Eastern Conference Finals Playoff Preview (Indiana Pacers @ Boston Celtics)

Eastern Conference Finals Playoff Preview (Indiana Pacers @ Boston Celtics)

hope everybody is having a great Tuesday the Eastern Conference Finals start tonight at 8 o’clock and here to preview this series with us is Keith Smith from spot track.com Keith thanks so much for joining us how you doing man I’m doing well thanks so much for having me absolutely and it’s uh it’s kind of an interesting Eastern Conference Finals I think if you were to ask anybody especially at the beginning of the Season that we would see Pacers and Celtics I think even Pacer fans would be completely shocked in some that they’ve made it this far but here we are Keith and I’m kind of curious before we get into the Celtics side of things from what you’ve seen from the Pacers in the first two rounds where they played Milwaukee and New York what have you noticed from this team and how do you think they’ve really kind of just matured since that first game in Milwaukee to winning game seven on the road in New York yeah I think the buck series was like a nice warm-up for them because they were challenged but did still felt like yeah obviously they won but it always felt winnable yeah well it wasn’t like they went out there and stole that by any means I felt like they were the better team who knows if Giannis plays right it maybe goes the other way but he didn’t and that’s it’s funny these playoffs have been a lot of a what if kind of playoffs a little bit like they were designed by Marvel or something but the reality is these guys weren’t there and they lost and and they’re out so now we’re in a spa where I think for the uh for the Pacers what I really saw in the Knick series was an ability to go win in different ways it felt like for a lot of the regular season if they couldn’t outscore a team meaning get it up and down push Pace win 130 to 125 kind of games like that they weren’t going to win a lot and now we’ve seen they’ve won a couple different ways they’re still primarily going to outscore teams for the most part but but they they’re able to get get out there grind out a little bit of a win I think they learned how to play playoff basketball which is mismatch hunt a little bit slow things down when you need to those kind of things they found some defensive stuff that worked uh they the one team of the four teams that’s left that hasn’t really cut their regular season rotation down all that much they’ve pretty much gone with the same guys so that that’s going to be a little bit interesting but I think they’re built to play more guys than than the other teams are in a lot of ways and all of their guys have been pretty solid throughout the course of the playoffs so they haven’t had to cut it down so all around you know it’s been a really good run for them it really has Pacer fans are thrilled but they’re also catching a lot of heat for you know the lack of you know uh bucks players and nicks players that are out there but that’s not up to us to control but tell me from your standpoint you know the Celtics really haven’t been challenged through two rounds some people might forget there was no Jimmy Butler for the heat Donovan Mitchell missed a couple games you know uh Jared Allen was was I don’t even I don’t even know if he didn’t even play he didn’t play at all no against Celtics yeah didn’t get to play so do you feel that this is very much Boston’s toughest test yet yeah I think it will be when all is said and done I think the Cavs could have been but like you said Mitchell went down during the series Allen was out throughout it mbly at a couple different points had to leave games then he came back in uh but yeah I think the Celtics Celtics Pacers the Timberwolves the Mavericks everybody who’s complaining about all stuff it’s they don’t pick who they play you you play who’s next up when you play them like it’s this is I like I like to remind folks this is not college football you don’t stack your schedule with a bunch of cupcakes to start the year roll through them and then go like you just play who’s in front of you and if those teams aren’t healthy those teams aren’t healthy and it kind of is what it is so and I I also the Celtics lost christop porzingis during the Heat series they played the entire Cavs Series without him now they are better equipped than most teams to be down a starter and play and still do well I fully understand that but it’s not like they’ve been completely injuryf free either they theyve you know with a key guy out of the lineup too so everybody’s going through stuff at this time of year and you you just line them up and play but yeah it’s I as I put it because I we a lot of Cavs fans like I’m sure you all are seeing a lot of Knicks fans right now and I my my one of my favorite lines to use is sour grapes make the best wine so you know it’s it’s all it is man it’s it is what it is you know maybe it would have gone differently but it wasn’t that way and you know we’ll never know we don’t we we don’t live in an alternate Dimension we just move forward it’s true I will say this with the Pacers playing you know against New York New York is known as being a defensive-minded team IND Indiana being known as a very fast-paced offensive team we saw a clash of two different styles now we get Boston and Indiana who are the two of the top offensive teams in the League this year curious how you think those two will you know those two similarities there in style of play will play out in this series because we know that you know Boston as guys at all five positions that can really put the ball in the basket but I think you can make the case Indiana kind of has that similarity too with even some of the role players like Nim hard nouth being able to get hot at certain time so what do you think is going to be the key offensively for both teams in this series yeah I think the big difference is as you said the Pacers played the Knicks who were known as more of a defensive team