It was a busy week on the parquet. The Celtics dabbled in Magic like an Etsy witch, splitting a two-game road series in Orlando. Boston showed down with Philly once again; despite the schedule makers wanting
to get these matchups out of the way, it went down to the last possession for the third time. Finally, there was a dismantling of the Grizzlies that felt like putting a sick animal down more than a basketball game.
Plenty came up on the tape, and I did my best to distill it down into the choicest nuggets. So begins the fight against my instinct to post a million things.
Now, let’s get into the film.
Zoomers Reign Supreme
Throughout the week, I take down notes about what I want to organize and write up. Their “Zoom” actions stood out, a typical Mazzulla staple, and I felt the need to highlight them. Suddenly, the realization dawned on me that I’d be writing about a 6-7 team running Zoom. I had a severe “Is any of this real?” moment. If there is an architect of the simulation out there, it’s a 20-year-old with severe brain rot. Joe Mazzulla, do you have the gall to create a Jet 2 Holiday action?
Zoom is a simple concept where a down screen frees a player from the corner, and they run into a dribble handoff. Against teams that want to switch ball screens, it can create maddening communication lapses, especially when Boston has so many electric pull-up three-point shooters.
These looks are essential to address a key problem for the Celtics: perimeter rim pressure. Jaylen Brown is their best guard in terms of rim rate, ranking in the 42nd percentile relative to his position. He’s followed by Derrick White (14th percentile), Payton Pritchard (12th), and Anfernee Simons (2nd!!!). Yes, the math-ball three-point chucking plays a role, but all three players are down from last season’s rim rates.
But what happens when they face a team that doesn’t want to switch?
77
A number that haunts Nico Harrison in his sleep, most ball enjoyers associate the number 77 with the Lakers’ superstar. However, 77 is also coaching shorthand for double drag screens; you may also hear it referred to as 55. Under the broader umbrella of staggered screens, they are the ultimate bane of a team like Orlando that doesn’t want to switch.
That first clip in particular made me laugh. The on-ball double drag screeners immediately flowing into an off-ball stagger lift for Jaylen Brown is sick, sick stuff. In classic Mazzulla style, why stop here? It’s two screeners that could be doing more. And it’s not the only way that the Celtics decided to use the screeners for a secondary screening action.
Think about Boston’s personnel. I love Josh Minott as much as the next guy, but he’s not the ideal screen-and-pop threat on the roster. Use Sam Hauser, Jaylen Brown, and even Chris Boucher in their place. The possibilities are endless with the number of ball handlers and tall guys who can screen and shoot. It’s fantasy land for staggered on and off ball actions. Speaking of tall guys who can shoot…
Wide-Open Wendell
It was a big week for Wendell Carter Jr. Now it’s official: WCJ has locked down a relationship with the Bayou Barbie, Angel Reese. But he doesn’t just shoot his shot off the court. Boston was happy to let Wendell let it fly from the perimeter, and it got them in trouble.
Look back at those clips and watch how Neemias Queta reacts to the shots. He hardly wants to leave the paint. We know he has the athleticism to close it out a bit more, but he stayed anchored for the most part. Why?
Because, as most of you know, the Celtics stink at defensive rebounding. Only the Brooklyn Nets, a team designed to lose, allow a higher offensive rebounding rate than the Celtics. They can’t afford to have their best rebounder spaced out to the perimeter attempting to stop a 32% three-point shooter.
With their struggles in rebounding, this could be a trend that persists going forward. I’m interested to see where the line falls; how good of a shooter do you need to be for Queta, Luka Garza, and Xavier Tillman to close you out? We should get more data on this in their next game against the Clippers, who employ John Collins and Brook Lopez.
See You, Space Cowboys
That’s all for this edition of my Celtics film round-up. We’ll check in next week to see what’s shaking with the C’s.
