Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics Game 3: What We Learned

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May 19, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas (4) reacts during the first half against the Cleveland Cavaliers in game two of the Eastern conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports /

2. The Celtics can play without their star player.

Boston showed that they can adapt to a different style of play without their best player. They played a much more defensive oriented game without Isaiah Thomas. They also did a much better job of playing team basketball offensively as they combined for 28 assists as a team.

Many people have been quick to jump to the conclusion that the Celtics are a better team without Isaiah Thomas. I don’t believe the Celtics are better without Thomas. Teams don’t get better because they lose a star player. It reminds me of when people made the argument that the Cavs were a better team with Love and Irving out of the lineup in the 2015 Finals because it forced them to play a different style.

I believe a better takeaway from this game is not that Boston is a better team without Thomas. The takeaway should be that good teams that are well coached can adapt to various situations.

Brad Stevens did an excellent job of game-planning without his star player. The Celtics did a great job of executing that game-plan as well. They showed that they can adapt to different situations like this.

That is what good teams do. Despite what many thought after the first two games of the series, Boston is a good basketball teams. There’s a reason they’re the number one seed in the East.