Hiya Hiya! It’s been a minute!
Azad continues to be recovering from his return journey to France. He CRUSHED his protection whereas repping CelticsBlog over in Boston for the house stretch. So, I’ve been given the chance to step again into my previous stomping floor (the takeaways.)
It’s been bizarre not writing right here on an almost every day foundation — one thing I’d accomplished for the perfect a part of 5 years — though it was solely final 12 months that I manned this part of the positioning after the venerable Keith Smith handed the torch.
Okay, that’s sufficient reminiscing. Let’s dive in!
#1 The Celtics are banged up
It’s been an up-and-down season for the Celtics, when it comes to well being. Coming into this sport, we had Jaylen Brown coping with a knee damage, and in the end leaving the competition with again spasms. Jrue Vacation continues to be coping with a mallet finger. Kristaps Porzignis’ thriller sickness. Sam Hauser’s intermittent again points. Al Horford is coping with age-related wear-and-tear.
The checklist can proceed.
My level is, on the second evening of a back-to-back in mid-March, well being is of the utmost significance. Over the following 14 video games, it might be good to see the Celtics at full energy, getting some much-needed reps as a unit forward of the postseason.
Maybe that is why I cringed when Tatum performed the complete 1st quarter. I used to be wanting round for Tom Thibodeau, to be sincere. I jest.
#2 The return of KP
After eight video games out of the rotation with a mysterious sickness, Porzingis rapidly made his presence felt. His first bucket of the sport got here across the 11 minute mark. Some two-man motion between Porzingis and Jrue Vacation, with Porzingis slipping his display screen, getting the rock, and attacking off the bounce, resulting in an encouraging inside bucket.
You possibly can see there was some rust together with his work from three-point vary. Most of these makes an attempt entrance rimmed out, which was both on account of fatigue, an absence of power, or some weak spot in his decrease physique — all of which could be attributed to no matter sickness he’s been coping with.
“I haven’t been this sick for most likely ever in my life,” Porziņģis stated after the sport. “So I used to be actually, for every week actually simply laying at house making an attempt to recuperate. And after that, I had lingering fatigue, and I nonetheless have it slightly bit, however not less than I’m now stepping into form to have the ability to play. However after every exercise, I used to be growth, massive crash. I used to be actually, actually fatigued. Like, not regular. So, yeah, it’s taking slightly bit longer, however I’m doing all the pieces, all my bio-hacking stuff that I do know, and simply making an attempt to get again in the perfect form potential.”
Ideally, Porzingis may have extra of an affect on the glass as soon as he’s again to himself. Nonetheless, his inside scoring was spectacular, particularly as he ramped up his manufacturing within the fourth quarter. His poster dunk late within the fourth was a enjoyable second, particularly because it confirmed his conditioning isn’t as far off as you’d assume.
Everyone knows how necessary Porzingis is to the Celtics’ probabilities of success. On an evening the place Al Horford was sitting out, it was good to see The Unicorn again on the ground and offering some rim safety and deterrence alongside together with his shot making. The hope is that he can now keep wholesome for the rest of the season and all through the playoffs. It’s not a shock, or stretch, to say that the groups’ probabilities of success are far larger with him within the rotation.
Anyway, one side of Porzignis’ play that I actually appreciated was…
#3 Porzingis ducking-in from the corners
Inserting Porzingis within the nook is a brilliant transfer from the Celtics teaching employees. He has the capturing gravity to maintain defenses sincere, the deal with to assault closeouts, and the scale to stress the rim on nook crashes. Nonetheless, what I appreciated was how the Celtics had Porzingis chopping out of the nook to duck into postups, thus getting him high quality matchups at a place of energy.
D’Angelo Russell is arguably the Nets’ weakest defender. As such, logic dictates to cover him within the weakside nook. By placing Porzingis in that spot, the Celtics have a chance to punish Russell’s presence on the defensive finish. Fairly than searching a catch-and-shoot alternative, which may have seen the Nets tilt the ground and look to stress Porzingis off the bounce, the veteran massive man minimize towards the nail, and ducked right into a post-up.
