A team’s performance after a timeout may be the best way to judge a coach’s Xs & Os knowledge, and his ability to draw up plays. The Clipboard Awards is a competition where I choose the top three post-timeout plays each night, adding up the scores over the course of the season.
Play 3 (1 Point) – Doug Collins/Philadelphia 76ers
Here, Doug Collins uses a standard cut off the post, one that looks like it is creating an ISO on the block, to create a wide open shot in the lane. The play starts with Spencer Hawes getting the basketball in the post from Jodie Meeks. After Meeks makes the pass, he cuts through. However, instead of going to the opposite corner (which is what normally happens in these situations), he sets a screen for Thaddeus Young. Young comes off the screen, gets the ball in the middle of the paint, and knocks down the easy floater.
Earlier today, we looked at the Spurs’ final possession down three where Manu Ginobili ended up with a contested three point shot off of an ISO. Well, Gregg Popovich wasn’t the only well respected coach who needed a three point shot in the final seconds to tie the game. Over in Boston, Doc Rivers found his team trailing by three points with 4.2 seconds left in the game. Instead of one of his nice inbounds sets, the Celtics ended up with a contested three point shot from Paul Pierce out of an ISO set:
While the result of the shot is similar to Ginobili’s, even down to the spot on the floor the shot comes from, how it was set up is very different.
The Boston Celtics’ game against the New York Knicks is an interesting contrast in style. The Knicks love getting up and down the court, creating a ton of possessions (the Knicks play at the second fastest pace in the league, creating on average 98.2 possessions per game). Meanwhile, the Celtics are the 9t slowest team in the NBA, creating just 92.8 possessions per game.
This doesn’t mean the Celtics are poor in transition, they are just more opportunistic than most teams, and the fact that they are 6th in the NBA in points per possession in transition (according to Synergy Sport Technology) proves that. During the first three quarters against the Knicks, the Celtics didn’t really have much opportunity to run, only scoring 8 transition points. However, in the fourth quarter the Celtics were able to score 11 transition points, all off of Knicks’ misses. The reason? Poor effort, decision making, and floor balance from New York.
- Points 2 of 11 – Poor Effort
With the shot clock running down, Carmelo Anthony is forced to pull a contested jumper out of an ISO set. The ball comes off the rim, and Rajon Rondo is able to tip it to Delonte West. As West brings the basketball up the court, Jeff Green sprints straight to the rim. His man, Shawne Williams, is running with him, but he is jogging. As Green crosses the three point line, Williams thinks that Ronny Turiaf is going to pick up Green and slows down. Turiaf doesn’t pick Green up, Williams gets caught behind him, creating enough space for West to throw the pass to Green. Green is able to make the catch and finish.
A team’s performance after a timeout may be the best way to judge a coach’s Xs & Os knowledge, and his ability to draw up plays. The Clipboard Awards is a competition where I choose the top three post-timeout plays each night, adding up the scores over the course of the season.
Play 3 (1 Point) – Doug Collins/Philadelphia 76ers
The Sixers beat the Blazers’ full court press and get into their set with Lou Williams taking the basketball to the wing and then hitting Thaddeus Young at the top of the key. Young swings the basketball and then sets a pindown for Jodie Meeks. After setting that screen, Young comes off of an Elton Brand screen, coming open in the corner. Young makes the catch and knocks down the open jumper.
A team’s performance after a timeout may be the best way to judge a coach’s Xs & Os knowledge, and his ability to draw up plays. The Clipboard Awards is a competition where I choose the top three post-timeout plays each night, adding up the scores over the course of the season.
Play 3 (1 Point) – Ty Corbin/Utah Jazz
This play that Ty Corbin drew up takes place on the baseline with C.J. Miles and Kyrylo Fesenko setting a staggered screen for Raja Bell, allowing him to flash to the corner. With the defense’s attention focused on Bell, Fesenko sets a screen for Miles, with Miles curling off of it to the basketball. Miles gets the pass, makes the catch, and finishes at the rim.