Boston has both they they’re one of the best offensive teams in the league in league history both of these teams are and then the Celtics are also a very good defensive team too so that’s a little bit of the difference I think where you’re going to get I think this is easily the the Pacers toughest defense that they faced yet and I don’t think it’s even particularly close even though just mostly because the Knicks were so banged up but I think the real key will be can Indiana control Pace but in a way where they’re not just going up and down trading baskets with Boston because there is a world where the Pacers can turn this into such an up and down game that the cel get super comfortable playing that way and it’s something I think you will see as you get deeper into people talking about this a lot of Celtics fans have been begging for them to play faster they play better when they play faster so you got to be very careful of we don’t want to just turn this into run up and down shoot and score all game long because I think Boston can match everything Indiana can do that way but it’s going to be opportunistic running getting out doing those kind of things I think that’s going to be big and I think another offensive piece is going to be which of the two teams can steal extra possessions who can get you know it’s really not an extra possession but get an offensive rebound to create an extra shot who can force a couple turnovers to get get into some offense that way I think that’s going to be a key because I do think both teams are going to score points I think it’s just going to come down to who could control the glass A little bit better uh and not give up those Second Chance opportunities and then who can uh steal some easy offense and transition off turnovers hey Indiana knows all about the rebounding battle because the team that won the rebounding battle against uh in that Series against the Knicks was the team that won that game and it came down to you know the Pacers having to be able to you know solidify that in game seven so that’s something that they’re going to have to have their eyes on they did not rebound well at times against New York one thing they have done is they’ve been able to get uh players open looks at what feels like an incredible rate right now talk to us a little bit about what do you think Boston’s defensive game plan could be in this series spe specifically on you know who might be guarding tyes hurn sure if we eliminate game two of each Series where the Celtics just took a little vacation a little early you know and and kind of called it you know called it in a little bit out there they they did a really nice job of staying hugged up to Shooters and really making life difficult on both the Heat and the Cavaliers especially as the series went along when it became clear the only way those teams were going to win was to outscore Boston to outshoot them from the three-point Arc Celtics it’s been a pretty good barometer for them all year if they get up more attempts and make more shots they’re going to win the game meaning three-point shots that is so I think what you’re going to see is they’re probably going to start games my guess is with Derek white on tyres Salton they prefer to put Drew holiday more often than not on a little bit of the stronger option meaning the guy who may go down inside there I would not be surprised if they get kind of really kind of funky with some of their stuff they may put Drew holiday a Miles Turner and just say hey if you want to beat us by trying to post up Miles Turner which is not your offense go ahead you’ll have at it like we it feels like every time I see the Pacers do that it’s almost like I can see everybody else saying he’s matched up with a guy who six foot2 like I need to we need to get him to touch on the post but then it’s like they don’t really want to go to it because it’s just not his game um I so would not be surprised if they did that then that puts Al Horford probably on Pascal cakam um and then that allows Horford to not have to chase Turner around and live out near the three-point Arc uh you might even see see them get really crazy put Horford on somebody like n har where he can kind of float a little bit more and if you you lose because Andrew neard makes you know four five three-pointers you kind of tip your cap and you move along uh there so I think they’re going to get really funky but I think Ty Sal Burton’s goingon to see Everybody by the end of end of the games in this series probably Derek white start Drew holiday will obviously pick him up plenty I think Tatum and brown will take their turns on him one thing Boston really likes to do is kind of let white and holiday and even pton Pritchard who he’s he’s not the level of pest that T.J McConnell is and I mean that 100% as a compliment like he’s a real pain in the butt right so but pton Pritchard can do some of that same stuff where it’s like just hounding a guy 94 ft making just I’m here it’s not going to be easy you’re going to have to try to get past me all the kind of stuff that annoys ball handlers they like to do put put those three guys on a ball handler early and then late in games they kind of say all right Jason Tatum with that giant wingspan as quick as almost any guard in the league Now you kind of take him here to close it out a little bit so I think tyes halbert’s gonna g to see a lot of guys big thing for the Celtics is stay attached to the shooters Cal Burton’s going to beat you sometimes he’s that good he’s that good of a player what you can’t have happen is let him I like to say you can’t let him get in the blender where now all of a sudden you’re rotating you’re chasing and it’s ping ping ping and it’s an open shot just stay hugged up to the shooters as best you can send help where you need to and hope for the best on that end I’m glad you brought up the Drew holiday on Miles Turner potential match up there because I actually thought about that today because we saw times in the