5. How does Cleveland approach defending Isaiah Thomas?
If the Cavs give Thomas the Curry treatment defensively, there’s no reason they shouldn’t offensively. The Celtics love to run Thomas off the ball through a thicket of screens, so expect Cleveland to be physical. A few extra bumps can go a long way. If the Cavs are forcing him into defensive action, it will help them stop Thomas offensively as well.
It’s tough to contribute offensively when a team is going at you every time down on the other end of the floor. Moreover, if the Cavs can batter Thomas defensively, it may force Stevens to sit him longer than usual.
On the pick and roll, the Cavs may want to explore switching if Love isn’t involved. Tristan Thompson is capable of handling smaller guys — just look at what he did against Curry in last year’s Finals. Thomas may give him trouble, but if he forces help, the Cavs would rather have Avery Bradley shooting a three than Thomas doing just about anything.
If Love is involved, Cleveland will likely contain. At that point, the key is to avoid handing Thomas three points. He’s been masterful at drawing fouls when opposing defenders try to get over a screen. If they dare venture under, Thomas will pull up, a shot he hit at a solid 36.6 percent rate during the regular season. To try and mitigate this the Washington Wizards tried trapping, which went poorly for them, most notably in Game 7 when Olynyk got hot.
The Cavs are a better defensive team — they won’t blow as many rotations as the hapless Wizards and (predictably) have gotten better during the playoffs — but they’re still far from perfect. Defending Thomas will take more focus than they’ve given all year.