Coming into the Boston Celtics‘ second-round playoff collection in opposition to the Philadelphia 76ers, you knew the Joel Embiid and James Harden pick-and-roll was going to be an enormous a part of their offense that wouldn’t essentially be neutralized, however blunted.
Because the collection has worn on, we’ve seen the Sixers run a number of variations of their major offense. They’ve gone down the center, utilized aspect actions, ran empty nook, had Embiid pop, had him roll to the nail — you title it, the Sixers have accomplished it. In Recreation 6, with the Sixers chasing yet one more victory, they utilized all of their pick-and-roll wrinkles as they threw completely different appears to be like at Boston’s protection within the hope of discovering a crack of their defensive armor.
The above possession is the Sixers’ first pick-and-roll play of the sport, with Embiid and Harden operating the motion in the course of the ground. Boston appears to be like to defend the play by having Jaylen Brown function in a rearview situation, Al Horford in drop, and Robert Williams digging in to strain Harden’s driving lane whereas dishonest off of PJ Tucker.
Slightly than attempt to problem Williams, Harden kicks the rock out to the nook, the place Tucker drains the three. It was clear from this one possession that the Celtics had been going to try to restrict Harden’s potential to get to the rim on drives by throwing a gauntlet of expertise towards him.
Right here we’ve comparable motion, however this time, Paul Reed is working because the screener. As soon as once more, the Celtics look to make use of their drop protection, a rear-view contest, and a few nail assist in the type of Jaylen Brown to make sure they’re exhibiting a crowd to Harden.
Whereas Harden makes his free-throw jumper, all through the evening, the Celtics discovered success crowding the center. Moreover, the nail assist from a weakside wing was momentary, so no benefit was created when it comes to a straightforward go out to a shooter.
Because the Sixers struggled to search out a bonus when attacking from the center of the ground, they went to their pick-and-roll actions, primarily with an empty nook to supply Harden room to drive and stretch out the protection.
Earlier than we dive into this possession, it’s price mentioning that Robert Williams has a uncommon defensive meltdown and creates the open lane for Harden to attain via. Nonetheless, we’re specializing in the method, which, general, was strong.
With an empty nook, Harden chooses to reject Embiid’s display and drive towards the rim. As you’ll count on, the Celtics look to ‘ice’ Harden, using the baseline and sideline as further defenders within the hope of forcing a go, contested shot, or turnover. Sadly, nobody has rotated over to select up Embiid, who’s on their own within the strongside slot.
As such, Williams decides to select him up proper on the time Harden is making his method into the paint, thus producing the straightforward scoring alternative for him. We are able to argue about whether or not Marcus Sensible ought to have rotated over to permit Williams to defend the rim, however hindsight is 20/20. Regardless, the precise defensive course of made sense and was seen at any time when the Sixers went to their aspect motion.
In what was a slight adjustment, the Sixers additionally integrated some stagger actions on the perimeter as they seemed for tactics to assault Boston’s pick-and-roll protection and take away the nail assist by incorporating a second screener.
Boston countered by having Jayson Tatum dig across the mid-post, forcing Tyrese Maxey to select up his dribble and assault Williams on the rim. From there, Williams’ presence ensures Maxey adjusts his shot and releases a excessive arching floater. Once more, although, the top consequence isn’t the necessary half, however somewhat how Boston altered their protection on the fly and utilized Tatum’s size to strain the ball handler and power him right into a capturing movement sooner than he most likely would have favored.
Total, the Celtics did a strong job when defending the Sixers’ pick-and-roll actions. Joe Mazzulla applied a scheme that ensures each the ball-handler and screener are proven a crowd early and infrequently, with strain coming from the perimeters to stifle a dribble and/or capturing movement.
You’re not going to cease each shot, particularly when Embiid, Harden, Maxey, and even Tobias Harris are concerned within the screening units, however throughout Recreation 6, the Celtics made life robust and compelled Philadelphia’s core rotation to work onerous for his or her buckets.
Boston has been doing a good job of guarding pick-and-roll actions all post-season. By way of defending the ball handler, the Celtics are guarding a median of 24 possessions per recreation, and holding groups to 0.93 factors per possession, equating to a 40% capturing common. Extra importantly, the Celtics are hardly ever sending pick-and-roll shooters to the road, fouling on simply 7% of possessions defended, and contemplating they’ve confronted each Trae Younger and Harden, is mightily spectacular.
When guarding the roll man, the Celtics are fairing barely worse, defending 5.2 possessions per recreation and permitting 1.03 factors per possession on 44.1% capturing, however nonetheless limiting their fouling, giving up free throws simply 5% of the time.
Nonetheless, we will count on Doc Rivers and the Sixers to make some minor tweaks to how they run their screening actions in Recreation 7 as they appear to discover a well past Boston’s bettering their protection. If Mazzulla sticks with the staff’s double-big lineup, the Sixers will discover a onerous time creating a bonus, as there be measurement 1-through-5 with little or no room to use mismatches.
With Recreation 7 only a day away and the Sixers needing to determine their pick-and-roll offense to face an opportunity of progressing previous the Celtics, it will likely be enjoyable to see which staff makes the required tweaks and the way either side appears to be like to counter all through the 48 minutes.
