Celtics Coach Brad Stevens thinks it is a good idea for the NBA to schedule more mini-series, like the one Boston is playing in Indianapolis against the Pacers this week. Darron Cummings/Associated Press
As part of its multi-faceted plan to combat COVID-19 and protect its players as much as a resumption in travel will allow, the NBA actually did something civilized.
The Celtics played their first of two games in three days in Indianapolis on Sunday – a two-game regular season mini-series and a concept the NBA actually borrowed from Major League Baseball.
Aside from their games, the Celtics will be isolated in their hotel in downtown Indianapolis.
“The mini-series are great. We should continue to do the mini-series after this,” said Celtics Coach Brad Stevens. “I think it makes sense from a travel perspective, from a health perspective.
“It’s not just about the COVID health part, it’s also about the sleep and the opportunity to not overdo it in airplanes all the time,” he said. “If we can lessen the miles that all these teams are traveling, I think that’s really important, so I like the idea of the series. These are unique times, it’s pretty quiet down here. I haven’t left the hotel since I’ve been here and nobody from our side can travel unless they are part of our tested group every single day. All of that are part of our new unique experiences of being on the road.”
That leaves a lot of time to spend focusing on the Pacers, the third straight playoff-level team the Celtics have faced to open the season. The mini-series even heightens the competition between the two teams.
“It’s kind of like a playoff feel, right? You’re there for four days,” said Celtics forward Tristan Thompson. “I mean, just take it one day at a time. Of course, like how we came out against Brooklyn in the fourth quarter. You know, we played three great quarters.
“But in a basketball game, you’ve gotta do all four – play all four quarters at a high level in order to put yourself in a position to win,” he said. “So tonight, we’re going to challenge ourselves to do that for four quarters. Play hard. Play our game. And we know that (Malcolm) Brogdon and (Victor) Oladipo are two heavy ball-handlers. And we know they’ve got (Domantas) Sabonis, a double-double guy, an All-Star, who’s going to show roll, get to his right shoulder, to his hook shot. So we know what we’re going up against. We’ve got to be ready to go tonight. And on a back-to-back, so we’ve got to attack them early.”
THOMPSON AVERAGED an even 22 minutes over the first two games, and would love to see his nightly share increase to somewhere around 30. But it’s also early in a season in which the 29-year-old veteran needs to make sure his tender hamstring is on par.
“Right now I’m on a minutes restriction kind of thing because our training staff wants to make sure that we have no setbacks, and also because this team is playing for more than 72 games. It wants to play in the playoffs and have a deep run,” he said. “So I trust the training staff that they have the best (in mind) for myself and my health, and also because we have a long-term goal which is to be healthy going into the postseason. Of course I’d like to be out there more playing with my teammates – of course. But I have to trust the training staff and as games go on hopefully take that restriction off. I can go out there and be myself out there.
“In terms of my minutes, it’s up to the training staff. Of course I’d like to be playing 30 minutes right now, and going full speed and full blast. But at the same time I have to understand that we don’t want no setbacks and we’re looking out for my best interests. I have to respect that and while I’m out there, in whatever amount of time I’m given, to punch the clock and put my hardhat on.”
JAYSON TATUM WENT into the Indiana game still looking for his first free-throw attempt. As explosive as he has looked with the ball, the forward’s chances in the paint have been fewer thus far.
“I think No. 1 is, you are always looking to take what the defense gives you,” said Stevens. “They were very dialed-in to him. He’s done a good job attacking the rim, I thought against Brooklyn he finished better at the rim.
“He’s going to be such a focal point,” he said. “I think we’ve talked a lot about trying to get a few easier baskets everyday and anytime you can get to the line that’s a good thing for us because he makes them. I think his lack of getting to the line has a lot more to do with our spacing and our execution than it has with his game. We’ve talked a little bit about how we can be better, especially in the Brooklyn game. We were OK against Milwaukee but in the Brooklyn game we got pretty jammed up.”
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