Knick series when Josh hard be switched on the Turner and they would try to go to him in the post anytime he puts the ball down with his back to the basket they could either steal it or he dribble it out of bounds it’s just not his game like you said maybe if he can get him sealed off down low like two or four feet away from the basket that’s the only way that can really work but I think Drew holiday’s lower body strength would be able to kind of push Turner out of there a little bit so that’s definitely an interesting wrinkle and I think it would really take away Indiana’s pick and pop that they have there that halberton and Turner run so well together so that’s definitely an interesting wrinkle and I can also see Horford being more of a defensive match up for SE yakum based on who else Boston really has to throw at him with his size so I’m glad you brought those points up there but on the flip side of things we know Boston is going to hunt Tyrese Halbert on the defensive side of things so how do you envision Indiana guarding this Boston team and my gut feeling right now is probably try and hide Tyrese Andrew holiday if they can but I’m curious how you think Boston will run their offensive actions yeah let me go back to one thing defensively too Jaylen Brown also if you go back to siakam’s years with the Raptors he guarded SE yakum a lot when they played each other and one of the things that was heavily talked about all the way back in like the Bubble Series was zakum loves that spin move and the Celtics have they’ve seen it probably more than anybody else at this point just because of all the years of playing the Raptors uh as division foes when SE yakum was there so I think Jaylen Brown will will pick up SE yakum quite a bit too um and then with Miles Turner I thought where Turner had success using his size against smaller Defenders straight post-ups no way they don’t work but those Dives to the rim get inside on the dive to the rim as the ball’s moving that’s where where he’s really becomes tough and I thought his finishing against the Knicks was extremely impressive I thought he had some really strong finishes and without Chris ABS poring it’s there Boston just doesn’t have the same level of Rim protection so I think there is a world if they stash a small on him he dives from the corner dives from the elbow as the ball moves he gets into the paint that way he could really do some damage that way versus just being a pick and pop guy now to your question about the offense I think I think you’re right I think they’ll probably start halberton on holiday because Drew holiday he is really even with porzingis out most nights he’s the fifth option of the starting group and and there’s a lot of times where he is just kind of hanging out in the corner now I will say he is a ridiculously good three-point shooter this year like insanely good his I don’t know what he finished the year at but I know was really really high uh percentage on Corner threes so I think we’re in a spot where if that’s the way they’re going to play it that’s fine but Drew holiday has also become as the year’s gone along an extremely willing screener where he loves to come up and and be this screen Setter and that’s how they’ll hunt Halbert in a little bit I think the Pacers will probably do a combination of some jump switches some switch backs where it’s hey just stay on whoever’s in the corner and just do your best to kind of box that guy out get a body on him as the shot goes up so they’re not bringing him in to the actions that maybe the way you can kind of play that off a little bit there I think the other thing is if if they’re going to really lock up halberton on holiday I think you’ll see Boston go to Holiday some where they like to throw it to him about about the elbow area and then let him kind of go in almost an improvised post up and because he such a good passer he does a really nice job on those plays and if he gets to the point where you’re having to send help holiday can either get the ball moving to find a shooter or he finds somebody on a cut or whatever it is so that that’s going to be a tough spot for the Pacers and that’s going to be kind of that’s where Rick Carlile and staff are gonna they’re going to earn their money for lack of a better point is to how do we scheme around this because I think it’s just kind of a known issue at this point you you mentioned about porzingis porzingis right now I believe is expected to be out at least games one and two do you anticipate porzingis perhaps not playing in this series or do you think it’s hey you know what he’s had some time to rest I imagine if this ends up going to you know say a game six or so and Boston needs him he could be out there but those calf injuries they’re very tricky we saw it happen with Giannis Giannis ended up never returning um what do you anticipate for porzingis yeah I am not at all saying this to be inel towards the Pacers but I think you hold on him in unless you really need him if you’re down in a series if it’s tied 22 and he can play bring him back out there but if you’re up 20 which theyve they wion the first two in Boston Celtics fans May celebrate like they already won the title because they they they went in a collective Panic after losing game two in each of the first two rounds but I think what you’ll do what you’ll see is when he’s ready if he’s needed get him out there and play him I also think there’s a world let’s say let’s just say they’re up 3-1 in the series and it’s a chance to close it out you may see porzingis get out there just hey he’s ready let’s knock the rust off a little bit here let’s get him out there for 15 20 minutes you know get get it get his legs under him a little bit again because I think they know if they do go to the finals they’re definitely going to need him there against either Minnesota or Dallas so I think that becomes a all right let’s try to do do what we can here to try to get get him ready to go but he this is not going to be an