Skip to main content

Graphic lessons for Celtics from "fundamentally-sound" Miami Heat

Image
By

The Miami Heat are not the epitome of what is viewed as the ultimate, modern NBA team. They are not especially quick or athletic, but they took over last night's Game Five versus the Los Angeles Lakers to close the gap to 3-2 in favor of the Lakers.

It starts with Jimmy Butler. Many Boston fans remember him as the guy they did not want to see in Boston. Well, he chose to go to Miami in free agency, and it looks like a fine decision on bis part. Butler doesn't get the job done with upper-level athleticism, but he is so fundamentally sound. His footwork, passing and mid-range game were all on display 

Jimmy played all-but-one minute in the 111-108 victory, scoring 35 points, while adding 12 boards, 11 assists, five steals, one block and only three turnovers. And he only committed two personal fouls while tending to Lebron James for much of the game. Butler attempted 19 field goals (making 11 of them), and only three of those 19 attempts were 3-pointers. He just seemed to be making all the right plays. I visualize Jayson Tatum taking on a Butler-type role with Boston next season.

Oh, and Duncan Robinson, the gawky white kid from New Hampshire that did not get drafted? He scored 26 points while hitting 7-of-13 treys. Only Ray Allen and Steph Curry have hit more threes in a Finals contest. Robinson and Tyler Herro represent the constant-motion shooter that the Celtics could use, either via the draft, free agency or trade.

So, what are the lessons for the Boston Celtics? Don't take so many 3-point shots unless the shooter is damn good at it. In the post-season, Robinson is hitting 40% of his treys, and Herro is hitting 37%. Lesson #2: Boston needs to pick up a never-stop-moving shooter for the upcoming season. And finally, Lesson #3: Celtics need a leader that relies on the fundamentals of the game, a la Jimmy Butler. That guy is Jayson Tatum. Fundamentals and hard work get the job done - no flash required. Just look at what the Heat accomplished last night.


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Elm Street Nightmare

By
 A true-and-suspenseful horror tale of haunting, homicides and the hunt for triple-murderer, Daniel Laplante - as told by the cops that were there By Lt. Thomas Lane (Ret.)  Daniel Laplante - cold, calm, clever, calculating- Photo: YouTube   Elm Street  surfaces on six (6) occasions in the Laplante saga: 1.) He  resided on Elm Street  in Townsend, Massachusetts  2.) He  kidnapped a woman  at gunpoint on  Elm Street, Pepperell , Massachusetts 3.) That kidnapped woman fled to the Gillogly residence on Elm Street after escaping from the armed fugitive, Laplante. 4.) He was arrested and transported to Massachusetts State Police Barracks on Elm Street in Concord . 5.) He was  tried, convicted   and sentenced for the murders at  Superior Court , corner of  Elm Stree t and Gorham Street, Lowell, Massachusetts. 6.) The author, Thomas Lane, lived on Elm Steet, Pepperell, Massachusetts while a police Sgt./Lt. for the t...
23 comments
Read more

A sorrowful farewell to Kitty's Restaurant (North Reading, MA) as a family tradition

By
  Time to say "Goodbye" to Kitty's Restaurant - my   family's destination and tradition for six generations and more than 80 years. My memories of Kitty's go back to the early-1950's . I would accompany my dad and grandfather on fishing trips to the Ipswich River in North Reading, Massachusetts - followed by a visit to the restaurant on Main Street. In later years, my wife, Linda, and I would eat there with our two kids, Marc and Lisa - and years later - with our two grand daughters - and still later - with our great grandson, Carson. Author and family at Kitty's approx. 10 years ago Kitty's never disappointed. The drinks were big and well-made . The food was terrific - as were the portions. The service was exceptional and we became well-acquainted with the waiters and waitresses. It all worked so very well for many decades. My grand daughter, Courtney , was particularly fond of the restaurant. She was born with cystic fibrosis , and during her fr...
15 comments
Read more

Wemby versus Kareem as rookies

By
 We already know that the Spurs Victor Wembanyama is going to be an NBA phenomenon, but will he surpass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar by the end of his career. It is highly likely.  I did a "per-36-minutes" comparison between the two stars, mainly because Kareem logged 43.1 MPG in his rookie campaign - while Wemby has been held to only 29.4 MPG. Kareem: 24.1 PPG - 12.1 RPG - 3.4 APG - .518 FG - .653 FT Wemby:  25.9 PPG - 12.9 RPG - 4.5 APG - .463 FG - .796 FT No blocks, steals or 3-pointers were looked at since they were not tracked in Jabbar's first year in the NBA. It should also be noted that Kareem was 22 years old at the time, while Victor started at age 20. Two factors favoring Wembanyama ultimately surpassing Jabbar on any "Best-of-All-Time" charts are his point guard skills , shared by so many European players.  and the fact he is being mentored by Gregg Popovich. His potential seems astounding. But the question remains. Can he garner six Titles and six MVP ...
1 comment
Read more