2. Less isolation
This one is almost a given, as Stevens has already said he plans to place an emphasis on ball movement in their Game 2 offensive gameplan. Jayson Tatum’s 50-burger against the Wizards helped Stevens decide to lean on him for the majority of the game, but his poor shooting in Game 1 forced this change.
The Celtics had 19 assists on 31 made shots, a sign that letting Tatum try to take over in a game that was close as can be for the majority of the running time was exactly what Stevens wanted. Unfortunately, this plan was doomed to failure, as Harden and the Nets defended him better than Washington did.
The Brooklyn Nets must prepare for less Jayson Tatum iso ball.
Stevens’ offenses at their best thrive on off-ball movement, so deciding to get rid of any semblance of passing and cutting in order to let Tatum work seemed like an unusual decision. It’s time for the Celtics to get back to what they know best, which could cause some problems for the Nets.
This defense has improved over the last few months, but they are still on shaky ground, and all it takes is one little crack in the armor for a coach like Stevens to exploit over and over again to sink this team.