ogan anobi situation he’s not going to be out there limping around not ready to go they will not risk that they’re going to hold him out until he’s really ready and I think if he’s really ready and also needed I want to go back to what you said about Drew holiday’s Corner three because I looked at the stats while you were talking 58.8% from the left corner and 62.5 from the right in the regular season but I will say for the playoffs it’s only 25% from the left and 42.3 in the right so you know it’s different in the playoffs everything tightens up a little bit more but still just kind of shows you he’s still pretty effective from the right side I mean 42.3% is is pretty impressive but I think that Derek white to me always feels like The X Factor for this team I think people kind of forget how good of a player he is because he is right there he was on the cusp of being an All-Star this year I know he even got some All-Star votes so since I kind of threw it out there he’s the X Factor for Boston is there somebody else youed as an xfactor for Boston and then who do you think is that xfactor for Indiana as well yeah I’m with you on Derek white I think it’s it’s between him and Al Horford they need Al Horford to be better than he was for a lot of the games against the Cavs just he doesn’t have to match what Miles Turner does but he has to be good like he has to give them minutes I do think this is a series where they can probably get away a little bit more with Luke cornette because the Pacers just don’t have that physical big that’s going to go inside and pound pound you underneath the basket like like Cleveland could with Moy on occasion more off movement with Moy than anything else but I think Cornett will play Xavier Tillman’s out uh questionable or not out but he’s questionable to play due to personal reasons we’ll see if he he gets in there or not uh old friend OA Brett could see a few minutes they wanted to toss him in there but I really think it it’s Derek white one of the things I think is going to be really interesting is Tyrese Al Burton has I think he’s doing a much better job now and I just think maybe he’s feeling better physically of mixing up his stuff where it was felt like for a little while there he had moved away from the kind of side step and step back three it was just I’m going to take the floater more often in the pain now it feels like he’s he’s mixing those those shots up but Derek white is maybe the best rear contest guard in the league meaning he blocks at least once every couple games a shot from behind whether it’s a float or the guy thinks he hasn’t beaten for a side step and then White’s taking the ball off his hand from from kind of behind and off to the side so I do think he’s going to be big in those moments especially off switches when everything’s kind of in scramble mode and then for the Pacers side there’s a big part of me that wants to pick Aaron neith just because it’s former Celtic we know he’s always jazzed up to go against Boston I think he’s going to have to he’s probably going to be in my mind the primary defender on Jason tat I have a a weird theory on who might be their other best guy to guard Tatum that maybe we can get into if you guys want to after but I think um n Smith’s gonna have to be huge in this series but I the guy I’m really gonna go to in pick is I think uh SE yakum has to be awesome in this series he can’t just be good he’s gonna have to be dominant to the point where like maybe Pascal yakum was you know one of the top two or three best players in this series because that that’s what the Pacers need him to be to to I think keep up with the Celtics offensively yeah sakam was was great down the stretch in game six and seven I think that’s what the Pacers needed he also had his moments against the Bucks games one and two he was incredible great in the closeout game six um so they’re definitely gonna need him but touching on Old Friends Aaron n Smith you know I feel like I’m gonna bring this question up what feels like every six months but tell me Keith on May 20th as we are recording this when Aaron n Smith is coming off of an eight for eight shooting performance and defended Jaylen Brunson very well not just in game seven but you know he was Indiana’s best defender against him who did win that Pacer Celtics trade looking back on it now you yeah that’s a good question I mean I the Celtics still got a six man of the year year out of Malcolm brogon which was pretty good I’m still gonna say it’s the Celtics because they turned Malcolm Brogden and Drew holiday right so that that worked out pretty well uh for them but it’s if we go off of guys who are just still where they were it it’s definitely the Pacers but I think it’s I think that’s one of those when we look back that’ll be seen as because I don’t like to do really the full let’s chain all the transactions together because that’s not that’s not really how it works um so that’s a little bit factious in me saying Boston did fine in that trade but I think there is a I think that trade’s going to come down looking a lot closer than it did in initially where it is like hey the Pacers got a pretty good guy out of this who’s now on a really Team friendly contract going forward where they continues to start or comes off the bench down the line or whatever it is I think they got a heck of a player in Aaron neith and I think it’s just I think he’s your classic Late Bloomer who took him a little while to find his footing in the league and now he’s really settling in this is kind of a kind of an interesting question but I I want to get your thoughts on this because to me right now it feels like all the pressure is on Boston to win this series because everybody’s everyone’s saying F even mentioned it before we we recorded you know Boston’s got a pretty good path to the NBA finals no Denver in their way a team they’ve struggled with the Pacers really have no expectations coming into this very similar to the Knicks where I think most ESPN