Nick Nurse should have known better.
If there’s one defensive coverage the Boston Celtics have consistently decapitated in recent months, it’s the hedge off a pick-and-roll.
This newsletter has covered it twice in recent memory.
Here’s a breakdown of how the Celtics used Neemias Queta to punish a similar coverage against the Atlanta Hawks in January.
Adam Taylor
Just a few days later, the Indiana Pacers tried multiple coverages, ultimately leaning into the hedge. The Celtics dismantled their defense play after play after play.
Adam Taylor
So, when the Sixers leaned into hedging in game one of their first-round playoff series against the Celtics, there was always a chance things would go wrong.
And go wrong it did.
For the majority of Sunday’s game, Nick Nurse had his bigs — Andre Drummond and Adem Bona — operating at the level of the screen. Once a pick-and-roll took place, the Sixers often looked to send two to the ball, hedging to pressure the ball-handler, take away the shot and contain a potential drive.
Sometimes, that strategy worked.
If you watch the above play, you will see the Celtics lean on a “Ram” action1 in search of creating a favorable mismatch for Jayson Tatum. Judging by how the defense is set up, the plan is likely to create a switch onto Drummond, who begins the possession matched up with Luka Garza.
After coming off Payton Pritchard’s screen, Garza flows into the PnR with Tatum. However, the Sixers opt against switching the action, instead hedging out onto Tatum, forcing him to backtrack. Drummond then recovers out to Garza, and the action has failed to produce an advantage.
The problem for Philly is possessions like the one above were the exceptions, not the rule.
Check out this play.
Philly runs the same defensive coverage. In fact, both Paul George and Drummond are defending the play — just like the other clip we looked at.
The setup is the same. Tatum is high on the wing. Boston flows into a PnR, with Queta operating as the screener. As both of the Sixers defenders hedge onto Tatum, Queta rolls hard to the rim, calling for the ball as he creates a passing angle for Tatum.
The result is a monster jam from Queta. I mean rim-rocking, poster-level jam.
When the Celtics are running spread pick-and-rolls, or angle pick-and-rolls (or both, like in the clip above), opposing defenses are in a bind. There’s too much shooting around the perimeter to help off your man. Still, that’s what you have to do.
Look at where everyone is as Queta goes up for the dunk.
Jaylen Brown has cut out of the corner and is now in the dunker spot, which is why Kelly Oubre Jr. was able to contest Queta’s dunk so quickly. With Brown in the dunker, Queta has a release valve should Oubre impact his shot enough that the breakout big man loses confidence in it.
Sam Hauser is lifting onto the weakside wing, and Derrick White has sunk to replace Brown in the corner.
Spacing everywhere. As such, Queta’s movement toward the rim is left unimpeded for the most part.
Easy bucket.
