Boston Celtics Plan To Use Marcus Morris As Antidote To Lebron James

The opening tip-off was lobbed up a few minutes ago in Game 1 of the Conference Final pitting the Cetics against the rival Cavaliers. Lebron James' deconstruction of the number one seed Toronto Raptors is confined to our brains. Many believe his performance in the 5-game series is to blame for Masai Ujiri firing Dwane Casey, a move met with league-wide disapproval. Other than Dwane Casey and the unfortunate events leading to his termination, only one other coach has managed to capture our imagination. That man is Brad Stevens, his unorthodox methodology becoming the latest fashion.

Going into Game 1, Brad Stevens first order of business to mitigate the damage caused by Lebron James. His plan is to burden Lebron with defensive coverage courtesy of Marcus Morris, his ace in the hole. Morris' versatility and athleticism are traits that factor in his decision. It's not as if Morris is lacking in confidence. After shootaround on Saturday, Morris expressed his belief that he was "probably the best to guard LeBron James besides Kawhi Leonard."

Joining him in the Starting 5 were regulars  Terry Rozier, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Al Horford. Coach Stevens had success in the opening round when he assigned rookie Semi Ojeleye to guard Milwaukee Bucks' star Giannis Antetokounmpo. That series lasted all 7 games with Stevens making adjustments all along.

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