analysts and everybody else will be picking the Celtics to win this series probably in five games or less for the majority of people that just don’t think Indiana’s on that level so with Indiana kind of having that extra chip on their shoulder being a little bit more free to to play and not have as many expectations where Boston they really have that you know that high expectation do you think that there’s a little bit of a of an opportunity there for Indiana just to be a little bit more looser a little more Freer in the series yeah without a doubt I think to some extent the Pacers are playing with house money now right nobody nobody expected them to be here and I think what what some version of Rick Carlile will be like nobody expected us to be here but we got to play the games we might as well go win them right that’s always been my kind of philosophy when you’re an underdog we got to play might as well go win it right let’s go out there and get after it and I think there’s a world where if games are tight late we’ve seen Boston has struggles in those moments they they’ve been far better this year in those moments than they have been in the years’s past and I think it’s just people are clinging to Old narratives uh with that to a large extent but they do have the pressure on them you’re GNA see especially if it’s in Boston everybody gets tight the crowd gets tight everybody’s just kind of like season up a little I think that players feel that tension and sometimes that’s where things can get a little bit sideways on them so I think it is a situation where the Pacers could come out I’m very curious to see game one Celtics haven’t played in a week by the time game one tips off this is a real good rest vers rust kind of Cory here is you know Boston should come out with the legs and be ready to go and be you know it’s sometimes with the Celtics they come out almost shot out of a cannon too much especially Jaylen Brown and it’s like Jaylen Brown his first few jump shots it’s like yeah we need to replace the backboard he’s ripping them through so hard cuz he’s so fired up and then he’s like going in there he’s blowing dunks and layups because he’s just too too amped up and Juiced up he’s kind of the guy that you really key off that with so I think the Pacers have a chance get off to a good start put the pressure on the Celtics a little bit and go I I’m also very curious to see if they mess around a little bit they use that full court press some on the on the Knicks I think to pretty good uh work the issue is the Knicks played with one or one and a half ball handlers out there depending on how much you you trust Duce McBride Boston has four guys they’re pretty content to throw the ball to and say bring it up and even Al Horford he does a lot of ripping and running off the board so they’ll throw it to him at midcourt say hey get it into the front court and get a set so I I don’t know how much that’ll work but I’m very curious I think I think it’s funny I said this to a friend of mine I said by the end of game one at the very latest halftime of game two the entire Boston crowd is going to hate TJ McConnell and there’s going to be like people who are just ready to fight him and that means T.J McConnell did his job to Perfection uh with this because he’s just goingon to be annoying and I I I’ll give it to you here I think T.J McConnell’s gonna have moments against Jason Tatum one of the things that still bothers Jason Tatum at times is a smaller Defender that will get up into him and get under Underneath Him disrupt his dribble there’s times when that bothers him more than putting a bigger defender on him bigger Defenders he feels like he can either walk them out and shoot the step back over them or go bu him off the dribble I think McConnell is sneakily you can’t do it every every play because then Tatum will go to work inside he’ll go post them up he’ll go live on the Block but I think there are times when especially on switches and things M will make his life more annoying than than it maybe should be and sometimes that’s when Tatum goes to just the rise and fire he doesn’t put it on the floor he just starts shooting and if you’ve got him out 35 ft from the hoop those generally aren’t great shots good to know yeah McConnell did have Nicks fans and fits in that first series and went from in the beginning remember I was I attended game one against the Knicks and fan next to me said TJ McConnell’s playing the best game of his life I said you guys have no idea McConnell’s been doing this all season and he did it all series for the most part so he played really well but you know the media is not giving the any chance in this series I understand but this is a Pacers team that played Boston five times this year Indiana won two of them Boston won three one of those games Tyrese halberton was on a minute restriction was only able to play about 20 minutes and Indiana was very much in that game actually I don’t believe he played the second half or or really much of it at all but is that the I think that’s the one where he hurt his hamstring right he he heard his hamstring in the one at home but then he came back on the 30th in Boston and he only played the the first six minutes of the third quarter when the Pacers that’s right came back I think they were down they came back and made it a game and then he had to go out sorry p no all good all good but here’s the thing is Boston G to be overlooking Indiana after it was the Pacers that sent Boston home from that inseason tournament and that was a really big win on that season for the Pacers and I think it’s something that Boston’s probably going to remember yeah I don’t think one of the big changes I think we’ve seen with this group is I don’t think they necessarily overlook opponents especially to start series I think they go in with a level of respect for everybody and I think Joe moula probably my guesses all day today was hammering they beat the Knicks they won game seven in Madison Square Garden