Sometimes, the winner of a series opener ends up being the loser. The winner is at a disadvantage because there is a notion that the burden of adjustments falls only on the losing team. Plus, there’s always the thought of Game 1’s winner showing their hand.
The Boston Celtics opened the 2024 NBA Finals with a convincing 107-89 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night. They dominated offensively, making 16 threes and pushing the pace. They dominated defensively, holding Luka Doncic to one assist while blocking nine shots. They laid out their blueprint of how to slow down the Mavericks’ offense.
Now, the Mavericks will adjust. They will find a way to break down the Celtics' defense and better incorporate their role players. However, here are several observations to look for in tonight's Game 2.
Jason Kidd’s Mind Games
The psychology in the game of basketball often goes overlooked. Mastering the game within the game is just as potent of an advantage as what’s visible on the court. Paying close attention to pre- and post-game interviews, keeping a mental rolodex of any well-known weaknesses, and creating any advantage out of these situations is wise… But only if you have exhausted any on-court adjustments.
It seems as if Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd glossed over that caveat. On Saturday, he proclaimed that Jaylen Brown is the best player on the Celtics. For those unfamiliar, the conversations around the Celtics’ hierarchy have been centered around whether Jayson Tatum is the team’s leader and best player. When asked about Kidd’s comments, Tatum said that these tactics aren’t anything new.
“This is a team sport. We wouldn’t be here if we didn’t have JB on our team,” Tatum said. “People try to drive a wedge between us. It’s a smart thing to do, or try to do. We’ve been in this situation.”
Kidd did this in hopes of planting a seed in Tatum’s mind to hijack and dominate the Celtics' offense to prove a point, essentially daring him to beat the Mavericks’ defense alone. At the same time, Kidd will not by any means guard Tatum as a second option. Tatum will face all of the traps and the Mavs will try to force him to be more of a playmaker instead of a scorer. This leads to our next point...
Jayson Tatum’s Playmaking
Tatum was inefficient in Game 1, scoring 16 points on 6-of-16 shooting from the field. However, he was impactful in other ways. Nine of his 11 rebounds were defensive. He also had five assists.
I’m not looking for Tatum to be inefficient in Game 2. I’m looking for a well-balanced game from him where he’s scoring in the game's rhythm and not forcing the issue.
If Dallas wants to turn Tatum into a playmaker, so be it. That means more ball movement and more opportunities for Brown and others to impact the game offensively.
Kristaps Porzingis Encore?
In Game 1, Kristaps Porzingis played like he was never injured. You'd never know he was coming off of a lengthy absence, as he was knocking down shots and altering shots on the defensive end.
His performance in the series opener could be chalked up to adrenaline and riding the wave of the crowd’s energy after returning from injury, and that’s a fair point. I’m not judging him for his points tonight.
From Porzingis, I’m looking for sustainability on the defensive end more than his offensive production. Why? Because he will be in the mix to guard Doncic or even Kyrie Irving in ISO situations. How he holds up is the difference between the Celtics taking a 2-0 series lead and the series heading into Dallas tied 1-1.
Implementing Role Players
The key to the Celtics’ Game 1 win was turning Dallas’ offense into an ISO fest. They conceded the matchups the Mavericks wanted (Al Horford on Doncic) and not helping on drives. The Celtics took the lob threat and the corner three away.
For the Mavericks to get the other players involved, I believe that Kidd has to implement screens and cuts. Kidd and the Mavericks should set these screens coming from the baseline level, the bottom of the floor. Setting these screens in this area makes the Celtics’ switching difficult because it doesn’t allow for a player to jam into a screen to switch if it’s from the baseline level.
In terms of cutting, it would benefit Dallas to have someone like P.J. Washington, Daniel Gafford, or Derrick Jones Jr. cutting back door for lobs out of the corner. Cutting out of different spots of the floor will help remove defenders, therefore opening up more space and opportunities to get buckets. Standing around while the Celtics switch their personnel and play will ensure a long day on the court and the possibility of going home down 0-2.
