And then there were 4.
Welcome to the NBA’s Final Four everybody, where time comes off as a flat circle.
You have to completely throw it out the window when it comes to talking about these two teams.
What I care about is what’s happening right now.
When you think of these two teams, how many of you think about defense?
My suggestion to you would be for that to be the #1 place to start.
Well…..none of that has really happened so far.
It improved slightly in the 2nd round with a Drtg of 110.6, which is good for 4th.
They’re allowing just 106.6 points a game, which is also 5th so far in these playoffs.
Things obviously start with Nikola Jokic.
What the hell even is that?
That’s pretty big time no matter how you slice it.
That’s the benefit of having legit depth at this stage.
What makes them so tough is the diversity in which they can beat you offensively.
We also shouldn’t overlook the homecourt advantage.
Both the Celts and Heat can win on the other’s floor.
Can this version of the Lakers win on the best home court advantage in the league?
Let’s talk about these Lakers.
As good as the Nuggets may have been defensively, the Lakers have been much, much better.
That FG% is what makes the Lakers so tough.
It has proven to be very difficult to make shots against this team.
Until someone beats them 4 times, you have to give them the benefit of the doubt.
I wish I didn’t have to bang out that sentence, but that’s the reality.
That does not look like a guy who is afraid of the moment.
It’s actually the opposite.
When those guys are “on”, they can be difference makers.
But when they’re “off”, they are virtually unplayable.
I’ve lived through the Dennis Schroder Experience, it’s not exactly easy.
For the playoffs, the Lakers are shooting just 33.1% from three.
LeBron and AD are under 28%.
Especially if they have tired legs by playing in DEN?
Nobody lives at the line like the Lakers, we’ve all seen the stats.
They attempt about 100x more FTA than anyone they play.
Who is going to stop him when it comes to their second unit guys, Jeff Green?
That’s not a great matchup.
All I know is I’m praying for a long series.
I want 7 of these things given how well both teams are playing right now.
At every stage, people have doubted the Heat.
Suddenly, they bounced those frauds in 5 games despite losing their second best shot creator.
Suddenly, they bounced that team in 6 games.
We have not seen a team go on a run like this since 1999.
The more the Heat are underestimated the better they seem to get.
You look at their roster and it doesn’t blow your dick off with talent.
But that’s the beauty of the NBA Playoffs.
That shit doesn’t matter.
Lace up your shoes and check ball.
So far in these playoffs they are already 4-2.
That is just a fact.
Something tells me the Celts are pretty aware of that.
Not just because of their prior Conference Finals games, but also this very season.
The Bucks may have the name recognition, but their actual basketball play was pretty gross all year.
That was like the 15th ranked offense in the league and a team that can’t really shoot.
Remember, they shot just 30% from deep against the Knicks.
To beat the Celtics, you have to be able to keep pace/beat them from behind the arc.
Just look at the series against PHI.
When they couldn’t make their 3PA, they got blown the fuck out.
Can the Celtics find a way to take care of the fucking ball?
It was legitimately as simple as that.
When the Heat forced TOs, the Celts were cooked.
In their 3 losses, the Celtics averaged an insane 19.3 TOs a game.
19.3!!!!
In their 4 wins, the Celtics averaged 12.3 TOs a game.
They ALL turned it over.
and you give the Heat life by having empty possessions and allowing them to get out in transition.
So far in this year’s playoffs, the Heat rank in the 86th percentile in transition offense.
Their 1.16 points per possession are 3rd in the playoff field.
Part of what makes the Heat so good is how awesome they are at mental warfare.
I think their ability to mentally break their opponent is a huge reason for their success.
Jimmy Butler completely destroyed Jrue Holiday both mentally and on the floor.
We saw the same shit with RJ Barrett and Julius Randle.
They take your brain, and then your skill.
That’s how the Heat work.
He was seeing ghosts.
That’s probably why we’ll see them rely on that zone.
Between the two series, I think most believe this matchup is going to be the war.
They’ve earned their respect.
That’s the story of the series for me.
If the Celts stay locked in and don’t play stupid basketball, a return to the Finals awaits.
