Morris rips Pacers', Raptors' defense vs. LeBron: 'Them dudes can't guard'

Boston Celtics forward Marcus Morris faces the daunting task of slowing down LeBron James, and prior to the Eastern Conference finals he went through tape of how the Indiana Pacers' and Toronto Raptors' defenders approached the assignment.

He came away with one poignant observation.

“Them dudes can’t guard," said Morris, according to The Washington Post's Candace Buckner. "That’s what I did pick up.”

Through his first 11 playoff games - seven against Indiana and four against Toronto - James averaged 34.2 points on 55.3 percent shooting from the field with nine assists per game. He created scoring chances for himself and his Cleveland Cavaliers teammates at will.

In Game 1 against the Celtics, however, James had arguably his worst offensive performance in the playoffs, finishing with 15 points on 5-of-16 shooting and seven turnovers to nine assists.

“It’s a team effort,” Morris said of Boston's defensive strategy after Game 1. “It’s not just me. Everybody played their part in guarding him. He’s obviously the best player in the game, and you need multiple guys and a team to guard him an entire game. I just think we did a great job of that.”

If the Celtics can maintain the momentum from their 108-83 blowout win and take the series, perhaps it will be the Pacers and Raptors who are studying Boston's defense next time the King comes to town.