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The 76ers are removed from an ideal workforce, however they do have a luxurious few groups in NBA historical past have had.
That’s, after they lose the NBA’s scoring champion to damage, they’ll flip to a former scoring champion to assist fill the void.
James Harden reminded everybody Monday night time that he does, the truth is, nonetheless have it. Harden exploded for 45 factors, on 17-of-30 taking pictures, powering the 76ers to a 119-115 win over the Celtics in Sport 1 of the Japanese Convention semifinals.
As soon as he got here in strolling like this, you had a sense it may be an extended night time for the Celtics.
Harden received wherever he needed, and scored in quite a lot of methods, however the bulk of his injury got here within the pick-and-roll with Paul Reed, P.J. Tucker and different Sixers.
Give Doc Rivers, Harden and the 76ers credit score. They’d a strategically sound sport plan and executed it extraordinarily nicely, and Harden burned Boston over and time and again. It felt like Trae Younger Sport 5 2.0.
“Defensively, I don’t suppose they felt us,” Al Horford said.
That’s for certain.
The Celtics must rapidly put Sport 1 behind them. In the event that they don’t, they usually drop Sport 2, their season could possibly be over fairly quickly.
On the similar time, they should study from Monday’s debacle to verify it doesn’t occur once more. Harden is a transcendent offensive participant, and he’s going to get his, however the pick-and-roll merely can’t work that excessive a share of the time.
So how ought to Boston defend it? Nicely, it relies on the specifics of the play, however there are three guidelines the Celtics ought to typically observe: 1) don’t swap only for the sake of switching; 2) if they’ve to modify, swap aggressively, and talk; 3) as soon as the swap occurs, play manner up, count on the stepback to the appropriate, assistance on the drive and rotate accordingly.
Let’s take a look at some examples:
On this one, Sensible shouldn’t have robotically assumed Horford would assist. Simply because he sticks his arm out and alerts to Horford, it doesn’t imply he can nonchalantly stand behind the display.
As a substitute, he ought to have dedicated to going underneath the display, prevented Harden from taking a 3 and then anticipated assist from Horford. Horford wanted to step up and make life at the least reasonably troublesome for Harden, somewhat than keep again and fear in regards to the Reed roll. No disrespect to Reed, who had an important sport, however the Celtics need him taking pictures as a lot as doable.
On this one, Jalen McDaniels units the display. Malcolm Brogdon does the appropriate factor and sneaks round it to forestall Harden from launching a step-back 3. However, Robert Williams backpedals and is on his heels. As a substitute, he ought to have gotten in Harden’s airspace and made him go.
“It’s nearly choosing up our strain and making an attempt to make individuals uncomfortable,” Tatum said.
Nobody else is open right here, so Harden needed to shoot. Williams ought to have made it harder so it wasn’t all on Brogdon. Jayson Tatum then might have rotated to cowl McDaniels, and Brown might have watched Tucker within the nook. Credit score to Harden for making yet one more powerful shot.
This one may need been probably the most telling of the night time. The Celtics have their greatest defender in Sensible on Harden, and Sensible makes the appropriate resolution by going over to change his path.
Harden calmly brushes him apart, goes to the step-back and fires away. Look intently at Sensible’s physique language. Harden could have gotten away with a slight push-off, however the refs weren’t going to name it. Sensible must count on that stepback and make him a driver.
Give Tucker credit score right here as nicely. He’s a superb screener, and the Sixers executed it to perfection. On the similar time, Jaylen Brown was too nonchalant and didn’t struggle arduous sufficient to get round it. As soon as Horford sees Brown is beat, he must step up. Initially, no, however at that time, sure.
Final however not least, the shot of the night time. This one wasn’t a pick-and-roll, however the story is similar. No disrespect to Al Horford, who’s an impressive defender and had a strong all-around sport, however he simply can’t guard Harden 1-on-1 when he’s feeling it. Few guys can, however Horford undoubtedly can’t.
The Celtics shouldn’t have let that swap occur. As soon as it did, they need to have despatched assist and made another person beat them. The Sixers have succesful shot-makers, however the man with 42 shouldn’t be getting that simple of a glance with the sport on the road.
“It’s a very good studying expertise for me and figuring out how I’d deal with it subsequent time if I’m in that place,” Horford said.
Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla famous that doubling Harden early received the 76ers some open 3s, then Harden hit the massive shot over the swap to win it.
“Hindsight is at all times 20-20,” Mazzulla said.
So, to sum up right here:
- Harden is extraordinarily proficient. He’s going to get his.
- It shouldn’t come that simply. The Celtics must make him a driver and a passer.
- As soon as the choose comes, if Brown, Tatum, Sensible, Brogdon, Derrick White or Grant Williams is on him, aggressively discover a path again to the ball.
- If they’ll’t get across the display and alter the stepback, then as a final resort, ship Horford to the ball. If that occurs, attempt to ship extra assist and let another person beat you, then additionally attempt to talk and rotate to forestall open 3’s.
- One other workaround is that after the Celtics see the screener heading towards Harden, they’ll swap proactively and have another person tag alongside somewhat than Horford.
- So long as Joel Embiid is out, contemplate going small with a Sensible-White-Brogdon-Brown-Tatum switch-everything lineup.
Harden is nice. We already knew that, however he reminded us Monday night time. However he shouldn’t completely dominate the way in which he did in Sport 1. The Celtics must play protection the way in which they know the way – after they have been at their greatest final yr – and work out find out how to hold him in test.
Embiid or no Embiid, that is very a lot a sequence, and transferring to Sport 2, no adjustment is extra urgent than the stymying Harden choose and roll.
“He’s an important participant, he makes powerful photographs,” Brogdon said, “however he can’t have the sport he had.”
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