NEW YORK – We’ve all seen it. Now Brad Stevens has finally said it.
Asked why his team has been able to score at least 110 points during each of its last six games, Stevens replied, “We’ve prioritized skill in the way we’re playing right now.”
In other words, Boston has gotten back to the recipe that led to success toward the end of last season: small ball.
The key pieces to this style of basketball are undoubtedly Jae Crowder, who is said to be available tonight after being listed as questionable with a bruised right shin, and Jonas Jerebko. They are two players who have spent more time at small forward than power forward during their careers, but when they slide up a position, Boston becomes an incredibly versatile team; the C’s can switch at multiple positions on defense, and that’s a critical advantage in the NBA.
Opposing coaches, such as New York’s Derek Fisher, are taking notice of this trend.
“They’ve gone small at times a little bit more than they were [during our last game against them on Jan. 12], with Jae Crowder as the forward and using their smaller guards to really wreak havoc on the defensive end and pick up the pressure and force turnovers,” Fisher said prior to tonight’s game.
The defense has certainly been turning teams over, but at the other end of the floor, Boston’s skilled lineups are spreading opposing defenses out.
“Our second group has more volume 3-point shooters than [the starting unit],” he said. Stevens then added, “I think just generally how we’re trying to play, that’s the route that we’ve taken.”
A key to winning in this league is making opponents adjust to you, rather than the other way around. In this case, Boston wants to dictate the pace of each game and force opponents to move out of their comfort zone. Stevens admitted that his team has had success in that area.
“Certainly there are games where you’re playing really well and that causes and forces an adjustment,” he said.
Stevens was sure to add that some teams “do what they do,” but that plan, or even adjusting to Boston’s recent style of play, has let to minimal success for C’s opponents. Boston has won eight of its last 11 games since falling to the Knicks on Jan. 12, and four of those wins have been of the blowout variety.
Stevens, as modest as they come, said it best: “We haven’t played with a huge sample size, but we have played some pretty good basketball at times recently.’
It’s all due to that emphasis he has put on skill.
