Game 2 Adjustments: Magic-Celtics

1) Attack the basket!: It does not get much simpler than this. Orlando succeeded offensively when the team got to the basket and kicked it out. It failed when it stood around the perimeter, or turned the ball over.

This is not even necessarily a "Get Dwight Howard the ball" statement. This is a get something moving toward the basket. Where were the off-the-ball cuts and picks in the second half of Game One? Where was the ball movement?

The Magic were highly successful getting to the basket and even getting themselves off the 3-point line. Rashard Lewis was fantastic at pump faking and hitting that mid-range jumper in Game One. It was a great weapon that opened up a lot of 3-point opportunities as the Magic built their lead.

But the team seemed more content to jack up 3-pointers in the second half than to try and work for a better shot.

Stan Van Gundy wants his team to run at the tired Celtics this series. It does not help the Magic to stand around and eat up precious shot clock waiting for Hedo Turkoglu to get just the right screen from Dwight Howard.

The pick and roll stuff worked great, but I want to see more action of Howard cutting across the lane for post ups, or Lewis getting the ball in motion toward the hoop.

Orlando just has to constantly be going after the basket. That is how space opens up on the perimeter for shooters and that is how the offense works best.

2) Defensive Fundamentals- It sounds so simple for an NBA player, but the Magic lacked some very fundamental defensive principles in the second half. They were not keeping their man in front of them and using their hands to defend instead of their feet.

Like the last game against Boston in April, Orlando probably played the best defense it could for a little more than 24 minutes. The rotations when guys got beat was good. The help side defense was good off of screens and pick and roll situations. Even JJ Redick did a great job tailing Ray Allen and making sure he had a hand in his face and very little room to operate.

The second half lacked a lot of this defensive energy and Rajon Rondo was able to pick apart Orlando's scheme.

Expect the Magic to find a way to keep Rondo out of the paint as that is where the Celtics did most of their damage in Game One.

Overall, Boston did not do a great job scoring in the paint. Orlando was happy to concede jumpers to players like Glen Davis and Rondo. But I would expect the Celtics to have a more complete effort in Game Two. The Magic will need to focus on the basics of defense to hold on again.

3) Take care of the ball/don't succumb to pressure- Orlando did a great job poking at the ball and getting in the passing lanes throughout Game One -- even when things were not going so great. But the Celtics also did the same.

The turnovers really fed Boston's comeback and enabled the team to get some easy points. Orlando had only 12 turnovers, but there were more than a few that came from Rondo sneaking in and swiping the ball while someone was driving the lane.

Rondo did a great job pressuring the Magic's point guards and making them initiate the offense in bad positions and with less time on the shot clock. Figuring out how to get around the on-ball pressure is going to be critical for Orlando.

Usually with pressure, you try to attack it. That is what Rafer Alston is going to have to do in Game Two. He has to use Rondo's aggressive defense against him and try to get by him or create space to initiate the offense. He cannot dribble into corners or into traps or get stuck with the ball though.

This is going to be a tough problem to solve. And Alston may have to hit a few jumpers to get Rondo off his back.

Turnover-wise, the Magic just have to protect the ball better and value possessions more. It is clear even with a 28-point lead, every possession counts.