in game three can be best summed up by their superstars. Without Chris Paul, Devin Booker and Kevin Durant knew they had to take over the offense. So they did. Booker missed just five shots, and Durant lived at the charity stripe (14/16 FT).
The two combined for 86 points as the Suns returned to the sleek offensive juggernaut we saw throughout the first round. That type of offensive output makes it hard for the Suns to lose. But the Suns found something in game three.
They may have found a rotation and, more importantly, a style that works. Sure, they don’t have Chris Paul. But, if they play fast, the Suns could climb out of the once seemingly inescapable 0-2 hole against Denver.
The Lakers Have To Play Their Style, Not Golden State’s
After a blowout game two loss, I worried about the Lakers. While they looked good in the series opener, could they out-scheme the Warriors? When Golden State went small in game two, the Lakers looked lost. JaMychal Green stretched out the floor, and Draymond Green had much more space to operate in the middle.
Stephen Curry couldn’t be stopped in the pick-and-roll. Klay Thompson had a glowing inferno around him. All seemed bleak for the Lakers. But, in game three, the Lakers got back to their brand of basketball. They didn’t try and get into a shootout with the Warriors. Instead, they played their own style.
Anthony Davis’ inconsistency this postseason has been a hot topic. His involvement and aggressiveness rise and fall with each game. But, when he’s on his game, it’s hard to find a better two-way presence. After a shaky game two, the Brow returned to excellence.
Davis was everywhere. He made the floor smaller, swatting anything in the paint. Davis was the ultimate pest — suffocating Golden State’s offense. On the other end, Davis drew foul after foul over an increasingly frustrated Draymond Green. The Lakers again paraded to the free throw line, taking advantage of an undisciplined Warriors defense.
If Davis was the catalyst to LA’s game three victory, Lebron James was the accelerator. All postseason, James has been on cruise control. He picks and chooses his moments to turn things on. When Dillon Brooks provoked him, he batted him away.
In game three, James once again found that place. A place that few players have — much less a player in their 20th season after logging 275 playoff games. Even though he didn’t attempt a field goal in the first quarter, James played some of his best basketball in the second half. He was running up and down the floor like he was a rookie. A chase down block here. Some hustle that sent him over the first row there.
Los Angeles has already found their formula for winning. They want to beat the Warriors up. Just take them behind the woodshed and impose their will. They’ve done it twice already, so what’s another two times?
Of course, this series is far from over. An Anthony Davis stinker in game four seems likely given his history. A Curry explosion is on the horizon. But, it’s not like Darvin Ham has to make a whole new game plan to turn this series around. The Lakers have already found that. It’s just a matter of them executing. That’s easier said than done, obviously, but LA is in a good place right now.
To dethrone the defending champs, LA has to play their way. If they do that, a trip to the Conference Finals — which sounded like pure lunacy a few months ago — is in the cards.
Boston Just Has to Stay Focused
While I had to be creative for the other three series, this one was pretty easy. All season long, the Boston Celtics were one of the best teams in the league. When they wanted to be. At times, the Celtics looked vulnerable. They would blow leads, grow stagnant on offense, and look disinterested on defense. Those problems bled into game one of this series.
Against a 76ers team without league MVP Joel Embiid, the Celtics dropped game one at home. They let James Harden have the best playoff game of his career. Even though Boston made 17 of their first 20 shots, they lost. It wasn’t that shocking if you paid attention to the Celtics throughout the season. This is what they do. Their attention to detail was far from what it was last season.
Since then, the Celtics have gotten back on their horse. And boy, do they look good. With Milwaukee out of the picture, it’s hard not to see Boston as the obvious favorite in the Eastern Conference. These last two games have been a return to form. A flex. A reminder of just how good this team is when they play a whole game of basketball.
After dominating game one, James Harden has been terrible in the last two games. A lot of that has been Boston’s increased pressure and physicality with him. Jaylen Brown has been picking Harden up full-court. The same easy looks the Beard got in game one have disappeared. Harden is shooting just 18% from the field in games two and three. Whenever he gets into the paint, he curls up into a ball.
Even with Embiid returning, it doesn’t look like the 76ers can beat the Celtics. I said it at the outset of this series, and I’ll say it again. Boston is a bad matchup for Philly. They have elite wings, lots of floor spacing, and the ability to go small. That last part flustered the 76ers in the regular season and has continued to do so in this series.
After a game one hiccup, Boston has shown how scary they are when they’re trying. Of course, I could raise concerns about why this team would be unfocused in the first place. I still worry about this team’s late game offensive flow. And those are valid concerns. But, clearly, the Celtics have snapped out of their game-one funk.
And they haven’t even hit their full stride yet! Until Jayson Tatum really asserts himself, the Celtics will be at 90% of their full form. I don’t think anybody wants to be around when this team is fully realized.
How Can The Knicks Open Up Their Offense?
The first three games between the Heat and Knicks went as expected. There were a lot of missed shots, ankle sprains, and some more missed shots. The throwback rock fight has shifted in Miami’s favor, however.
While the Knicks have struggled to get anything going in the halfcourt, Miami has had much more success. They’ve been able to score in the paint and, more importantly, get more opportunities when the Knicks aren’t back yet.
New York has managed just a pitiful 91.8 offensive rating in the halfcourt. They don’t have any space to operate. Getting into the paint has been nearly impossible. While Miami has enough floor spacing to make things manageable, the Knicks shot 8/40 from beyond the arc in game three.
Tom Thibodeau doesn’t have many more buttons to push. Most of his guys are banged up. He needs guys to start shooting better. Another thing the Knicks need to do better is dominate the offensive glass like they did against the Cavs.
While New York hasn’t had a problem getting offensive rebounds, the Heat have been getting just as many on the other end. If they not just win that battle but dominate it, then the Knicks have a chance to get back into this series.
But right now, things aren’t looking good for the Knicks. While they waltzed through a flawed Cavaliers team, the Heat don’t have the same weaknesses. New York doesn’t have that many more buttons to push. The Knicks’ isolation-centric offense got them to this point, but it also may be their biggest flaw. It’s hard to consistently score in the halfcourt when every possession requires a bailout. Sooner or later, you’re going to jail. And that’s what has happened in this series.
Give Miami credit. They’re not your typical eighth seed. But while they’ve managed to scrape together enough to get by on offense, New York looks like they’re still stuck in the stone ages.
What Adjustments Do These Teams Needs to Make? Leave a Comment Down Below!
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