What if I tell you that Payton Pritchard is the most efficient isolation player in the NBA among players with more than two isolations per game?
Yes, that’s right: the Sixth Man of the Year is more efficient than any other player in the NBA in one-on-one situations this season, and last night was another example of that greatness. Look at him here, going after the rookie Dylan Cardwell, making him jump, then making his way through the paint for an easy look at the rim.
The Kings kept on switching, and he kept on scoring, using his small-but-strong frame, footwork, and speed to get to his spots under the basket.
And against a guard like Zach LaVine, when the clock is about to expire, he is also able to create his own space off the dribble for a pull-up triple.
His efficiency at the rim, from the floater, or from deep has been amazing lately, and the fact that he can be among the best isolation players despite his size is blowing my mind. On top of that, last night, he provided some great playmaking flashes too.
#2 – His playmaking carried the Celtics
The patience, manipulation, and timing Pritchard displayed last night were impressive. His ability to create for others with the ball in his hands has always been somewhat limited due to his size and his willingness to score first and foremost.
Yet last night, he felt like yet another version of Pritchard. Here, he handles things well and is able to get near the paint. As he stops dribbling, he goes for the fake, makes Dennis Schroder jump, forces Maxime Raynaud to help, makes him jump too, and delivers a pass to Queta at the rim.
Look at him here again with only a few seconds on the clock. He goes to the paint, plays with the defenders like puppets, and gives away a beautiful pass over the top to Queta, again under the rim. Great flashes from the guard, who keeps impressing me.
#3 – Neemias Queta first two minutes
Let’s go back to the beginning — the first minutes of the game. Offensively, the Celtics were quickly on a roll, and it was largely due to Queta’s impact as a connector, a screener, and a finisher.
In the first two actions of the game, with his screening ability and verticality, he created space for the ball-handlers and offered a target at the rim for a couple of easy finishes at the back of the Kings’ defense.
Because of those early buckets, Maxime Raynaud stayed closer to him after the screen in the next actions, creating a lot more space at the rim for drives, like here with Payton Pritchard.
His impact on the next play is even more subtle, but it generates the space needed for Sam Hauser to drill the three. There are only a few seconds left on the clock, and Queta smartly goes to set a flare screen for Pritchard. This triggers DeMar DeRozan’s help from the strong side, and Hauser is now wide open in the corner.
These actions were worth nine points in less than 120 seconds, while the defense only allowed one point to the Sacramento Kings. Queta’s impact beyond scoring was felt right from the start and put the Celtics on the right path.
#4 – The Kings surely miss Queta
Speaking of Queta, and before digging deeper into the game, it’s safe to say that the Kings must miss him. A few years ago, they waived him to be able to sign JaVale McGee. Now, he is an NBA champion, a starter on one of the best teams in the world, and among the Celtics with the biggest positive impact on the team’s performances.
And as we saw in the previous takeaways, Neemias was even more motivated than usual to perform at the highest level.
#5 – Short-roll Celtics, again
In recent games, we saw the Brooklyn Nets and the Portland Trail Blazers try to put a lot of pressure on the ball-handlers out of the pick-and-roll. Last night, with Jaylen Brown out, the Sacramento Kings thought they had a chance to make that approach work and went for a hedge coverage to start the game. But they quickly changed their minds.
The Celtics’ big-man passing ability from the short roll, the team’s shooting firepower, and the Kings’ lack of defensively skilled players made that approach almost impossible. So they adapted and went for a switch-everything approach — hoping to be able to contain the Celtics one-on-one…
#6 – If you switch, Garza will eat
What is fun about basketball is that everything is connected. So when the Kings started switching, it didn’t only expose their big men (as we saw in the first takeaways), it also exposed their guards. How?
Well, when the Celtics missed their shots, because the Kings switched, they often had a size advantage under the basket to extend the possession. Look here, for example: the switch on Garza comes early in the possession. Yet when White triggers his pull-up, the two Kings big men are far from the paint, and Garzilla can eat another offensive rebound.
At the end of the game, Garza grabbed six offensive rebounds in 15 minutes, and Queta did great too with four offensive rebounds.
#7 – The “utility guy” delivering
Baylor Scheierman kept improving defensively with one steal and four deflections last night, showing the way on that end of the floor.
Like Nik Land highlighted in his article last week, Baylor has improved his defensive versatility, being able to switch effectively much more than last season. In a Celtics defensive structure that requires a lot of adjustments and the ability to defend all positions, that works very well.
It’s no surprise that Joe Mazzulla is rewarding his defensive improvements with a start last night.
#8 – Hugo, already a mature defender
While Baylor improved from last season, Hugo Gonzalez’s defensive mind at such a young age is very impressive. There were a couple of actions last night where he played like a veteran on the defensive end. Like here, for example, against DeMar DeRozan, one of the most skilled one-on-one players in the league. He stays on the ground, remains vertical, and doesn’t give away his feet. On top of that, he grabs the defensive rebound and draws a frustration foul.
And what about this one, where he sells the offensive foul to give the Celtics a defensive stop on a fast break?
Hugo and Baylor keep showing great things defensively using their minds and basketball IQ, and Joe Mazzulla seems to really value that.
With Jaylen Brown sidelined, the Celtics had to find a way to collectively create space and opportunities — which they did particularly well in the first half with handoff actions. With Neemias Queta as a hub and all the Celtics guards and wings flying around, it was hard for the Kings to keep up.
On the very first play of the game, the Celtics set up a play where White acts as if he is about to set a screen for Pritchard, but instead runs to the ball to catch it from a handoff. Zach LaVine is quickly a step behind, and Queta can exploit it as he flashes to the rim. With Pritchard and Hauser on the weak side, the spacing was too good, and no Kings defender came to help at the rim.
In this second example, Pritchard gives the ball to Queta and sets a screen for White, who again runs to the ball to get the handoff. He is a step ahead, and on top of that, the rookie Raynaud stays still, leaving Queta running to the rim. This forces Dennis Schroder to help and leaves Pritchard open for three.
The Celtics put this game to bed early with an amazing first half, as they dominated offensively and did not give the Kings a chance to exist. The second half was more problematic offensively, with only one player in double figures, but the Kings’ level was so abysmal that the Celtics were never really threatened.
