10 takeaways from a disciplined Celtics effort against the Kings

#1 – Poor defensive execution to begin the sport

Early within the recreation, it felt just like the Celtics have been out of rhythm defensively. The rotations seemed disorganized, and the self-discipline wasn’t adequate. On the play beneath, Kristaps Porzingis and Jaylen Brown are each on DeMar DeRozan. This takes away any assist on the rim, so they have to keep in entrance of him.

As a substitute, they each obtained caught by the guard’s pump faux, and the double crew changed into an open layup for the Kings star.

In lower than six minutes, the Kings scored greater than 20 factors. They’d find yourself scoring solely 75 within the subsequent 42 minutes. Due to their lack of defensive stops, the Celtics couldn’t get their offense going early within the recreation. Certainly, as talked about earlier than, Mazzulla-ball begins on protection.

As soon as the stops began to pile up, the offense was in a position to get going.

#2 – Higher protection changed into nice offense

With improved protection after a timeout, the Celtics’ switches have been extra correct, main the Kings to accept contested mid-ranges and layups. These poor offensive possessions from Sacramento allowed the Celtics’ offense to be shortly reborn after a sluggish begin.

Like Joe Mazzulla mentioned, the offensive recreation plan depends upon whether or not they play off a miss or a make. Towards Sacramento’s well-prepared protection, it was arduous to crack their shell at first, however transition offense gave the Celtics an opportunity to come back again earlier than the lead obtained too massive.

Thanks to 2 three-pointers to shut the quarter, the Celtics took the lead earlier than the second quarter regardless of a sluggish begin, and remained in management afterward. One of many causes they have been in a position to keep in entrance was the half-court offense constructed round Kristaps Porzingis.

#3 – Porzingis offensive hub

Regardless of ending the sport with solely two assists, it’s protected to say the Celtics try to contain Porzingis within the offensive creation course of. The Latvian is likely one of the greatest finishers within the league—on the rim and from deep. Nevertheless, the creation has been inconsistent since he was traded to the Celtics.

The reason being that the Celtics have positioned an enormous emphasis on utilizing him off-ball to stretch the ground. Most of his touches come from post-ups as soon as he has a mismatch or to shoot a spot-up triple. But, in the previous few video games, we’ve seen him extra concerned in creation.

Final night time, for instance, from the highest of the important thing or on-side actions, the Celtics gave the ball to the massive man and moved round him. Together with his dimension, gravity, and contact, taking part in these types of actions breaks the defensive shell.

On the motion beneath, he’s the initiator but additionally finishes the play, an ideal instance of his total offensive potential. Off-ball, he stretches the ground, however with the rock in his arms, too. These setups usually drag the rim protector away from the paint and pressure the opposing protection to rotate.

It additionally will get forgotten typically that Porzingis can drive, particularly towards one other massive man. Giving him the ball on an empty aspect, like on the play beneath, is one other nice option to contain him offensively, past the same old post-up or pick-and-pop.

General, there’s a robust sense that with extra motion—round him or for him—Kristaps Porzingis might take one other step towards turning into the elite offensive participant he may be.

#4 – Derrick White as an initiator

Behind Kristaps Porzingis, the Celtics guard was in a position to maintain the offensive stream going after Jayson Tatum exited attributable to an ankle harm. The Celtics began the fourth quarter with out their go-to man, holding a 10-point lead. With 4 assists and two made area targets, Derrick White led the cost and orchestrated the offense to shut the sport.

To begin the fourth, the Celtics teaching employees referred to as a play for him and rookie Baylor Scheierman: a ghost display screen on the ball for quantity 55, adopted by a flare display screen from Luke Kornet. White’s scoring gravity and correct go to Scheierman in movement elevated the result in 13.

On one other defensive cease, White ran with the ball and put the protection on its heels. He faked a handoff with Jrue Vacation and drove to his proper into an open paint whereas the protection was nonetheless attempting to get set.

Just a little later, they ran the identical play from earlier with Scheierman, however this time with Payton Pritchard. Nevertheless, on this setup, White didn’t go to the shooter however gave the ball to Kornet, then instantly ran off one other flare display screen from Vacation.

The lead was now as much as 15—an ideal instance of how the Celtics teaching employees can optimize Derrick White’s nice really feel for the sport to maintain performing with out the All-Stars on the courtroom.

#5 – Kornet vs. Sabonis and the rebound battle

The final time the Celtics confronted the Kings, they have been dominated within the paint, with 28 rebounds from the Kings massive man—eight of them on offense, resulting in defensive breakdowns from the Celtics. However final night time, Kornet and the Celtics have been having none of it.

Whereas Kornet dominated on each boards, the Celtics as a crew restricted the Kings’ offensive rebounding quantity. On the finish of the sport, Sacramento was held to a 19% offensive rebound charge—removed from their season common (28%).

#6 – Celtics defensive playmaking

One other instance of how the Celtics teaching employees loves to remove opponents’ strengths was the emphasis on defensive playmaking. Defensive playmaking is the flexibility—or willingness—to create turnovers and quick breaks from steals and blocks. Final night time towards the Kings, the most effective groups at caring for the ball, the Celtics have been extra aggressive than normal, resulting in extra steals and blocks than regular.

As talked about in #2, piling up defensive stops results in higher offense, giving the Celtics a possibility to assault the Kings earlier than they might arrange in zone protection. But, when the Kings did settle in, the Celtics used their offensive joker: Payton Pritchard.

#7 – Pritchard the zone buster, assist beater

The Sacramento Kings protection was designed to remove Celtics drives and shut entry to the rim. It labored fairly effectively—the Celtics had solely 9 shot makes an attempt on the rim. Nevertheless, they have been in a position to compensate because of Payton Pritchard as a zone buster.

By positioning the Celtics’ sixth man above the break, one go away from the ball handler, they have been able to punish any aggressive zone protection or any assist from the robust aspect.

This sensible courtroom mapping with Pritchard neutralized the Kings’ defensive scheme.

#8 – Scheierman successful minutes

With Jayson Tatum out for the fourth, the Celtics wanted the rookie to step up—once more. And he delivered—once more. To open the fourth, he nailed the three-pointer from the play the Celtics teaching employees designed for him, as talked about above.

Within the final quarter, he supplied strong minutes as soon as extra—dominating the boards, staying in entrance on protection, and capturing the ball each time he was open. 28 minutes total, confirming the belief the teaching employees has in him.

#9 – Two hidden gems from Jaylen Brown

Sadly, passes that don’t find yourself in an help are sometimes forgotten. Final night time, Jaylen Brown had two of these in his return to the courtroom. First, a phenomenal drive-and-kick to search out Jayson Tatum open for 3 after attacking Sabonis.

The second got here within the third quarter, after a pick-and-roll with Kornet, who was in a position to attract the foul. Brown crossed Murray and located the Celtics heart rolling to the rim regardless of a crowded paint.

An incredible illustration of Jaylen Brown’s improved passing and the constraints of the field rating.

#10 – A play to sum up the bench efficiency

Final night time’s bench unit was essential, as Jaylen Brown was simply getting back from harm whereas Sam Hauser and Al Horford have been resting after the Portland recreation. Payton Pritchard, Baylor Scheierman, and Luke Kornet have been all required to carry out on each ends—they usually did. This play sums all of it up:

Luke Kornet switches onto DeMar DeRozan and baits him into driving, then blocks his shot to launch one other transition alternative. Regardless of a primary miss, Pritchard and Scheierman adopted up with an ideal spotlight. 22 factors for PP, 13 for Kornet (alongside 4 offensive rebounds), and three-for-six from deep for the rookie—an ideal bench manufacturing total.