From there, all the pieces is straightforward cash for Porzingis. He’s already created a passing angle for Vacation, has a transparent mismatch, and is money from the center of the ground — particularly when capturing over guys.
On this possession, Jordi Fernandez has tried to counter Porzingis being within the nook. Fairly than have Russell hidden out on the weakside, the Nets have Day’Ron Sharpe zoning up the nook, so he can choose up a slot drive if one happens, whereas being shut sufficient to comprise Porzingis whereas additionally being a passing lane menace.
Russell is now tasked with guarding Hauser, who begins this motion within the weakside dunker spot. A wedge display screen from Hauser permits Porzingis to chop out of the nook towards the other put up. The display screen additionally forces a change to happen, placing Russell again on Porzingis. At this level, it is the identical playbook, Porzingis geese in, will get the rock and punishes the mismatch. Nonetheless, fairly than getting a bucket, the large man attracts a foul. I’ll take it.
I just like the Porzingis-in-the-corner concept. I’m an enormous fan of the teaching chess battles that happen, and this wrinkle of the sport was enjoyable to comply with — not less than, it was for me.
#4 Payton Pritchard, Historical past Maker
After tying the NBA document for complete threes off the bench in a season through the 1st half, it was contact and go as as to if Pritchard would break the document sooner or later within the sport. Within the fourth quarter, the Oregon product lastly acquired his title etched into league historical past, sinking his 219th three off the bench this season. He rapidly adopted that up together with his 220th.
I’ve been singing Pritchard’s praises all season lengthy. He’s the Sixth Man of the 12 months in my ebook — simply as he’s for many of us. I like to think about Pritchard as the ultimate reward from Danny Ainge, as he was his final draft choose as a part of the Celtics entrance workplace.
Over the previous 18 months, Pritchard has emerged as arguably the perfect bench guard within the NBA. He retains discovering methods to enhance his sport. Final season, it was his potential to create separation through contact initiation, and this 12 months, it’s his off-the-dribble capturing. A real three-level scorer who controls the tempo and tempo. I liked seeing him set a league-wide document.
For those who’ve ever performed the online game collection ‘sniper elite’ simply know the following launch of that sport will likely be based mostly on Pritchard — it needs to be.
#5 Jrue Vacation, Playmaker
Vacation ended the evening with 12 dimes to his title. Typically, it’s straightforward to overlook that earlier than he was traded to the Portland Path Blazers, and subsequently discovered himself with the Celtics, Vacation was a secondary and tertiary possibility for the Milwaukee Bucks. As such, his versatility can emerge in a number of other ways, corresponding to his double-double evening towards Brooklyn.
Curiously, six of Vacation’s dimes went on to Porzingis — perhaps there’s a two-man sport there? Possibly the Celtics can discover that extra over the following few weeks?
As an attention-grabbing apart, coming into final evening’s sport, Vacation had assisted Porzingis 19 occasions all season. That tally now stands at 25. So, roughly 26% of all the Vacation-Porzingis dimes for this season got here on this one contest.
This play felt like essentially the most Vacation-on-the-Celtics possession out of all his dimes. Just a little guard/guard hand-off with Jaylen Brown on the nook, organising what is called a Miami Motion — a hand-off right into a pick-and-roll / pin-down for the ball-handler. Vacation slips the protection and re-locates to the dunker spot — you may guess the remainder.
#6 Excessive PnR Pocket Passes
Sticking with playmaking momentarily, a core side of Boston’s pick-and-roll creation this season has come from excessive pocket passes, such because the one within the clip beneath.
Normally, Tatum is the recipient of those excessive pocket passes, because it permits him to assault an opposing massive off the dribble whereas getting down hill. The great thing about having Porzingis within the rotation, is that he’s greater than able to scoring off the bounce, particularly if he stops and pulls up from mid-range to counter the protection.
