The Boston Celtics at full strength are much better than the Boston Celtics sans two starters. That should be obvious, but much of the commentary after Miami beat Boston in game one of the Eastern Conference Finals ignored or minimized that simple truth. At one point, it seemed unlikely that Al Horford and Marcus Smart would both return for game two, but they did, and the Celtics rolled to a 127-102 win. Smart scored 24 points while also leading the Celtics in assists (12) and rebounds (nine). Jayson Tatum contributed a team-high 27 points plus five rebounds and five assists. Jaylen Brown added 24 points and eight rebounds, while Grant Williams scored 19 points. Horford had an impact more significant than his 10 points and three rebounds may suggest.
Jimmy Butler had another excellent game for the Heat (29 points on 11-18 field goal shooting, six rebounds, three assists), but no other Heat player scored more than 14 points, and the Heat shot just .442 from the field, including .294 from three point range.
The Heat jumped out to an 18-8 first quarter lead in the first 4:31, but less than five minutes later the Celtics were up 23-21 after Payton Pritchard hit a three pointer. The Celtics never looked back, outscoring the Heat 35-24 in the first quarter while shooting .632 from the field and holding the Heat to .375 field goal shooting.
The Celtics had a double digit lead the rest of the way, and their 70-45 halftime advantage is the largest halftime lead in a road playoff game in the franchise's storied history.
Butler keyed a brief third quarter rally to cut the margin to 84-67, but the Celtics soon pushed their lead back to 30 (103-73) early in the fourth quarter.
Jeff Van Gundy made an excellent point during the broadcast: he noted that when the Celtics committed to Marcus Smart as their point guard (after previously using Kyrie Irving and Kemba Walker), the Celtics then had the ability to be much more flexible defensively because Smart can effectively switch on to bigger players, something that neither Irving nor Walker can do. Size matters in the NBA, and it is difficult to win at the highest level if you rely too heavily on smaller players. While it is true that Kyrie Irving played a major role on Cleveland's 2016 championship team, it is also true that in general is it more difficult to build a championship team featuring smaller players in prominent rules than it is to build a championship team that does not rely heavily on smaller players.
On the other hand, Zach Harper's bizarre commentary earlier in the day on Sirius XM NBA Radio asserting that Smart's return might hurt the Celtics because Smart is not a great passer or shooter not only did not age well--it made little sense when Harper said it. Anyone who followed the Celtics with understanding realizes that utilizing Smart as the primary playmaker brought balance to the Celtics' offense and enabled Tatum to focus on scoring without monopolizing the ball. We hear so much about how vital it is to have "range shooting" in order to score efficiently and prolifically--but in game two the Celtics scored 127 points on .512 field goal shooting with Smart shooting 8-22 from the field.
Anyone can have an incorrect take or make a prediction that does not come to pass, but when a commentator on the NBA's official radio network consistently says things that make no sense and have no basis in fact it is fair to ask what that person's qualifications are to have such a platform, and to wonder why that person continues to be provided such a platform despite demonstrated incompetence.
No, Payton Pritchard's "range shooting" is not more valuable than the total package of skills provided by Smart. Further, while we are focusing on things that are said that make no sense, it should be noted that Stephen Curry is not the only NBA player who has "gravity." I am not sure when "gravity" was plucked from physics to become an NBA term, but it has always been true that great NBA players attracted defensive attention that created open shots for their teammates. During the three NBA Finals contested by the Philadelphia 76ers and L.A. Lakers in the early 1980s, the Lakers played an illegal zone defense (sometimes the Lakers were called for it, sometimes they got away with it), sagging toward Julius Erving while daring his teammates to shoot. At that time, teams rarely shot three pointers, so the Lakers did not have to extend their defensive coverage the way that teams do now, but the principle was the same then as it is now: superstars attract defensive attention that creates open shot opportunities for their teammates. Even if the superstar is not a great shooter, he will still force the defense to tilt toward him to minimize his driving opportunities--that was true from Elgin Baylor to Julius Erving to Michael Jordan to Kobe Bryant to LeBron James to Giannis Antetokounmpo. The three point shot rule and various defensive rules changes forced tweaks in the specific defensive strategies employed over the years, but the players listed above had just as much "gravity" as anyone in pro basketball history. In this series, Tatum and Butler have the most "gravity," and anyone who is paying attention can see how their "gravity" pulls defenders toward them/away from their teammates.
Miami's game one win is a distant memory now. The Celtics enjoy homecourt advantage, and the Heat will have to take at least one game in Boston to win this series.