The Celtics have punched their ticket to the NBA Finals where a lengthy break lies ahead before Game 1 against the Mavericks on Thursday night. That gives us plenty of time to dive into the mailbag to get ready for the anticipated showdown. If you have questions about the Celtics or NBA, email brobb@masslive.com or tweet @briantrobb
A lot of the players on both sides have previously been teammates. (Kyrie with the Jays and AL in Boston, KP with Luka in Dallas). Is there any additional benefit to that which can help the Celtics prepare? (Though if there is, maybe it could go both ways?) — darkhorse
That’s a fascinating question. A lot of time has passed on the Kyrie front in Boston but those guys have certainly had their fair share of success against him of late (Kyrie has lost 10 head-to-head matchups). I I would have to think both sides know some of their preferred pet moves/tendencies, even though the evolution of the Jays has been far more noteworthy than Kyrie on the court of late. The same goes for Porzingis, since he did a lot more in the post for Boston than he ever did in Dallas. You can bet the coaching staff will be picking his brain about Doncic but with a new regime in place, it’s probably somewhat limited what he could take away from Porzingis at this point.
Hello Brian. Will KP be on a minutes restriction? How should they approach the bench minutes? Any Kornet or Tillman or Brissett? If Hauser or PP struggle? Should Brown or Tatum start on Luka, and which of Jrue or White guards Kyrie? — TF
The Celtics probably won’t outright state it since Joe Mazzulla is handling Porzingis injury updates like they are state secrets. With that said, I would fully expect the Celtics to keep Porzingis on a pitch count in his first game back. I don’t think we see anyone on the deep bench among bigs unless Porzingis struggles/is limited minutes-wise. Holiday takes Irving while Brown starts on Doncic is my guess but I would expect those matchups to evolve plenty as each game continues. Everyone will get a chance on Doncic in the backcourt.
Defensive matchups on Luka. Do we see a mix up by throwing Oshae at him randomly during the game to bring some spark and energy to that front? Or do we ride with the defensive guard duo that’s worked so well all year? Or size like JB or JT on him? — nick
I don’t think we are going to see Brissett in this series. He had a nice stint in Game 2 but Joe Mazzulla went away from him quickly in Game 3. The Mavs play with a lot of size in the front court so would be hard to play Brissett much as a small ball 5 and there’s really no reason to play him anyway if Porzingis is back. I think we are more likely to see some wing size on Doncic with Brown. He’s going to want the assignment and Mazzulla has entrusted him with it plenty this year.
Which player matchup do you think will be the most critical in determining the outcome of this series? — Frank
Holiday vs. Irving is going to be a big one I feel like. Holiday has played fantastic basketball during the past three weeks and the same goes for Irving. We know Holiday is going to make life tough for Irving defensively but my question in this matchup is how much the Celtics (and Holiday) can abuse Irving when he’s playing defense. The Mavericks guard has been showing al lot more fight on the defensive end in the playoffs but he hasn’t had to do it against the kind of offensive talent that Boston has. Holiday isn’t going to outscore Irving in this series but if he can be the more efficient option, it’s hard to see the Mavs keeping pace with the Celtics offense.
How do the Cs avoid another ‘Wiggins’? The 3rd guy becoming a star with the focus on their best 2 players defensively. — Drew
It’s still unbelievable to think about how good Wiggins was in that series given what he turned into for Golden State this past year. The answer though is quite simple in my mind and that’s respect the Mavs shooters from beyond the line. The temptation will be to collapse on Irving and Doncic but that opens the door for big nights for the likes of PJ Washington and Derrick Jones Jr.. If they make Doncic and Irving into tough 2-point scorers, that’s a better recipe for success than letting anyone on the Dallas supporting cast gain confidence with clean looks. All of this requires Boston’s man-to-man defense to hold its own at the point of attack against those guys. Easier said than done against the Mavs backcourt.
Hi Brian,
It appears that Porzingis, Horford, and Kornet playing drop coverage on Luka and Kyrie is asking for trouble and switching a big onto Luka and Kyrie is a huge matchup advantage for Dallas too.
How can the Celtics effectively defend or minimize the Luka/Kyrie pick and roll? — David P
It’s going to be a dangerous game for the Celtics on that front. I think the key for them is to stay unpredictable with their schemes. Keeping Irving and Doncic off balance so they can’t read things easily each time down the floor. Sometimes that may be sending some extra help from the blindside. Other times it could be switching Horford/Porzingis off of the screener before the action is run. The good news for Boston is that they have plenty of guys that can put up a fight against Doncic in their starting five. The fact that the Mavericks don’t start a true stretch big will also help own this front when it comes to a pick-and-pop with either player although the return of Maxi Kleber to the lineup could be a wildcard on this front. If he starts hitting 3s (34.8 percent on the season), the Celtics rotation will be tested like never before this postseason.
