2024 Playoffs- 4th Round: Boston Celtics - Dallas Mavericks

[Smitty]

That's where we disagree. PJ and DJJ have both been far better offensively than I expected, but the few times they've looked silly have been when they've driven into congested paint (because a center was in the dunker spot) and either tried to force a shot up to draw a foul (DJJ) or tried an ill-fated pass to the center in the dunker spot (PJ's worst moment from Game 5 of the past series). 

It's not finding multiple defenders in the paint as they get close that's the problem, it's that those defenders can easily be in the paint because there's a guy in the dunker spot. Luka and Kyrie can manipulate them into passing angles quickly and calmly, but PJ and DJJ cannot. Without a guy in both corners, that becomes a winning strategy for Boston pretty quickly, to my mind.

The difference last series is that Minny had another 7 footer guarding the dunker spot. This time it’s 6’4 white or holiday or 6’7 Brown or Tatum.