3. Celtics Have No Answer for Dragic & Adebayo
Between the Celtics’ inability to contain dribble penetration against quick guards and their lack of size in the middle, it’s not too surprising that Goran Dragic and Bam Adebayo are thriving in this series.
Both players proved to be essential components of the Heat’s victory in Game 2. Dragic finished with 25 points and 5 assists, making him the leading scorer. Meanwhile, Adebayo provided 21 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists while being a key defensive contributor.
There has been no answer Dragic in pick-and-roll situations, in particular. He scored 16 points on just 10 scoring possessions in this area in Game 2. Aside from getting Marcus Smart to try to slow him down, there really isn’t much the Celtics can do to combat this.
With the Celtics’ inability to contain dribble penetration without sending help, Adebayo has been given the green light to feast as a rim-roller, but in Game 2, primarily as a cutter around the basket. Meanwhile, he’s handling switching assignments and protecting the paint on defense.
