Picture: Outside of Quicken Loans Arena on Monday, April 17th, 2017.
9 down, 7 to go.
A few minutes ago, ABC/ESPN reported that the Celtics will be starting Gerald Green at one of the forward positions instead of Amir Johnson. As Joe Vardon from Cleveland.com has reported, the Celtics have posted a better record this postseason with Green starting instead of Johnson (5-1 vs. 3-5). It should be noted that Green played most of his meaningful minutes in the first round vs. Chicago and played mostly in garbage-time minutes vs. Washington.
With that said, here are some other adjustments that the Celtics may make in Game 2:
> Like the 2nd half in Game 1, Kelly Olynyk will likely play several minutes with the starters so that he can match up with Kevin Love on both sides of the court.
> Meanwhile, coach Brad Stevens may play Marcus Smart at forward again to get physical with Tristan Thompson. Smart was the team's emotional spark plug in Game 1 and would likely cause more of an impact through defense and rebounding than Green's offensive firepower.
> Boston will look to double-team LeBron James much more, with Jae Crowder likely playing the same minutes that LeBron does--even if that means trying to play 45-48 minutes.
> 'Reverse psychology' may be the name of the game with Al Horford. With Horford slumping on offense, they may look to post him up in the low post to help him get set looks (rather than cutting transition looks) and try to get Thompson and Love in foul trouble.
> Aside from Olynyk and Horford, the Celtics will lean on the guards and swingmen to get points. This means that Isaiah Thomas will continue his use of pick-and-rolls, give-and-gos, and other mini-plays while trying to get uncontested layups and open three-point attempts for Avery Bradley, Crowder, Green, Smart, Jaylen Brown, and Terry Rozier.
Here are some outside-the-box gambles that Coach Brad Stevens may consider:
> Defend LeBron, Kyrie Irving, Love, and Thompson and make J.R. Smith the focal point of the Cavs' offense. Smith has been known to shoot better with tighter defense on him, so this could be more 'reverse psychology' to force him to carry the Cavs' offensive load.
> Take Thomas out for longer stretches and play a lineup with Bradley, Green, Crowder, Smart, and Olynyk. Brown would be interchangeable with Green.
> Give minutes to Jonas Jerebko. Although Jerebko is not a dominant defender, he is well-rounded enough to hit jump shots, make good passes, fight for rebounds, and get the occasional blindside block. He may be limited athletically due to past injuries, but he is not one to get lost on the court or take plays off.
> Sit out Horford and replace him with Johnson. Horford is looking like he is now past his prime years and also seems to have lost his mental edge in matchups with the Cavs. While Johnson is not a scorer, he plays hard and is a respectable rebounder and defender. As such, Johnson's intensity and focus could prove more useful than Horford's contributions until Horford breaks out of his Cleveland slump.
> Give minutes to Tyler Zeller. As a former Cavalier, Zeller knows the tendencies and weaknesses of Thompson and Irving. He has not been getting consistent minutes this season, meaning he is rusty but rested. Although Johnson is considered a better defender than him, Zeller is the better low post threat on offense. With a lineup full of slashers/swingmen, Zeller could get good looks off pick-and-rolls, pick-and-pops, and offensive rebounding.
*Click here for a review of Game 1's strategies and tactics.