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 psychos 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. In this week’s case, games from November 5th to November 12th, but not including the Grizzlies game, are considered.
This play might seem simple, but these are the types of TEAM defensive possessions that result in winning. White begins the play by shifting his body to the high side of Maxey so that he can’t get going to his right hand (and to the middle of the floor). This is what we call icing a ball screen. But what’s great is everyone else’s positioning on the play. Garza mirrors the basketball and gets in a low, athletic stance with his arms out. Simons pinches over onto the right block, thus taking away the pocket pass and forcing a hard skip pass. And let’s not forget about Brown, who’s simple yet effective one-foot stunt throws off Maxey just enough to have his shot blocked by the best shot-blocking guard in the league. This is what it looks like to effectively execute an ice screen coverage.
4. Fun offensive action = layup
I absolutely love this offensive set that the Celtics have been running to start the season. As Jaylen Brown sets the screen for Simons at the top of the key, Jaylen’s defender gets ready to help on Anfernee’s initial drive. But what he doesn’t realize is that Brown isn’t rolling to the rim or popping for three like normal; he’s actually sprinting right off of a flare screen from Queta. As a result, Champagnie is multiple steps behind the play and can’t catch up to Brown, creating a significant advantage once he gets the rock swung to him. Queta thinks quickly and darts to the rim, getting himself an easy finish. Good, creative basketball with hard, decisive cuts. Pretty, pretty good stuff.
To be fair, this play starts off with a dumb move—Walsh aimlessly jumping at a below-average three-point shooter’s pump fake—but he more than makes up for it with a textbook peel switch. As Jordan gets beaten off the dribble, Pritchard seamlessly notices and gets into good help position; and instead of sprinting back into the play, Walsh sprints straight to the shooter in the corner, knowing that’s where the ball handler thinks the open player will be. He turns a defensive disadvantage (getting beaten off the dribble) into a difficult offensive decision to navigate. There isn’t much more effective defensively than a well-executed peel switch. Well done, Jordan.
Jose Alvarado gets all the love for his sneaky baseline steals off the opposing team’s defensive rebounds, but White deserves some shine too. He takes baseline crashing to a new level here; even when his crash is a little bit late and Paolo gets the easy rebound, Derrick doesn’t give up on the play. He knows Banchero doesn’t see him, but he still waits for him to put the ball on the floor before attacking him like a piranha from behind. He also swipes up—not down—which makes it significantly less likely that he’ll be called for a reach-in foul. Big time stuff from DWhite.
Yes, I know. I wrote about an eerily similar play last week from Pritchard — but this one was just too good to pass up. This possession, which showcases PP’s body control, patience, and feel, literally needs to be watched by every single small guard who has any hopes of playing hoops at the college or pro level. It needs to be put in the Louvre, to be frank. Pritchard gets Anthony Black (a very good defender, by the way) on his back and crosses over three (3!!!!!!) separate times as Black tries to back tap him for a steal. But this doesn’t make him lose his dribble or shift his focus. Payton still keeps his eyes on the rim and decisively attacks Carter for the and-one finish. This is just beyond special IQ, feel, and ball-handling. Wow.
