Dallas was held to just nine assists in the opener, its fewest in a game in over two years.
After a dominant Game 1 win, can Boston extend its lead or will Dallas force a series tie in Sunday’s crucial game?
Here are 3 potential adjustments ahead of Game 2 of the 2024 NBA Finals (8 p.m. ET, ABC).
1. More ball movement and assist opportunities
With two of the best isolation players in the game, the Mavericks have never ranked highly in assists per game – 259.4 (29th of 30) in the regular season and 251.1 (14th of 16) early of the season. NBA Finals.
However, the Mavs only completed 203 passes overall. Game 1leaving Kyrie Irving and coach Jason Kidd preaching for more ball movement in Game 2.
- Kyrie: “It’s not typical for us to only have nine assists. The ball needs to move a little more.
- Kidd: “We have to move the ball. The ball is just too stuck. And we will be better in the second game.
The Mavs’ nine assists – their fewest in over two years (May 10, 2022) – go beyond just missed shots. Dallas had just 25 potential assists (passes that result in an assist when the shot is made), almost 15 fewer than their season average (39.8, tied with Boston for 7th in the championship).
This is due in part to Boston’s defense, which does not use pick-and-rolls to force the ball out of the hands of Luka Doncic and Irving, and sets up a 4-on-3 on the backside to create open looks for shooters.
The Celtics mixed up their defense, but relied heavily on turnovers, making 31 ball changes in Game 1 with mixed results. Doncic and Irving looked to score every time they faced Al Horford or Kristaps Porzingis.
- Doncic and Irving vs. Horford: 6 points, 3 for 13 (23.1%) FG, 0 for 4 3P, 1 assist, 2 blocks
- Doncic and Irving vs. Porzingis: 15 points, 6 for 10 (60%) FG, 3 for 5 (60%) 3P, 0 assists, 1 turnover
Rather than constantly looking to score on these switches, Doncic and Irving can look for drive opportunities, beat big dribbles, get into the paint to force the assist, and provide more putbacks for open shots — and more opportunities decisive pass.
- In game 1, the Mavs shot 29 times in practice, compared to just 14 assists
- During the regular season, the Mavs averaged 22.4 shots and 17.6 assists
2. Enjoy Open Looks
While the Mavericks need to increase their ball movement and assist chances, they also need to take advantage by knocking down open shots – something they struggled with in the series opener.
3-point shot on open/wide open looks (closest defender more than 4 feet away)
- Boston: 14 out of 35 (40%) in the first match, 13.2 out of 33.8 (39.1) for the final
- Dallas: 6 of 24 (25%) in the first match, 10.8 of 29.3 (36.9%) before the final
While Boston was tied in open shots in Game 1 compared to its first three rounds, the Mavs were tied in both completions and attempts and their shooting percentage dropped nearly 12 percent.
It can be simple: the team that makes open shots wins.
- Kidd: “I thought he looked great…they just didn’t disappoint with Kai or most of the team, and I hope we get those same shots in Game 2 and can be better.”
- Irving: “I didn’t have the best games offensively in the playoffs, but we were able to get some stops, some timely stops and pick ourselves up on the offensive end.”
Irving missed all five of his 3-point attempts in the opener, including three wide-open looks — the closest defender more than 6 feet away.
3. Should Boston start Porzingis?
In the NBA Finals film room, Sam Mitchell and Earl Watson explain how the Celtics managed to reinstate Kristaps Porzingis.
The Celtics couldn’t have asked for better return game of a 38-day absence than what Kristaps Porzingis provided in the first game.
Porzingis took the field to warm up before the game where he drew loud cheers from the Boston faithful. The game started with Porzingis on the bench, until his name was called with 7:17 left in the first quarter.
Another huge ovation was followed by Porzingis’ brilliant start to the game – 11 points on 4-for-5 shooting, with rebounds and two blocks. And a Celtics lead 37-20 with a delirious crowd.
That same “welcome” energy won’t be the same for Game 2 if Mazzulla decides to stick with his current rotation with Al Horford in the starting lineup. But it’s understandable not to mess with programming that currently works.
An argument for Porzingis’ departure is the play of Boston’s five most common starters throughout the season – Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday, Derrick White and Porzingis. This group has a net rating of 18.5 (score difference per 100 possessions), which ranks first among all playoff teams that have shared the court for more than 60 minutes.
Fast starts have been important for both teams throughout the playoffs.
- Dallas: 8-1 winning 1st quarter; 4-5 in case of tie or loss of 1st quarter
- Boston: 11-0 winning 1st quarter; 2-2 in case of tie or loss of 1st quarter
Boston won the first quarter of the first game by 17 points (37-20) and won the final three quarters by a total of one point (70-69).
Can Porzingis be instant offense and defense off the bench like he was in Game 1? Or should the Celtics consider putting him back in the starting lineup that helped them win 64 games this season?
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