A successful NBA playoff run is basically a string of successful adjustments and readjustments.
These strategic chess matches never stop. They operate almost like a prize fight, as one power punch is followed by a counter. The pattern repeats itself until only one team is left standing.
Although it's still early in the 2023 NBA playoffs, there are already issues that teams need to fix or things they could do better. We'll spotlight a fix for every team as things stand heading into Thursday night's slate.
Atlanta Hawks: Get Trae Young on Track
To put up a real fight against the second-seeded Boston Celtics, the Atlanta Hawks need Trae Young to work his magic.
Through two games—both 13-point wins by Boston—Young hasn't been able to summon much of anything beyond a slew of errant shots and a turnover total (10) that nearly matches his assists (14).
The Hawks aren't built to win like this. Their offensive system orbits around Young's dual threat as a pull-up shooter and prolific playmaker. If he isn't on top of his game, everything crumbles around him.
When he is playing like this—the same number of shots and points (40 each), a dismal 3-of-13 showing from distance—Atlanta is effectively drawing dead. If the Hawks can't get their normally prolific point guard going, they might as well start planning their summer vacations.
Boston Celtics: More Floor Time for Robert Williams III
The Boston Celtics haven't needed more than 22.3 minutes per night out of Robert Williams III, who's been coming off the bench, to handle the Atlanta Hawks.
But the Shamrocks have much bigger dreams beyond getting past the first round. To make those a reality, they'll need Williams on the floor as much as possible.
In last year's Finals, the bouncy big man was easily Boston's leader in plus/minus (plus-30). The next-closest was Aaron Nesmith at plus-11.
That aligns with the eye test, as the Celtics don't have another interior anchor like Williams. His shot-blocking, lob-finishing and activity on the glass are all elements that Boston can't get from its other bigs.
The Celtics don't need to alter his minutes to handle the Hawks, but expanding his role now could make it easier for him to take on the substantial floor time he'll have to receive as the competition level rises going forward.
Brooklyn Nets: Free Cam Thomas
Through two games against the Philadelphia 76ers, the Brooklyn Nets' offense has averaged an anemic 101.6 points per 100 possessions. For context, the Charlotte Hornets had the regular season's least efficient offense at 108.4 points per 100 possessions.
So, why have the Nets given Cam Thomas only four minutes of mop-up duty? Couldn't his quick-strike scoring—he had five 30-point outings this season, including a string of three consecutive 40-plus-point performances—help this group snap out of its funk?
"If I felt like we were struggling to get looks, maybe that could be an answer," Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn told reporters after Game 2. "But I thought that we got looks, and I thought they were makeable shots."
The Nets don't have many off-the-dribble scoring threats, and maybe their best one, Spencer Dinwiddie, is not having a good series (38.5/25.0/50.0 shooting slash). This attack is in dire need of a spark, and Thomas has already proved he can provide exactly that.