What To Watch For: Bucks Are What We Wanted Celtics To Be
By Matthew Geagan, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- This Celtics-Bucks playoff series is a fascinating one.
The Bucks ended up being what the Celtics were supposed to be during the regular season. They were a powerhouse in the Eastern Conference that won 60 games, led by their MVP candidate, a stellar supporting cast and a great head coach. They didn't take many opponents lightly, and demolished most of them with their awesome offense or stifling defense.
They were everything we wanted the Celtics to be. Instead, the Celtics casually strolled through the regular season like a bunch of White Walkers, with no real desire to go anywhere until they approached the end. There were blown leads, frustrating losses and countless closed-door meetings that didn't seem to accomplish much of anything. Now that the Celtics have flipped the switch and kinda-sorta look like the team we wanted them to be, it's only fitting that the Bucks are in their way of a third straight trip to the Eastern Conference finals.
The Celtics have no one to blame but themselves for the position they're currently in. The series will start in Milwaukee, and if it goes the distance, it will end in Milwaukee. This is not how the preseason prognostications pictured things playing out for Boston, but here we are.
The Celtics can right some of their regular-season wrongs by beating the Bucks and getting one step closer to the NBA Finals. They actually match up pretty well with the Bucks, playing them tough in two of their three matchups this year. It's going to be a battle to pull off another series win, but if the Celtics play up to their capabilities, they can beat Milwaukee. Will they? That's up to them, and which Celtics team shows up on a nightly basis.
Here's what we'll be watching for throughout the series:
Battle Of The Studs
Kyrie vs. Giannis. We don't really need to say much about it, other than this is what the NBA Playoffs are made for. Both can score at will, but can just as easily set up easy buckets for their teammates. Neither is afraid to take the last shot. It should be an epic battle between the two stars.
The big question is how each team tries to slow the other's superstar. Do both get double teamed, or will they be allowed to do their thing while the defenses focus on their supporting cast (more on that in bit)?
For the Celtics, they'll likely throw a cornucopia of different defenders on Giannis. Al Horford is the usual suspect for guarding the oversized Greek gentleman, and he may be tasked with it during crunch time. But Horford may also find himself on Brook Lopez this time around. If the Celtics go small in their starting five, Marcus Morris may spend his series harassing Giannis. Semi "Mr. Muscles" Ojeleye has six fouls each game and will be asked to use them, and he could get a few spot starts like the first-round last year. Aron Baynes will also be there for the occasional posterization from Giannis. Marcus Smart is still injured, but maybe he'll somehow find a way back on the floor before the series ends (we can wish, can't we?).
Whoever is on him, their main goal will be slowing down Giannis and keeping him out of the paint. And whatever the Celtics do, they can't let him get a full head of steam in transition; that would be like a butterfly trying to stop a bulldozer.
As for Kyrie, the Bucks face a similar dilemma: Double Kyrie and let everyone else try to beat you, or just send one body on him and try to goad him into doing everything himself. Irving will see a healthy dose of Eric Bledsoe and George Hill this series, and it's unlikely that either will be able to stop him. Really, the only one who can slow him down is Kyrie himself.
Let the games begin.
C's Need To Stop Everyone Else
Antetokounmpo is going to get his points. Lots of them. The Celtics can limit it by slowing the pace and forcing him to be a three-point shooter, all of which is easier said than done.
But the Celtics can't let Giannis' supporting cast go off as well. Khris Middleton remains one of the more underrated players in the NBA and he torched the Celtics last posteason. Jaylen Brown is going to need to own that matchup throughout the series.
Bledsoe is going to be out for blood after a year's worth of thinking about all of those "Scary Terry" T-shirts he helped sell last postseason. He averaged 19.3 points and 5.4 assists against the Pistons, and has to be brimming with confidence heading into the series.
Malcolm Brogdan has already been ruled out for Games 1 and 2, but he could be back at some point this series. Mid-season pickups Hill and Nikola Mirotic will also have some say in the outcome.
The Bucks surround Giannis with three-point shooters, so perimeter defense is paramount for the Celtics. The issue there is if you are out on the perimeter, that leaves the lane wide open for Antetokounmpo to freight-train his way to a thunderous dunk. Quite the Catch-22 for Boston.
Brook On The Block
Brook Lopez turned into a one-man block party and Milwaukee morphed into one of the best defensive teams in the league. He's going to make life extremely difficult for Boston's slashers trying to get to the basket.
This is where Horford comes in. He needs to do his thing and get Lopez out of the paint. If Horford knocks down his threes and deep twos, it should get Lopez far enough out of the paint, and potentially on the bench for long stretches. This is the only way we'll get another poster from Jayson Tatum over an MVP candidate (maybe in a winning effort this time).
Celtics Need To Hit Their Threes
The Bucks are going to defend the paint, and do so extremely well. They are essentially going to concede the three-point line, meaning the Celtics are going to have plenty of open looks from beyond the arc. They need to make sure they hit them.
We know the Celtics love to take threes, and the Bucks love to let their opponents shoot them. Milwaukee gave up more three-point attempts and makes than any other team in the NBA this year. They still ended up with the league's No. 1 defensive rating.
We'll cycle back to Horford here, because he is the key. He hit just five of his 16 long-range attempts against the Pacers, last on the team with a 31.3 percentage from downtown (not counting Daniel Theis' zero percent on his one attempt).
The Celtics hit 40 percent from downtown against the Pacers. If Milwaukee is giving them open looks while protecting the paint, Boston needs to be even better from long distance.
Win Games In Milwaukee
If the Celtics want a legit shot at winning the series, they're going to have to steal one of the first two games in Milwaukee. That's no easy task, considering the Bucks were 33-8 at home during the regular season.