like if if that’s not enough to get you to take a team serious then you’re just then you’re lost as far as taking them serious where I think it goes sideways on the Celtics is they come out and blow the Pacers doors off in game one I feel pretty good about the chances in game two because the Celtics just generally don’t do well in that situation they generally get they they get very comfortable then they they tend to relax and and we know Indiana is the kind of team if you play a little too relaxed they’re going to drop 130 on you and you’re going to lose the game so I it’s as weird as it sounds I think their best chance to win game two is if they get killed in game one I know that maybe sounds completely broken in backwards but I just that’s what we’ve seen now from this team but I do sense that there’s a level of focus with the Celtics that said about once every six to8 games and this is held true a through the course of the regular season the Celtics have an awful shooting night and when they have an awful shooting night it translates over to their defense the defense falls off and the other team usually ends up hitting a bunch of shots and that’s how they get beat they the opponent you know hits 15 three-pointers hits for 50% they get up a whole bunch of threes in the Celtics only hit 7even eight three-pointers they they hit 25% that’s how you lose it I know it sounds kind of scary to say hey just try to you know force them into that the problem is it only happens about once every six to eight games so you might get it twice in the series if it happens early and then a little later in the series it’s just not going to happen I don’t think enough times and that’s that’s been my stance all along with really any opponent is I don’t know who is going to get the shooting variance game four times in his series to beat Boston because it’s just not how it’s gone all year long yeah I mean Boston’s really tough I mean and the thing is they have so many guys that can beat you on so many different in so many different ways I mean even pton Pritchard can come into a game and kind of have his TJ McConnell effect on a game for the Celtics so I think it’s going to be an interesting Dynamic I think the Pritchard and McConnell match up might be one of the most fun things to see probably at the end of the first quarter beginning of the second and you might even see him draw a little bit you know I I think there’s going to be some no no I’m sorry I have to interrupt you there’s no might there’s no might CM they will talk the two of them two of them like to talk and they like to let each other know that might be one where the other eight guys are just like let’s take a little extended break we’ll all stand over here you two you two play a 94 foot game of one-on-one full court against each other and let’s let’s see what happens like that would be a lot of fun yeah for sure I mean I’m I’m excited to see that I think the Pacers bench has been interesting because Obi toppen has been much much better at home than he’s been on on the road probably um I didn’t think he played a great game seven he was okay in that game obviously didn’t play a great game five but we saw him have some really good moments and then Isaiah Jackson reinserted himself into the rotation as well and then Ben Shepard I think Ben Shepard is probably a little bit under the radar Celtic fans probably might not be familiar with who he is but I think he’s a name to keep an eye on just because he moves so well without the basketball his shot has really taken off here in the playoffs and his defensive ability he is so disciplined I think that you might see times and I’m I’m sure I’m curious if you think this too you might see NIMH hard n Smith and Shepard out there together and the Pacers might go small with SE yakum at the five and and halberton out there at the at the other point guard position but I can see something like that trying to match what Boston’s bringing just so they can switch everything besides Tyrese one you know two through four yeah I think you’re right and I think that’s a lineup you can go to even if halton’s not on the floor right if if you got one of the other guards in there yeah I think you could definitely get get get away with doing that because as good as the Celtics are sometimes it it sounds weird to say it this way but they have so many guys who can attack sometimes you’re just fine to just switch everything because it’s not you’re not necessar going to switch yourself into a much worse matchup than the one you already had a lot of times a lot of times it’s just easier to play it that way and sometimes you can slow them up enough where you get them out of rhythm a little bit where if they do I think a lot of their best work meaning Boston when the other team is not switching and they’re able to then get downhill a little bit more kind of attack off the dribble get the defense cycling and help situations where if you just straight switch they Tatum and brown will tend to they tend to survey a little bit they’ll hold it up they they they’ll go in a Slowdown mode and that that does hurt the flow of the offense so so I think that’s absolutely true to your point on Ben Shepard as much as these teams played five times all five games were before the trade deadline so they haven’t seen the Pacers with seum yet I believe just that one game just the one game right because that trade would happened a little ahead of the deadline so the other thing is Shepard I know he played earlier in the year but he really solidified that rotation spot as the year went along so I don’t think the Celtics have seen him very much he’s a guy who you could see somebody be like all right even though the Scouting Report told me I’m more worried about halberton on this drive I’m M collapse in and we’ve seen Shepard hit some shots in those spots I I I tweeted this during the Knick series a couple different times it’s really exciting for the Pacers that they got that much out of that draft