Second week of competition in the NBA and the Celtics seem to be learning from their mistakes, despite continuing with defensive problems, Brad Stevens begins to find solutions within the squad.
The high lineup does not go any more in the Celtics
There is no reason to keep something that is not working. It is clear that the use of Daniel Theis together Tristan Thompson it does not generate dividends when on the other side there are versatile, mobile interns who can open the court.
The German became a valuable resource as an intern within a defensive dynamic in which the change of marking is the rule and where the forwards can exchange assignments like figurines in school.
The numbers are more than evident, Brad Stevens used the quintet of Smart, Brown, Tatum, Theis and Thompson in 74 minutes and the differential between attack and defense is a resounding -16 (the same years that I have left to have two cats and living alone is considered a problem).
The problems of high alignment #celtics: Defensive changes explode with the greats, he is late to hit the shots, the transition is pachydermic and the forwards cannot change by system. pic.twitter.com/W5TGZuOl5l
— Andrés Villar (@avillar9) January 6, 2021
The game with Detroit it was an indication that it is not feasible to put Theis together Thompson when the opponent has a mobile and explosive four like Jeremy Grant. The Michiganns had a feast exploiting the former Denver in situations of secondary help, where the poor German arrived for desserts.
Is it a Daniel problem? not at all. The Teuton shines when he is the only inmate on the court and this has explanations of an individual and collective nature.
It is known that his virtues are fast movement, intelligence and the ability to exchange with perimeter players, in addition, when he is the defensive anchor, his teammates can change bearings on the perimeter without this generating a defensive problem since they do not occur miss match speed and height.
The drawback is when Thompson and # 27 share the field in non-traditional lineups, since the former Cavs is exposed to the defensive change with the youngest and in the compensation of the aid there is a delay that is made to pay over and over again .
If on the other side there is no power forward and a center traditional this alignment does not make sense and is in evidence when there is only one inmate on the court.
Last Monday’s game vs. Pleistosaurios de Tampa Toronto Raptors was overwhelming evidence. After the disastrous first minutes, the team returned to the defensive path with only one inmate on the court.
Both Daniel Theis and Tristan Thompson and Robert Williams, shone by being the only reference and freed their teammates to change marking for design on the perimeter.
Taking into account the productivity level of the inmates separately, Stevens should bet on a long rotation with scheduled minutes as he did during the second half of the game vs. Raptors. Defensive efficiency did not waver with all three as the only reference in the front court. They were entered in sequence every six or seven minutes without this influencing the collective performance.
Holy mobility remedy
Ojeleye is not the savior, but it can be a much more profitable option defensively when it comes to initiating and distributing mins with the big boys. It can contain traditional PFs to the most mobile and even change with perimeter. In attack, score the open triple. pic.twitter.com/m6zOg2oZZH
— Andrés Villar (@avillar9) January 6, 2021
Defense has been the Celtics’ main problem so far and it was clear from the previous point. The question falls from mature, who enters and who leaves the starting five?
If you heard our latest podcast You would know that we discussed the variants to compensate for the Power Forward position with a more mobile player who can exchange positions with the perimeter.
Grant Williams had been our initial bet before starting the season, but the former player of Tennesse did not perform as expected (except vs Raptors), so another alternative Stevens resorted to was Semi Ojeleye.
The good of Semi has been fulfilling in the minutes that was required. To his defensive strength, he is adding the accuracy of the triple (44% with 3 pitches per game) which won him minutes in Michigan and Tampa.
After the defensive nonsense of the first half last Monday, Stevens put him on the court from the beginning of the third quarter pairing him with Tristan Thompson and the result was more than positive.
The former Cavs was better protected in the defensive aids by # 37 and also, he was an escape valve on offense, opening the court to Tatum and Brown.
Of the resources that the Celtics have on the bench, Ojeleye is one of the few that can contain four of a size and at the same time give a hand on the perimeter. Not only that, he is the one who accumulates more experience leaving the starter, he has even done so in Playoffs times and in defining games.
Semi is not the savior, but within the limitations that the Celtics have, it is a viable solution until the return of Kemba Walker or the arrival of a four of shaft.
His partner in the paint can be either Theis or Thompson since they will distribute minutes with Robert Williams in the event that Brad at once decides on an equitable and long rotation.
Tatum and accelerated learning
Last week we talked about the Celtics’ strategy to make up for Kemba Walker’s absence. Both Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown added offensive responsibilities in setting up the game and neither slow nor lazy, the rivals realized this by catching the former Duke increasing the flow of losses and offensive stagnation.
If Tatum has shown anything since his arrival in the NBA, it is that he learns, corrects and improves at supersonic speed. In the games against Detroit you could see how the local tried this game strategy and the forward’s performance was excellent (12 assists and no losses) in his second game.
Toronto didn’t trap Tatum, Detroit did it in both games. In the 2nd the adjustment was perfect, quick reaction before the catch, acceleration when necessary, containment when the pass was not clear. We said it in the #podcast the forward is smart and he was going to solve it pic.twitter.com/DP6v4EdYqT
— Andrés Villar (@avillar9) January 6, 2021
Knowing what was coming, Tatum was better able to manage the times at the moment Detroit launched the trap: he managed the rhythms, he did not expose himself to flat and legible passes, he played safe and took advantage of his teammates at all times.
In the NBA, it is not usually caught because the level of talent is very high and the span of the players is very large, which facilitates passing over defenders and exposing the defense to long and unattainable trips. The ball travels faster than the player and in trap situations, there is always an open man who can do damage.
Tatum relied on Theis for the exploitation of the pick and pop or he attacked the trap receiving and throwing before the arrival of the second man, he even improved even in the way of dribbling so as not to expose the ball to theft.
Does this mean that Tatum is already an expert against trapping? No, not at all … but it is a good point to look at and understand that there is light behind the tunnel for the player and for the Celtics.
Photo: Masslive.com
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