NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: CELTICS VS. HEAT

May 19, 2022

Erik Spoelstra

Miami Heat

Game 2: Pregame

Q. In what specific areas is the Boston Celtics team that includes Marcus Smart and Al Horford different from what you faced in Game 1?

ERIK SPOELSTRA: This is a team that we are preparing for for Game 1. And you know, it's good. You don't want anybody out due to testing or an injury. We don't want to duck any kind of competition.

Q. On the general matter of in-game schematic adjustments, where do you fall on being proactive versus reactive?

ERIK SPOELSTRA: I don't know. It really, like it's so broad. It depends on the game. It depends on who you ask. I know, it usually comes down to, you know, ball in the air, ball on the floor, who is winning those big muscle areas.

Q. You had a lot of success a couple years ago with the zone against this team. Switching seem to have more of a positive effect against them last game. Do you feel good in that defense?

ERIK SPOELSTRA: It depends. You know, that team we had two years ago is totally different. So even think you could compare it. It just depends what's called for in the game. The intensity and urgency and attention to detail was very good in the second half. It wasn't in the first half. And you know, it was a tale of two halves.

Q. This Al Horford situation has nothing to do with what I'm about to ask you, but you've dealt with, at times, where coaches won't tell you who is playing, probably up late, late until tip, and then that happened with Philly. Is there a rule amongst coaches, like a decorum?

ERIK SPOELSTRA: Yeah, but not in these circumstances. Not in the last two and a half years in my mind. Because we've been in this situation, too, all year long where I literally have no idea on my side who is playing due to protocols and testing and all of these things. This has been so uncommon. I think you just throw all that all out. It's not gamesmanship. I get it. I don't take anything from it, certainly not because I've been on the other side.

One of my games this year when we had everybody, started to have everybody go out due to protocols, I didn't even turn my card in on time because I didn't know who was going to be available.

Q. Obviously the personnel in Boston is much different than Philly and Atlanta but seems like Bam, no matter who you are playing or defending, he's in the middle of what you do beyond just playing center. What does that speak to in terms of his built and skillset to be able to change from series to series like he has?

ERIK SPOELSTRA: Yeah, it shows you his commitment on that side of the floor. We have so many guys that are committed defensively, but you know, for us to be the best version of our defense, it's in large part because of Bam and his toughness, his versatility, his size, his quickness, his ability to defend in any scheme. We feel like the last two or three years he could be in the conversations for Defensive Player of the Year because of that, and this year, our team defense backed that up as well.

Yeah, so he's vital to what we do.