Okay, this clip isn’t from the Nets sport, however I’m engaged on one thing to do with help combos proper now, and the subject of excessive pocket passes is a part of that. So, only for reference, right here’s the way it usually appears to be like with Tatum because the recipient.
This little PnR wrinkle has been a staple for the Celtics this season. The truth that they will get good manufacturing out of it with Tatum, Brown, Vacation or Porzingis because the roll man is a testomony to the elite versatility accessible all through the roster. I’m additionally positive I’ve missed two or three names off this checklist.
Right here’s one other instance of that prime pick-and-roll pocket move from later within the sport. Once more, Porzingis is the beneficiary, and once more, he counters the protection with slightly pull-up.
#7 Inside Scoring
In keeping with Cleansing The Glass, the Celtics attacked the rim on 30% of their complete possessions. Nonetheless, with out Nic Claxton defending the cup and anchoring the paint, Mazzulla’s crew transformed at a 73.9% clip. I’d assume Tatum had an enormous hand in that success charge, as he regularly discovered routes to the rim.
I’ve been an enormous fan of how Tatum has been seeking to drive the hole on blitzs this season. I additionally appreciated how Kornet’s slip display screen helped create the hole for Tatum to take advantage of. There’s a stage of drive that Tatum performs with now that makes him seem unstoppable when he decides to show the nook or drop his shoulder — and I don’t learn about you, however I all the time really feel assured it’s getting into.
After all, when Tatum isn’t splitting the protection or getting switched onto an enormous in area, he can use his measurement and energy to overpower his defender on bully drives, simply as he did within the above clip.
#8 Taking part in towards a set protection
We’ve acquired to present credit score to the Nets right here. Cleansing The Glass tracked Boston’s total offense, noting {that a} whopping 86.7% of their offense got here within the half-court towards a set protection. The Nets restricted the Celtics’ alternatives for run-outs and fastbreaks, they usually made the reigning champions work for each bucket they acquired.
I’m not too involved, although — the Celtics are primarily a halfcourt based mostly offense, and the extra reps of cooking a set protection will all the time come in useful.
I get that the above clip resulted in a mid-range fadeaway from Tatum…BUT…I like that the Celtics are beginning to run some extra motion-based units within the halfcourt, as now’s the time to start out sharpening a few of these forms of actions for the postseason. In a sport the place a lot of the offense was towards a set protection, I discovered this play to be an encouraging signal — course of over outcomes, and all that.
#9 Sam Hauser attacking closeouts
For those who’ve been following my publication this season, you’ll doubtless know that I’ve been monitoring Hauser’s development when it comes to attacking closeouts off the bounce. I began monitoring this improvement halfway by way of final season once I was nonetheless writing the closeouts, and have been genuinely impressed.
Out of all of Hauser’s finishes when placing the ball on the ground to prepare dinner closeouts, this has acquired to be my favourite. He splits two defenders, barely snakes his dribble and finishes across the rim with slightly little bit of flare.
Bald Hauser is assured. Bald Hauser is enjoyable. Bald Hauser is right here to remain.
#10 Jaylen Brown’s footwork is a pleasure to observe
Can we take like 10 seconds to understand Brown’s footwork?
Brown has considerably improved when taking part in off two toes. These enhancements have occurred regularly over the previous two years. Nonetheless, a byproduct of that two-footed improvement, is that Brown’s total footwork has gone to a different stage, particularly within the mid-post.
The above play was a footwork masterpiece, as Brown manipulated a crowd, acquired defenders off their toes after which hit the simple shovel move for a dunk. Simply great!
Last Ideas
Penning this was enjoyable! It’s good to flex the previous takeaways muscle mass and say a digital hiya to you all! I’m positive Azad will likely be again very quickly, and can proceed crushing his protection and showcasing his undoubted talent and potential!
Nonetheless, for at this time, on this random Sunday, let me log off with a GO CELTICS!