class because I know he hasn’t had an impact this year but I know they’re still super excited about jarus Walker so you’re you’re in a spot where hey even though you made the yakum trade having the bonus pick this last year and getting so much out of it that’s been really big you know Finding at least one rotation player already I think Walker will eventually get get there myself I think he’s a good player just his time hasn’t come yet but I think they are in a really good spot with that and then I’ll say this about Isaiah Jackson and Obi toppen Boston can get sometimes they’re generally a pretty good defensive rebounding team but they occasionally can get pretty sloppy at times and especially that’s happened when porzingis has been out because Al Horford for everything he’s wonderful at he’s just not a great rebounder and that’s where I think you could see Jackson and top and steal some some extra shots for the Pacers you’ll keep balls alive that probably shouldn’t have been you’ll keep possessions going that should have been over and that’s when you’ll sometimes see the Celtics defense struggle and that’s that’s true of every team because it’s like you get the initial stop you let up an offensive rebound that leads to a basket and then all of a sudden the shoulder start to slump because it’s like man we got the stop but we didn’t finish the play with the rebound and it just kind of starts this like almost a terrible cycle of stuff that’s where I think we’re going to see uh those two guys as actually be big for the Pacers Off the Bench you know barring any injuries because you never want that to happen I know unfortunately that has been a thing in the playoffs at least against Indiana what needs to go the Pacers way or perhaps wrong for Boston if Indiana is to steal this series you got to get the shooting variant game four times probably if at least three and they just have one game where it’s maybe a complete shooting out and the Pacers win it um it’s that it I know people accuse me all the time like here comes Celtics guy acting like they can’t be beaten they can be and they got beat 14 times this year or excuse me six 16 four 18 times in the regular season twice in the playoffs um but they’re 72 and 20 for a reason right now and the reason is it only happens about like I said every six to eight games where they shoot absolutely terribly and a problem in a playoff series is they’re only seven games long so maybe you can get that to happen twice maybe everything Smiles upon the Pacers happens for a third time but then you still got to get one more another way I think this will be a more competitive Series in terms of game to game than some people are giving it credit for there may be a blowout one one way or the other it mixed in there feels like every Playoff Series has that one game where everything goes wrong wrong and the coaches just like pump white Flagg in this thing eight minutes left in the fourth quarter and it turns into a 40o loss but I think we’re in a spot where I just don’t know how the Pacers are going to is weird as the sound I don’t know how they’re going to be able to stop Boston and outscore them four times in in in the span of two weeks I just that that’s where I struggle to see the see it going down that way yeah I mean we me and F gave our predictions on our on our game Rec cap episode last night for this upcoming series and I picked the Celtics in seven and the only reason why I picked seven games is because the Pacers have yet to lose at home in the playoffs it’s like they’ve got some Magic Touch there and we’ve seen some magic happen there against the Celtics in their home arena with the inseason tournament game which was a phenomenal game I know if you’re a CS fan probably didn’t enjoy it as much but and then the one where uh Halbert got hurt that was the porzingis foul on Maan at the end of the game which was just crazy 1331 31 and they didn’t call the foul I think when Jaylen Brown was in the corner shooting which they said they got the ball first before the foul occurred so I just think it’s been some really tight close games in Indiana that have gone Indiana’s way so I don’t know I think I think Celtics and seven I was trying to be fair to the Pacers give them a little bit more credit than I think they’re probably going to get but Keith your honest opinion what do you think this series ends up being I feel like it’s going to be Celtics in five um if only because I think what’s going to happen is I think the Pacers will get one one where they completely outscore him I think there will be definitely close games in in uh Indiana especially and then I think I do think porzingis is going to be actually ready to go and I think they’re going to put him in there and and I think that just changes every it just makes it that much harder um he’s been such a perfect fit very Boston needs him to be cleans up a lot defensively with a shot blocking and then he’s just a huge offensive weapon and that’s it’s as they start going through through the individual matchups it’s hard to find ones that really favor Indiana and that that’s where I think the difference will be but I I think they can score enough points I think that’s that’s going to be almost the shocking part for the Celtics is going to be okay this team can score like this is not the Heat this is not the Cavaliers where stop in action contest a shot and the possession is over it’s going to be stop an action stop another action all right here comes the third one you’re going to have to defend uh for as long as it takes and I just worry that like I said earlier the Pacers best style of winning which is get it moving up and down the floor that just is is even though they won’t play that way all the time that’s when the Celtics are at their best and that that that part is that we always say right Styles make fights in the playoffs these two teams are not opposite Styles it’s it just sucks that the Pacers best way is is pulling Boston in a way where they’re