Key Highlights
- The Boston Celtics posted a 120.2 offensive score of their second-round victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers
- Regardless of Evan Mobley‘s particular person defensive dominance, Boston nonetheless discovered methods to attain and generated a 118.1 offensive score with him on the ground
- Jaylen Brown thrived as a scorer, averaging 23.4 factors on 67.6 % true taking pictures
Late within the fourth quarter of Recreation 4 between the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers — with fewer than 75 seconds remaining and the Celtics clinging to a tenuous 102-97 lead — they turned to a dependable motion: the Jayson Tatum–Derrick White two-man tango. White set a punishing display screen on Dean Wade that left him trailing the play and Tatum veered round Darius Garland‘s ineffectual present.
With the paint vacant, Caris LeVert lunged towards Tatum in an goal to thwart his downhill descent. Tatum was too sharp, although. He noticed LeVert’s impending rotation and instantly swung the ball to Jaylen Brown, who canned the triple and extinguished Cleveland’s spirited effort to knot the sequence at 2-2.
Two days later, Tatum and White have been again within the highlight throughout the first half of Recreation 5. This time, although, Tatum set a rugged display screen on Garland and pinballed White into the lane. As Evan Mobley slinked away from Al Horford, White appeared off Marcus Morris and flicked a move to Horford, who buried one in every of his six threes on the night time. The deep shot gave Boston a lead it by no means relinquished en path to a cushty, 4-1 sequence victory.
Why Is Boston’s Screening So Arduous To Defend?
All sequence, the Tatum-White tandem brought on immense issues for Cleveland. With Garland usually stashed on White, the Celtics pushed that button time and time once more to instantly contain the slender 6-foot-1 guard. Whether or not it was White or Tatum screening didn’t matter. In an effort to keep away from Garland being mismatched onto Tatum, the Cavaliers consistently had him present towards these picks, which created ample driving lanes round Boston’s five-out offense.
When Cleveland switched, Tatum exploited his undersized foes. When it caught to exhibiting, White and Tatum seized the house granted to them. They sprayed residence pull-up threes. They wiggled to the rim. They set the desk for one another. Each of them are wonderful screeners decided to make contact and produce a bonus. Generally, White ghosted the display screen, prompted a swap and spaced the ground for his celebrity teammate.
With restricted choices and dealing with one of many league’s foremost offenses — even sans Kristaps Porzingis — the Cavaliers by no means uncovered a solution. Collectively, Boston’s two finest decision-makers diced them aside for 5 video games, regardless of some taking pictures woes (notably from White).
These screening actions devoid of a conventional huge are a staple of the Celtics’ offense. But it surely felt like they turned to them particularly usually within the second spherical. A part of that stems from Porzingis’ absence and the shortage of an inside hub by which to conduct possessions. A few of it, although, was a way to neutralize Mobley’s sprawling protection, which was seemingly dominant each recreation. Boston was consistently conscious of his looming presence. He curbed drives, corralled switches and customarily rendered wherever he resided as a spot to steer clear.
But that sizable imprint didn’t a lot sluggish the Celtics. They posted a 120.2 offensive score, together with 118.1 when Mobley was on the ground. That’s not an indictment on his efficiency. As a substitute, it’s a testomony to how Boston devised an offense accounting for his prowess and prodded at stress factors elsewhere.
Tatum and White aren’t the lone sound, feisty screeners within the rotation, nor do they restrict their screening to one another. Jrue Vacation anchored bruising screens to carve out actual property for Tatum and Jaylen Brown, and flowed into empty nook dribble handoffs with White. Cleveland by no means actually deployed drop protection or trapping to allow it, however Boston additionally likes utilizing Vacation as a short-roll facilitator. I anticipate that to emerge if future opponents elect for various protection than the Cavaliers.
Because the sequence progressed, Boston was more and more meticulous in its placement of Horford or whomever Mobley was guarding. Throughout Recreation 2, Mobley thrived roaming to muck up drives and rotating in ways in which invited funky, difficult passing angles. So, the counter was to maintain him one move away extra usually. If Mobley was to assist, the learn can be simpler for whoever entered his orbit.
Be aware the place he’s positioned on many of the drives above. Skips to the weakside nook or kickouts to the alternative wing are a lot more durable than a swing move an arm’s size away. That outlet each simplified choices round Mobley and sometimes discouraged him from rotating in any way.
Though enjoying a smaller reserve position, Payton Pritchard dabbled within the screening jamboree. He dishes out sturdy picks and is a profession 40 % three-point marksman. His consideration to element and taking pictures credentials pressure the on-ball defender to struggle round him or concede the swap. That yields a bonus for the initiator. Both he now sees house to assault or he’s wrangling with a mismatch. Neither lent itself to luck for Cleveland.
These guard-guard screens catalyzed a prolific sequence for Brown, who averaged 23.4 factors on 67.6 % true taking pictures and transformed 65.5 % of his twos (36-of-55). He routinely sauntered into open pull-ups, shot over smaller defenders or shimmied to the rim.
In Recreation 5, Brown and White established a dynamic connection. The Celtics diversified White’s utilization, too, by mixing in some dives inside. He’s such a gradual decision-maker, whereas Brown is such an explosive scorer. They complement each other properly. It’s why their minutes are sometimes tied collectively. That concord was evident Wednesday (together with a number of different cases).
Boston’s depth offensively is the crux of its potent assault. Together with Porzingis, its high eight gamers are all legit shooters and 5 of them can boogie off the bounce. Towards the Cavaliers, these attributes virtually sat secondary to this workforce’s screening aptitude. The taking pictures and drive threats nonetheless persevered, however accentuating all that constantly started with super picks to warp the protection into rotation.
Tatum, Brown, White, Vacation, Pritchard — each ball-handler who noticed significant minutes was ready to do some soiled work and do it properly. Whereas the three-point barrages and a shiny, well-spaced ground could also be their field workplace attraction, the Celtics’ basic screening was pivotal, serving to them punch their ticket to a sixth Japanese Convention Finals in eight seasons.
