Last night’s headlines focused on the Boston Celtics’ 18th banner and their three-point shooting festival. Overall, it was a fantastic night to be a Celtics fan. However, I couldn’t help but notice how much the Knicks had no answers for the Celtics’ pick-and-roll attack. They tried various coverages, but none of them worked.
During the preseason, we analyzed how the Celtics adjusted to the Denver Nuggets’ blitz defensive coverage. Here again, we take a look at the Knicks’ defense and how the Celtics had counters for all of their strategies. Even better, the Celtics forced the Knicks to play coverages they would have rather avoided.
Knicks’ switch-everything defense: dead on arrival
With the Knicks adding Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, and Mikal Bridges, analysts were expecting to see a switch-all approach. This strategy could have effectively neutralized any advantages created by screens. However, the Celtics had a different plan.
To beat the switch-everything defense, teams need the screen to be set by players defended by Hart, Anunoby, or Bridges. The Celtics knew this and did the opposite.
The Celtics ensured that if the ball handler was defended by one of the three wings, they would set a screen with the player guarded by Jalen Brunson or Karl-Anthony Towns. This negated the Knicks’ wing switchability and forced Brunson and Towns into difficult situations. If they switched, they became immediate mismatches, which the Celtics’ offense exploited. As a result, the Knicks had to adjust and use different coverage for the Celtics’ ball screens.
At the start of the game, the Celtics wanted to see the Knicks’ defensive approach to their ball screens. So, they ran a PnR with Towns as the defender and saw him drop. Jayson Tatum immediately recognized this and pulled up for a three. On the next possession, the Celtics ran Zoom Action for Derrick White with both screeners guarded by Towns and Brunson. Brunson stayed on his man, Towns dropped, and White drove into the paint, hitting a perfect floater.
Knicks’ drop coverage: Jayson Tatum’s pull-up was unstoppable
Once it became clear the Knicks were using drop coverage, the Celtics had two ways to counter it. First, Jayson Tatum’s pull-up jumper, which was on fire last night. It may not be as consistent all season, but when he’s shooting like that, drop coverage offers Tatum wide-open practice shots all game long.
Second, the Celtics used the pick-and-pop. With Al Horford as the screener, if Towns dropped, Horford would get open looks for his catch-and-shoot threes. This is why the Celtics’ five-shooter lineup is so dangerous. Modern defenses often leave open shooters above the three-point line to protect the paint, but the Celtics will gladly take those threes.
When Tatum’s pull-up is falling and Horford is hitting from deep, drop coverage becomes a bigger problem for the Knicks than for the Celtics. To sum up, the Knicks couldn’t switch all because their wings weren’t targeted, and their drop coverage didn’t work due to Tatum’s jumper. So, what could they do? Bring the blitz, like Denver.
Celtics’ passing dismantles the blitz
Blitz defensive coverage can be an excellent way to pressure average passers or ball handlers, causing turnovers and fast breaks. However, Jayson Tatum seems to have taken a leap in his playmaking. His passing under pressure last night was extraordinary. Look at this fast, precise skip pass with his left hand, threading the Knicks’ defense and finding the open man just in time. Gorgeous.
Joe Mazzulla and his coaching staff also designed plays to neutralize the blitz. To beat it, the Celtics created easy passing lanes for Tatum. For instance, they positioned good shooters one pass away, or they used short actions.
In short actions, they involved a third player in the Pick & Roll to connect the ball handler (Tatum) and the roll man (Kornet). So, if the defense pressured Tatum and denied the pass to the roll man, he could transfer the ball to a third option (Jrue Holiday).
Finally, the Celtics’ big men showcased their high basketball IQ and excellent passing skills in short-roll situations. All of them were able to read the 4-on-3 scenarios and make the right play.
Once again, this highlights why the Celtics are so effective. It’s not just their great shooters; it’s their smart players who read the game and make the right decisions at the right moments.
