The Dallas Mavericks were defeated 107-89 in Game 1 of the NBA Finals by the Boston Celtics. Although it is not time to panic, Dallas needs to make some adjustments. JJ Redick, who knows the game of basketball well and is even a current head coaching candidate for the Los Angeles Lakers, revealed an adjustment he believes the Mavs need to make for Game 2, via his YouTube channel.
“They’ve got to be better on the ball, and Doris (Burke) talked about this on the broadcast,” Redick said. “I had the advanced stats updated this morning but Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum both had too many blow-byes last night if you’re the Dallas defense. They got to the basket, and then the second defender came, and then all of a sudden Boston is now in their swing-swing game. So containing Tatum and Brown off the dribble, before you make any offensive adjustments, you’ve got to be able to do a better job of that.
“I'm not saying Luka (Doncic) is going to be perfect, I'm not saying Kyrie (Irving) or Josh Green is going to be perfect. I'm not saying Derrick Jones Jr. or PJ Washington is never going to get blown by. But you've gotta be better there.”
Redick later mentioned that many of the Celtics' quality three-point attempts were created as a result of Tatum and Brown driving to the basket after getting by their primary defenders. Boston ultimately shot 38.1 percent from deep.
Mavericks' defense
The Mavs defense has played well in the postseason. Defending two stars in Tatum and Brown is certainly a difficult task, however. Richard Jefferson, while speaking on Redick's podcast, shared his thoughts on the situation.
“It’s a simple thing that could be hard to do,” Jefferson said. “Because even that second defender, you get the big away from the rim with Al Horford or with KP (Kristaps Porzingis), and they’re all going to naturally gravitate, Horford, Gafford, and Lively, they’re going to gravitate towards the rim because that’s what they’re used to.”
Part of what makes Porzingis so difficult to defend is his versatility. He can shoot the basketball which forces defenders who are used to protecting the basket to close out on him. That opens up the paint for possible easy shots in the lane. Or if the defense collapses in the paint, then there will likely be a three-point shooter left open.
Game 2
Game 2 should be a more competitive affair. The Celtics started strong in Game 1 and never looked back. The Mavs have struggled in Game 1's during the postseason, so a bounce-back performance should be expected.
Playing better will not guarantee a victory, though. The Celtics cruised to the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference for a reason after all.
Doubting the Mavs is always risky, though. They tend to find ways to win in close games. If Dallas can remain competitive through the first three quarters in Game 2, they will have an opportunity to earn a victory in the fourth quarter. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving are two of the best closers in the NBA which will only enhance their odds of winning.
As Redick and Jefferson discussed, however, the Mavericks will need to improve their on-ball defense as well.
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