We’re back! Welcome to the five highest-IQ plays of the week!
Sure, we love the high-flying dunks and the deep, off-the-dribble step-back threes, but this is a place for the under-the-radar plays that might not get the credit they deserve. The plays that get the basketball sickos and nerds out of their chairs. The plays that even YOU could make in your weekly rec league game.
Each week, the plays will be ranked from five to one—one being the smartest—and will only be taken from games that occurred within the past week. For this week, games from January 8th to January 15th (but not the Miami game) are considered. The C’s went 1-2 this week, with a win over the Raptors, but close losses to the Spurs and Pacers.
I won’t lie, I audibly gasped when Queta made this move. The balance required to take a hard dribble, throw his entire body into a fake spin, and still finish with his weak hand while using touch and control is quite impressive. Neemy has made a ridiculous leap this season in terms of his ability to operate in the short roll, and it has made him one of the more effective screeners in the entire NBA. It’s his patience, IQ and feel that has allowed him to grow so much in this role, not to mention some clear improvements to his body and ball handling.
Victor Wembanyama is the best defensive player in the NBA and already one of the most impactful defensive players of all time. And it’s largely due to the defensive concept the Spurs play with him—essentially a 4-1 “Wemby” zone—that has made their defense with him on the court so impenetrable. The four non-Wemby players guard the perimeter, and the alien helps them out in the paint if they get beat. But if Wembanyama has to guard a shooting center, that makes the “zone” more difficult to employ. That’s clearly why Mazzulla matched Luka Garza with Wembanyama, which forced Victor to guard both the rim and the perimeter. This led to a 3-for-4 shooting night from downtown for Garza. Smart adjustment, Joe.
This move from Payton Pritchard comes at a pivotal time in the game and showcases an egregious amount of skill and feel. PP drives right, crosses over behind his back and then IMMEDIATELY takes another lefty dribble before stepping back—he already has Mamukelashvili jumping for joy. But then, he performs a ridiculously crafty step-through move, making sure to utilize his pivot foot and get as much space from Sandro’s 6-foot-9 frame as possible. Trying to learn how to finish amongst the trees while being an undersized guard? There’s nobody better to watch than Payton Pritchard.
You don’t need me to tell you that JB has had some issues throughout his career with regard to his left hand. But the pass he throws to Derrick White here can literally ONLY get through if he has enough confidence to throw it with his southpaw, and that’s exactly what Brown does. He throws the dime with the perfect pace and timing, and though you can’t really tell where his eyes are looking, Kornet’s slow reaction to the play makes me think JB isn’t telegraphing the pass. Oh, and not shockingly, it’s an incredibly heady cut from White, too. Special stuff.
1. The best pass of Simons’ career
I’m going out on a limb here, but I simply can’t imagine Anfernee has ever thrown a pass better than this in his entire NBA career. One of the most underutilized passing skills is looking at the defender’s eyes. Because even if the defender is in a good guarding position off the ball—like Potter is here—a pass can still be whizzed by their head without them noticing if they aren’t looking at the ball. And that’s exactly what happens here. Simons notices Potter’s eyes on DWhite, and he knows that’s the perfect time to thread the needle. Big time stuff.
