Two games, two wins. The Boston Celtics are off to a solid start in the postseason and are already proving they’re locked in ahead of the new season. I always enjoy preseason.
We see what players have added to their games and the wrinkles the coaching staff is adding to their offensive (and, to a lesser extent, defensive) system. There’s always a deep rotation, so we get a closer look at the end-of-bench guys and the two ways.
I’ve got some thoughts on what we saw from Drew Peterson in Abu Dhabi. I think he’s got a chance of competing for that 15th and final roster spot later in the season, assuming he can build on his fourth-quarter performances when he’s back with the Maine Celtics.
Those thoughts are for another day, though.
Today, I’m trying something different.
But first, some context.
Joe Mazzulla has a deep playbook. He often leans into different aspects of that playbook based on the team he’s facing. For instance, the Celtics ran more “Ricky” against the New York Knicks than we saw when playing (pretty much every) other team throughout last season.
Against the Nuggets, we saw some additional flex actions — with one of them — “Flex Gut,” being the focus of today’s breakdown. I have recorded the video below to explain “flex” and “gut” screens.
This action is sometimes known as Spanoulis. However, that is when a big man has the ball and runs a DHO after the gut screen…With White being the ball-handler here, and no DHO, I wouldn’t personally classify this as a Spanoulis action — which some would say is any cut from a shooter from underneath the basket into a DHO from the five-man.
The lack of a center as the ball-handler is why I wouldn’t run with that label for this play, although it’s likely the inspiration for where Mazzulla developed it.
Anyway.
Let’s take a look at this full action and why it works. As an aside, Mazzulla is using this action as an 'entry,’ meaning it’s a tool to lead into a motion-based read-and-react offense. As such, the advantages we’re looking for will come on the second and third decisions after the initial play is executed.
As you would expect, the Celtics ran multiple variations of this action, with ranging degree’s of success against a talented and experienced Nuggets defense. I’ve broken down four other actions like this one in a longer video below.
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Now, let’s look at these other four plays….