A team’s performance after a timeout may be the best way to judge a coach’s Xs & Os knowledge, and his ability to draw up plays. The Clipboard Awards is a competition where I choose the top three post-timeout plays each night, adding up the scores over the course of the season.
Play 1 (3 Points) – Doc Rivers/Boston Celtics
As the ball goes to Carlos Arroyo, the triggerman, Nenad Krstic flashes to the corner to receive the inbounds pass.
After receiving the pass, Arroyo quickly gets inbounds and comes off of Krstic for the dribble handoff. When this happens, Glen Davis comes over and sets a screen as well, turning the dribble handoff into a staggered screen. As Arroyo is coming off of the staggered screen, Paul Pierce is setting a screen off of the basketball for Ray Allen.
A team’s performance after a timeout may be the best way to judge a coach’s Xs & Os knowledge, and his ability to draw up plays. The Clipboard Awards is a competition where I choose the top three post-timeout plays each night, adding up the scores over the course of the season.
Play 3 (1 Point) – Paul Silas/Charlotte Bobcats
This is a baseline set, but the Bobcats quickly get the basketball to D.J. Augustin at the top of the key so they can run their set. They quickly run Dante Cunningham off of a pindown screen, with Cunningham curling it to the opposite key. After Cunningham curls off the pindown, Gerald Henderson comes off the same pindown screen. Henderson makes the catch and knocks down the jumper. What makes this play work is the double run off of the screen. The defense is really focusing on Cunningham as he comes off of the screen, not prepared for Henderson to come off of the same screen.
The Philadelphia 76ers are a team that really seem to be clicking on all cylinders right now, with coach Doug Collins getting the most out of his young team. It helps when coach Collins draws up one of the best sets that I have seen all season and the players execute it to perfection, which is exactly what happened late in the first quarter during their game against the Boston Celtics:
As Jrue Holiday brings up the basketball, Spencer Hawes comes up and sets a screen for Holiday on the wing.
However, instead of actually setting the screen, Hawes slips it without making contact, cutting to the rim. As this happens, Elton Brand comes over and gets in position to set a screen for Holiday, who continues his dribble to the wing and then changes directions, heading back towards the middle of the court.
A team’s performance after a timeout may be the best way to judge a coach’s Xs & Os knowledge, and his ability to draw up plays. The Clipboard Awards is a competition where I choose the top three post-timeout plays each night, adding up the scores over the course of the season.
Play 3 (1 Point) – Avery Johnson/New Jersey Nets
This play starts with Jordan Farmar bringing the ball up for the Nets and quickly getting the ball in Anthony Morrow’s hands. Movement off of the ball results in both bigs on the strong side with Brandon Wright getting the ball on the wing and entering it to Brook Lopez. It looks like the Nets are setting up Lopez for the post up, but at the last second, Wright sets a screen for Morrow, setting him up for the wide open jumper.
Over at Basketball Prospectus, the great Kevin Pelton took a look at the pieces the Boston Celtics got in return for the Kendrick Perkins trade. In the post, Pelton talks about how despite success on the offensive end, the new Celtics acquired are still struggling on the defensive end. The post is definitely worth a read, and as I was reading it, one play I saw last night in the Celtics’ loss to the Clippers kept playing over and over in my mind. It involved Nenad Krstic, and it was a perfect example of what Pelton was talking about:
With a nine point lead, the Clippers were content letting Mo Williams dribble down the clock at the top of the key. Once there are 10 seconds left on the shot clock, the Clippers get into their offense. After showing a ballscreen, Blake Griffin flashes to the wing, getting the pass.
Once Griffin makes the catch, he quickly swings the ball to the wing. After making the pass, Griffin follows the basketball and sets a ballscreen.
One big factor in Pacer demise against a 3-man Heat team? Tyler Hansbrough. Three terrible first half shots & two huge second half travels 15 hours ago
James and Battier came over to remind Wade that Battier wide open from the corner is a better option than Anthony finish at the rim. 15 hours ago
