10 takeaways from the Celtics controlling the Raptors with switching and spacing

#1 – Horns units offense

Whereas the Celtics are one of the crucial progressive groups, they’re additionally fairly good at utilizing the fundamentals. Horns units are sometimes one of many first performs you study once you begin enjoying basketball as a child (at the least that’s the case in France).

Again within the day, the participant on the high could be the purpose guard, the 2 bigs could be positioned on the elbows, and the wings would stand within the corners. These days, the positions stay the identical, however the roles have modified. For instance, final night time, the Celtics performed and not using a heart for a lot of the recreation—but, they nonetheless used these Horns units, that are historically performed with two bigs.

Because the Celtics play with a number of ball handlers and shooters, they carry a contemporary strategy to the Horns offense. Since all 5 gamers on the ground can deal with the ball, set screens, reduce to the basket, or come out for a 3, these units grow to be very troublesome to decelerate as a result of it’s laborious to anticipate what’s going to occur.

If the protection switches, you’ve got a mismatch. In the event that they don’t, they fall behind the play. If they assist, the spacing makes it almost unimaginable to get better.

#2 – Change to maintain up with movement

Within the final recreation, the Celtics couldn’t sustain with the Raptors’ ball motion and staggered display screen actions. Boston was usually a step behind as a result of they needed to maintain a middle close to the rim to guard the paint. Nonetheless, final night time, they didn’t play with a middle in any respect.

Consequently, the Celtics switched on screens to soak up and erase the gaps the Raptors have been making an attempt to generate with their motion. By speaking and shifting collectively as a unit, they ensured no defender was left remoted, offering a significantly better defensive efficiency than of their earlier recreation towards Toronto.

With fixed switching, they have been in a position to put stress on the ball and power the Raptors into quite a few turnovers. Moreover, the switch-everything strategy gave the Celtics a greater likelihood to contest three-pointers—and it labored out nicely.

#3 – Zone protection with Queta

Nonetheless, when Neemias Queta was on the ground, the Celtics switched to a zone protection—a mixture between a 2-3 zone and a 2-1-2. Within the video under, Joe Mazzulla signaled the defensive protection by holding up two fingers.

With Queta anchoring the again of the zone, Jayson Tatum was stationed close to the free-throw line, able to disrupt any passes or drives into the paint. For the reason that Raptors weren’t enjoying with a conventional heart, this was a sensible technique to optimize Queta’s size and measurement.

He and Tatum acted because the final line of protection, protecting for Sam Hauser and Payton Pritchard, who struggled on the level of assault.

#4 – Raptors misplaced the plot with their mismatch searching

As a result of the Celtics combined zone protection with switch-everything rotations, the Raptors couldn’t discover their standard offensive circulation. Consequently, they resorted to mismatch searching with Scottie Barnes.

The Raptors repeatedly tried to generate one-on-one conditions for Barnes towards Pritchard. In concept, this is sensible, however the strategy had some clear downsides. First, the Raptors don’t have the identical degree of spacing because the Celtics. That lack of spacing makes it a lot tougher to punish mismatches effectively as a result of assist protection and stunts.

On high of that, most of Barnes’ makes an attempt have been contested mid-range pictures—the precise kind of appears to be like the Celtics are keen to concede. Moreover, this technique utterly disrupted the Raptors’ standard offensive circulation. What troubles Boston probably the most is fixed movement. By slowing issues all the way down to assault mismatches, the Raptors performed proper into the Celtics’ arms.

Taking a look at each video games towards Toronto, it’s clear that the Celtics’ teaching workers went to Canada with a robust defensive recreation plan and tailored nicely to what the Raptors had succeeded with within the first matchup.

#5 – Derrick White low-man assist

Talking of protection, Derrick White’s two blocks because the low man have been unbelievable.

His means to time his jumps completely, keep vertical to keep away from fouling, and show near-perfect hand-eye coordination was on full show.

As soon as once more, Derrick White could be the perfect rim protector amongst guards this season.

#6 – Craig studying the Mazzulla ball

Torry Craig began final night time and performed quarter-hour—a robust signal that the Celtics are dedicated to integrating him into the rotation. When a brand new participant arrives midseason, it’s at all times fascinating to look at how his teammates talk with him.

Because the Celtics incessantly swap on protection—a behavior relationship again to Ime Udoka’s tenure—it was clear that Craig wasn’t totally comfy but, which is totally regular. Nonetheless, it was nice to see Jayson Tatum pulling him apart to clarify what he wanted to do. Craig will make errors, however the workforce is exhibiting him the way in which.

The identical utilized on offense. Craig’s teammates have been actively directing him to take care of spacing and comply with the sport plan. He has the instruments to carve out a task within the rotation for sure matchups, however to earn common minutes, his studying curve might want to progress rapidly.

#7 – Celtics offense regarded rusty with out JT

With Jayson Tatum on the ground, the Celtics have been scoring 1.25 factors per possession final night time. Nonetheless, within the eight minutes he sat, their effectivity plummeted. The Celtics completed with a 1.14 factors per possession common for the sport.

Tatum not solely created for his teammates with 11 assists, however he additionally opened up the ground, drawing aggressive assist from the Raptors’ protection.

Nonetheless, when Tatum was resting, Jaylen Brown and Payton Pritchard have been tasked with initiating the offense, and so they struggled. Each gamers took plenty of pictures and tried to generate alternatives for others, however the Raptors’ size and defensive grit disrupted their rhythm.

With Derrick White on the ground, the offense flows higher, as he is without doubt one of the finest connectors within the league. However when each White and Tatum are off the court docket, the Celtics’ offense has struggled this season, posting a 113 offensive ranking per 100 possessions in these minutes.

#8 – A timeout to avoid wasting the sport

The Celtics have been struggling to shut out the sport, and with two seconds left on the shot clock, Joe Mazzulla referred to as a vital timeout that possible sealed the win.

Throughout that timeout, he drew up a play, subbed Queta again in, and gave Pritchard some much-needed relaxation, as he had been relentlessly focused by the Raptors. Toronto, enjoying small like Boston, possible didn’t anticipate Queta’s return.

The play Mazzulla designed along with his teaching workers resulted in a simple bucket for the Portuguese massive man. Tatum sprinted to the nook, whereas Sam Hauser set a again display screen on Queta’s defender, permitting him to roll to the rim unchallenged.

#9 – Boston’s small ball introduced nice transition protection

The Raptors are among the best transition groups within the NBA this season, however the Celtics held them to only 0.4 factors per possession on transition performs—a powerful show of pace, self-discipline, and collective effort.