at their best and then I do trust that when it comes down to needing to get stops I think the Celtics can do that I have far more faith in them doing that than they do the Pacers being able to get stops first of all Keith we do appreciate that one win that you gave us so thank you very much but no I’m just kidding Let’s Draymond Green over there yeah P fans they’ll be coming for you if we win two though I I I they should be I piic absolutely six I didn’t feel great about it felt a little dirty saying it but I know that poor Zinga should be out at least the first two games or so we’ll see what happens in that but yeah it’s interesting because against the Knicks you know we thought hey if we have to force the Knicks to play our style of basketball it’s not going to work out well for them for the first two games it did but unfortunately inj injuries started to pile up and I think eventually you saw the Knicks really kind of break down the last few games Indiana won by you know upwards of 15 points in game six and seven so I think um the Pacers style prevailed but yeah Boston is that other great offensive team in the NBA so this should be a high scoring affair should be a fun series I think like like Alex said the pressure is on Boston to win this nobody expected Indiana to be here so I think they hopefully they can play loose but Keith we want to thank you very much for coming back on our show we love having you on set in the pace and please tell everybody where they could find you on social media yeah let me before I do that let me say just two quick things or three actually because I’m gonna smuggle in a third thing here so the first is I think anytime if you’re feeling really good about your team if you’re going to I feel like it almost becomes a copout to pick them to win in six if they’re the higher seed if you feel good that they’re going to win in six on the road pick them to win in five because because then you get it done at home and and and it I think if if they don’t get it done in five it’ll go seven because I don’t know that the Pacers are losing a game six at home I think they’ll push it to a seventh game if it goes there I don’t I don’t know that they would lose a game six at home so that’s that’s where I you know with that part of it I think the other part of this too is for the Celtics and I’ve been saying this for months now they don’t at least make the NBA finals this season was a massive failure for them especially the way the playoffs have set up and gone for the Celtics so I am very much in in the same camp of all the pressure is on them Place Pacers like we said nobody expect them to be here they’ve got nothing to go last thing I’ll say and I’m going to smuggle this one in there even if the Pacers get swept and for and get their doors blown off this was still an extremely successful season nobody should leave this feeling like oh man we stink and all that stuff and I know that’s easy to say if your team’s moving on and that’s hard to swallow but what a year for them to they they went straight from the step forward season into being a playoff team straight into we’re playing for a chance to go to the finals and that’s really cool future is super bright there cap sheet is very clean you guys know that’s primarily what I love and do they’re set up so well to do so many different things moving forward that I I’m I’m really really excited to see where this Pacers team goes all that said If you’re looking for cap stuff roster stuff you can find all my written work over at spot track.com where’re we’re deep into the offseason previews right now uh good news Pacers fans if you go looking for theirs you’re not going to find it because we go in order of elimination so they’re they’re still going so it’s we we got at least a week or two before we’re going to pop the Pacers up there maybe even longer see four weeks right so yeah could could be right it might be a month before we see see the Pacers pop up there I I wouldn’t be being completely honest because I didn’t say I hope not right I hope I’m writing it in a week or two but but we’ll see uh and then you can find me doing NBA front office show with Trevor Lane uh we do every day Monday through Friday we talk all the latest news and notes and this is kind of our time where our show is very heavily transaction Focus trade Focus free agency got a lot of fun stuff coming there and lastly we’ve launched a substack project called the basketball bulletin right now Bryce Simon uh is carrying that with draft coverage so if anybody is interested in draft I think we’re up to like 34 35 different players he’s profiled now I know we’re we’re into the 30s so uh if anybody’s really interested you can check that out because he’s doing absolute killer work uh covering the draft for us and Trevor and I will be popping in with other written thoughts there as well coming up soon but but yeah those are all places you can find me appreciate it Keith thanks so much for your coverage of uh the Celtics and for this podcast I think it was a pretty good conversation just kind of breaking down what’s going to happen potentially in this series it should it should be a fun one whether it goes four games whether it goes seven games I think we’ll just enjoy good basketball and hope that these games are highly competitive so thank you so much for coming on and we’ll have to do it again soon I appreciate it thanks so much for having me

Alex Golden and Facci are joined by Keith Smith of Spotrac to discuss the upcoming series between Indiana and Boston. The frontrunners from Indiana look to carry their magical run against the heavily favorited Boston Celtics in a clash of two high power offenses. The guys discuss everything you need to know for this series, including: defensive matchups, how the offenses will fair, which Bench will have more firepower and what wrinkles each team could throw at each other to make this series even more interesting.

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