Imagine a scenario where basketball arenas work like baseball stadiums, with each having different dimensions. Now imagine a team built specifically to succeed in their park.
That’s what it’s like defending the Celtics. The spacing in their half-court offense is so pristine that they make the opponent cover so much more ground than they must cover on the other end. In effect, they’re always playing on a longer and wider court than anyone else.
Tonight, that’s the Knicks’ dilemma, and it’s leading to layups and open 3s. It will be other teams’ dilemmas too.