Okay, let’s try this again. 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 psychos and nerds out of their chairs, the plays that even YOU could make in your weekly men’s 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. In this week’s case, games from October 29th to November 5th, but not including the Wizards game, are considered.
5. Scout detail for the win
We often talk about the impact of scouting and game preparation by NBA staffs, but it’s sometimes confusing to see, in real time, the ways in which scouting is actually utilized in game scenarios. There’s no better example than right here, though, where Boston—and by “Boston,” I mean Hugo Gonzalez—completely blows up the Cavs’ play-call with his top-lock defensive strategy. He (and the coaching staff) clearly knew that the Sixers were running this double-stagger screen on the right side to get either Maxey or Watford coming off of it with a head of steam. The Sixers want Hugo to trail one of these guys so that they can attack with the defense behind them, but the 19-year-old rookie won’t let it happen. As a result, the play breaks down, Edgecombe swings it to Grimes, and they get a terrible shot off. That’s scouting at its finest.
4. Minott, you’re like that?
To be honest, I just didn’t know Josh Minott had this sort of decision-making and feel in his game—he continues to surprise me every night. He does a good job following his missed three, and then his quick behind-the-back move as De’Andre Hunter shoots the gap is, to say the least, quite impressive. To be able to think quickly enough on your feet to carry this move out (especially when you’re 6-foot-8 and very long) requires a wild combination of skill and IQ. Pretty special stuff from a guy who could be a significant part of Boston’s future based on his early-season play. We knew he had the physical tools, but the brainpower is there in spades, and it’s fun to see.
The difference between excellent and dreadful defense can often be a split second. On this defensive play, the Celtics perfectly carry out a double-team and force Philadelphia into a low-percentage shot. First, let’s look at White, who flawlessly executes a stunt; he only chases Embiid once the big fella turns his head to the middle of the floor, and then he jabs at him and gets back to his defender right as Embiid picks up his dribble. Beautiful. Then, when they repost Joel on the left block, Scheierman comes to double JUST AS Hugo gets in front of Watford, saving Baylor’s back. Everybody is in the right place, at the right time, and on the same page. That’s what it looks like for the defense to be on a string.
The Celtics have a glaring weakness in their frontcourt, and there’s just no way around it. They lost a slew of established bigs—Horford, Porzingis, and Kornet—and replaced them with a group of unproven forwards. They objectively have fewer screening threats from the forward/center position than last season; fewer guys who can make plays in the short roll and finish effectively near the rim. So, what do they do? Lean into guard screening. With their abundance of guard shooters, Mazzulla and Co. have run a ton of guard-guard ghost screens, which has proven to be a difficult action to defend for opponents. In the example above, Maxey and Grimes are confused about whether to switch or fight through the pick, because Simons barely makes any contact with the defender. And because Simons can shoot, the defense is forced to follow him out to the perimeter, therefore opening up a wide-open driving lane for White. This action could (and I would argue, should) become a focal point of the Celtics’ offensive attack this year, given their personnel.
1. How to use your body 101.
If you want to know how to use your body on the offensive end of the floor—especially with the ball in your hands and in the pick-and-roll—there’s probably not a better player to watch in the entire league than Payton Pritchard. He puts on an absolute clinic in this PnR rep against Josh Okogie (a very good defender, by the way). Walsh does a good job flipping the screen, and PP immediately gets his body in front of Okogie, putting him in jail; this gives him more time to make a decision and gives him all of the leverage in the paint. As Okogie reaches for the ball on his left side, Pritchard switches the ball to his right hand and shifts his balance to give Okogie a bump with his left shoulder. Then, he uses his footwork and craft to get a floater off. Really special stuff.
