NBA Eastern Conference Finals 2016/17, Cleveland Cavaliers vs Boston Celtics: 5 takeaways from Game 1

#4 Bench play

Jaylen Brown had a great game off the bench

As much as the Celtics stars struggled against the Cavaliers this match (Isaiah Thomas and Al Horford were a combined 11-30), there were certainly bright spots for Boston and they shone through in the form of their bench play.

Brown was the standout performer for the Celtics, scoring ten points and grabbing nine boards in 19 minutes while shooting over 70% from the field. He also played impressive defence on LeBron and is bound to get more minutes going into the next game.

Cleveland’s weakest aspect undoubtedly is their bench play and if Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart and Kelly Olynyk play like they did in the Game 7 closer against Washington, they can force the Cavs into a tough spot. After scoring 48 points, as compared to the Wizards’ 5 last game, John Wall and Bradley Beal were forced to check in earlier than usual and this fatigue showed when Wall missed his last 10 shots in the 4^th quarter.

The entire Cavaliers bench in Game 1 produced just 14 points shooting at an almost shameful 19% from the field. The Cavs bench is also one of the oldest in the league, filled with veterans who won’t be able to cope with the young Celtics pace should they break out transitions and run the floor.

No doubt then, that the Boston second unit is the key between victory and defeat for the Celtics and is likely to see marginally more minutes in Game 2, allowing the Celtics to tire out the Cleveland starters and close the scoring gap between the teams.