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Apr 5, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas (4) reacts with his team after a play against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second quarter at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
The Boston Celtics just closed out the Washington Wizards, cementing their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance under coach Brad Stevens. Here's how they can beat the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The season series fell in favor of the Cleveland Cavaliers, with all but one game within a slim margin. The last game came in April and unfortunately for the Boston Celtics, LeBron James looked dominant.
Jae Crowder struggled to contain James, although Crowder forced him to make decisions rather than the seemingly uncontested, "You Can't Stop Me" drives to the lane. The game was the only blowout in the season series, and the Celtics' horrid shooting on that particular night did not help their chances.
Isaiah Thomas made his first shot and only three of the game within the first few minutes — an uncommon instance from the proven scorer.
Taking down the reigning champions in the 2017 Eastern Conference Finals will not be easy, but it can be done.
Before we get into any real dialogue, the Celtics will need to play stellar basketball every game this series if they want to win. When LeBron James takes over, no one is stopping him.
However, one player has never won an NBA playoff series on his own. The Celtics can win this series, and here are five reasons why.
Mar 1, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) is guarded by Boston Celtics point guard Marcus Smart (36) during the first quarter at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
1. Emphasis on improved defense
Watching the Celtics play inspires hope that the flopping era might come to an end. Well, aside from Marcus Smart's random flailing that would make Anderson Varejao cringe.
Boston's consistent hustle on defense — despite its undersized roster — causes opponents to miss shots. Among the playoff teams that have played more than 10 games this postseason, the Celtics are third in opponent field goal percentage (45 percent) and first in opponent three-point percentage (31 percent).
The Celtics' rough style of defense can throw teams like Cleveland off — even teams that seem to have a clear size and rebounding advantage. Against Washington, the rebounding woes continued, but the consistency on defense paid off after seven games.
Wizards role players like Marcin Gortat and Otto Porter could not produce throughout the stretch, allowing Boston to close out the series. Each possession is going to matter this series, and the Celtics should be able to keep up with the Cavaliers every step of the way.
They will not be able to keep Kyrie Irving, LeBron James, and Kevin Love from scoring, but if they contain the supporting cast, consistent solid outings from Boston can send Cleveland packing.
Apr 5, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) works the ball against Boston Celtics forward Jae Crowder (99) in the second quarter at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
2. Crowder can limit LeBron
First of all, "limit" is the key word. LeBron James cannot be stopped, he can only be limited. Jae Crowder is clearly at a disadvantage when guarding LeBron James. Regardless, he is their best option. He is a strong defender with quick hands and the defensive IQ to make James work for his points.
That might only lead to more points for James, but forcing him to use as much energy as possible is the best chance the Celtics have at limiting him. Crowder excels at making players fight through the lane as they drive, along with keeping a hand in the face of just about anyone he guards.
Crowder is very talented defender that makes smart decisions. It will be interesting to see how he goes about guarding James, but he has proven he knows when to use his teammates for support. The Celtics' defense revolves around Crowder and this series will be his biggest test of the season.
No one expects Crowder to stop LeBron James, but stopping him may not be the answer. OK, yeah it would be, but we all know that isn't happening. The more Crowder can cause LeBron to make decisions within the chaos that is the Celtics' defense, the better chances they have at containing Cleveland's best player.
Nov 3, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Boston Celtics guard Avery Bradley (0) drives to the basket as Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith (5) defends during the second quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. The Cavs won 128-122. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
3. Avery Bradley owns the series
Avery Bradley is one of the top two-way guards in the league. He's a player that is known for his defense more than his offense, and is a very efficient scorer at the same time, earning him a spot among the league's elite.
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Not many players can guard Kyrie Irving, which Bradley has done in the past, and then go down and take on Iman Shumpert in the post. Well, this will be Bradley's life for the next few games and there is not a better player suited for the challenge. His bulldog attitude is something that should not be tested.
Bradley is one of the most significant players on the Celtics roster. His defense leads to offense, and when he is given the opportunity to finish off plays, he thrives. Strong finishes at the rim, in-rhythm threes, and his "in your face" defense lights a fire under the entire team. When Bradley is running, the rest of the team runs. When he is scoring, the rest of the team is following suit.
While he may seem emotionless on the court at times, he tends to be a product of the team chemistry. Bradley can go cold from the field, just like any other player. The only difference is that when Bradley goes cold, it leaves a deflating feeling to anyone hoping for a Celtics victory. When Bradley is not finding his shot, the Celtics are in for a long night, but as long as that doesn't happen in this series, Boston will have a fighting chance.
May 15, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; The Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards warm up prior to game seven of the second round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
4. Home-court advantage and too much Cavs rest
Home-court advantage can be a huge factor thanks to the roaring TD Garden, but as for the rest, I mean, is this REALLY a thing?
I have never woken up after a day off saying, "Man, I think I got too much rest." I understand that being out of the game atmosphere can be a problem, but these are the defending champions.
Do we really expect it to extend past halftime of Game 1? For the Celtics' sake, let's hope that too much time off will hinder the Cavaliers rusty, although it's improbable.
I will say though, if the analysts and experts on TV consider this a legitimate reason, then why not? If Cleveland comes out slow and the Celtics can get off to a fast start at home, maybe it's not as crazy as it sounds.
Feb 24, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Boston Celtics forward Kelly Olynyk (41) before the start of their game against the Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Centre. The Raptors beat the Celtics 107-97. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
5. Kelly Olynyk. The bench too, but mostly Kelly Olynyk.
The man-bunned wonder. Truthfully, this has to happen. One other player has to show up in a big way for the Celtics to even have a chance against the Cavaliers.
While Kelly Olynyk was taking plenty of wide-open shots against the Wizards in Game 7, he still made them, shooting 10-for-14 from the floor in the best playoff game of his career. He will be riding the momentum that arguably made him the hero of the last series. While it may be too early for "Olynyk is the answer theories"….he might actually be the answer.
If the Celtics are scoring like they were last game, they will be hard to beat. It was mainly due to Olynyk's explosion, but the Celtics still managed to spread the scoring in Game 7. If Olynyk wasn't scoring that night, someone else would have been.
The shots were falling for Celtics and Olynyk alike, and adding another efficient frontcourt scorer to the Boston arsenal will only make them much more of a threat to the reigning champions. If Al Horford can continue his exceptional production and efficiency, the Celtics will be a well-spaced squad that can beat any team regardless of how well they might be playing that night.
