#1 – Indiana aggressive from the bounce
The Indiana Pacers realized their classes from the earlier sport and went on the rim this time. On December twenty seventh, Indiana had solely 15 makes an attempt on the rim and generated solely 9 capturing fouls. Final evening, they generated 14 capturing fouls and 27 photographs on the rim.
Whereas the Pacers turned on the aggression, the Boston Celtics reverted to unhealthy habits. They weren’t driving a lot, didn’t generate many rim makes an attempt, and solely made 12 free throws. In a sport the place the capturing went chilly, they paid the value for his or her lack of aggression and let the opposite group set the tempo and play in their very own tempo.
We additionally seen that the Celtics didn’t run their offense as quick as they did within the earlier sport, nor did they use the empty-side offense as a lot. It’s unusual to see a group not apply what labored simply two days earlier than.
#2 – How Indiana focused Horford drop
With out Kristaps Porzingis, the Celtics alternated between a switch-all protection and a drop protection, however nothing actually labored out final evening. When the Celtics have been in drop protection, the Pacers ran a number of screens in the midst of the court docket to maintain Al Horford again and generate a pocket of house the place Pacers guards might drive and end over the veteran.
Within the play beneath, they used a Veer Motion the place Turner set a ball-screen after which an off-ball display screen, which put Al Horford and the Celtics protection on their heels:
Due to this fact, the Celtics determined to modify to guard Horford, because the drop protection was uncovered by the screens and Nembhard’s mid-range capturing. When this occurred, the Pacers might decide who they needed to assault. Myles Turner used his post-up sport towards anybody, however the principle Pacers goal was Sam Hauser.
#3 – Sam Hauser continuously attacked
Sam Hauser had a goal on his again all sport, and everybody might see the crimson dot. With a number of ball handlers, the Pacers made the Celtics style their very own drugs by focusing on the worst defensive gamers and attacking one-on-one. Sure, Sam Hauser isn’t a nasty defender, however he has limitations.
In opposition to Pascal Siakam, he isn’t robust or tall sufficient, and towards Tyrese Haliburton or Andrew Nembhard, he lacks the lateral mobility to include them correctly.
But, the largest challenge together with his protection considerations his off-ball focus and talent to learn the sport. Nevertheless, he wasn’t the one one final evening to look unconcerned with off-ball protection.
#4 – Celtics off-ball protection
Final evening, the Celtics’ off-ball protection was something however good. They bought caught sleeping on many actions and allowed the Pacers to punish them. The sport had simply began, and the Celtics already forgot to observe Pascal Siakam on a backdoor minimize.
A few minutes later, on a baseline motion, they bought tricked on a easy zoom motion. Jaylen Brown didn’t observe Haliburton, so Sam Hauser adopted him over the screens and forgot to modify on the second display screen. Jaylen Brown remained floating in the midst of the motion and froze when Haliburton delivered an incredible no-look cross to Myles Turner. One other instance of lack of preparation and communication from the Celtics protection.
Later within the sport, there’s a possession the place it’s arduous to say if the Celtics are in particular person protection, zone protection, or simply misplaced within the center.
Bennedict Mathurin discovered himself alone in the midst of the Celtics protection and made a straightforward jumper. A number of seconds later, we noticed Jayson Tatum telling Jaylen Brown that he must be decrease and nearer to them for this defensive protection.
No have to get into all of the open layups the Indiana Pacers had, plus we’ve already talked about their 28 makes an attempt on the rim—the shortage of rim safety with Porzingis out could possibly be regarding if the massive man retains getting injured.
#5 – JB post-up retains getting higher
Nevertheless, not every part was unhealthy. A lot of the issues got here from the protection, although we all know the protection begins with good offense. By this irritating sport for the Celtics and the followers, Jaylen Brown confirmed how a lot influence he can have near the rim.
He made 5 of his 7 makes an attempt on the rim and 6 out of seven from his paint bounce photographs—a really excessive effectivity within the paint. This makes me surprise if Jaylen Brown ought to lean his sport much more towards the rim. In the meanwhile this season, he’s taken the identical variety of threes as photographs on the rim.
On the rim, he has nice effectivity with a 69% accuracy, plus the free throws, whereas he’s solely making 34% of his threes. He hasn’t been above 36% from three since 2020-21, which makes me suppose he might enhance his effectivity by focusing extra on post-ups and drives.
#6 – Derrick White within the dunker spot
As talked about, the empty-side offense wasn’t used as a lot as within the earlier sport, which nonetheless bothers me, however anyway. Final evening, we noticed one other traditional tactical strategy from the Celtics with Derrick White within the dunker spot.
Normally, the Celtics use Jrue Vacation in that place. This has a double constructive impact as a result of it forces a small guard to be the low man assist, which disrupts the opponent’s ordinary rim safety.
Plus, as Derrick White is a brilliant participant who cannot solely end from there but additionally dribble or cross, this gives an incredible various for the ball handler when entry to the rim is closed.
#7 – Indiana defensive work over display screen and on the rim
After getting uncovered defensively with their zone combined with particular person protection on the twenty seventh, the Pacers tailored and determined to combat over screens and swap when wanted. As an alternative of forcing Myles Turner to be the one rim protector, they turned this process from a person job to a collective one.
They needed to get the ball out of Jayson Tatum’s arms as a lot as potential from pick-and-roll conditions, and the Celtics’ lack of rim runners made it simple to foretell the place the ball was going in the event that they doubled JT.
As soon as the Celtics began swinging the ball, the Pacers switched from one participant to a different on the weak aspect to ensure they have been there to contest the shot. An incredible execution that additionally exhibits the Celtics’ offense may need been too simple to learn final evening.
#8 – Andrew Nembhard loves the Celtics
A number of days after Caleb Martin, the Celtics confronted one other participant who appeared to show it on when he noticed inexperienced. Andrew Nembhard—who was off on the twenty seventh—delivered an incredible general efficiency. The offensive work was apparent, however his defensive efforts have been additionally spectacular, and his block on JT actually stood out.
On offense, the Canadian is aware of easy methods to get to his mid-range spot, and the Al Horford drop makes it even simpler for him to get the place he needs.
His fixed motion drew quite a lot of consideration from the Celtics protection, and he additionally delivered 8 assists, greater than some other participant within the sport final evening.
#9 – Luke Kornet on T.J. McConnell?
On December twenty seventh, T.J. McConnell made life tough for the younger Jordan Walsh. Due to this fact, Joe Mazzulla and his teaching employees tailored for this second sport. When the bench minutes got here up, we noticed right away that the brand new defensive matchup for T.J. McConnell was… Luke Kornet!
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Luke Kornet and the Celtics gave T.J. McConnell the Ben Simmons therapy, and it labored out fairly nicely. The guard solely made one basket, and the bench minutes with him on the ground couldn’t generate nice offense—the 80 factors per 100 possessions when he was on the court docket confirmed that.
#10 – Seeding within the Jap Convention
The season continues to be younger, however the Celtics will begin the 12 months nearer to the 4th seed than the first. What could possibly be the influence later within the playoffs? Time will inform, however the street to the nineteenth begins to look tougher than the 18th.
